Some libraries do have tools! It’s the best!

These exist! Sometimes with a small fee but not as expensive as renting

Most auto parts stores have a really nice selection of tools that they will loan out to anyone.

Specifically 10mm sockets.

I just learned that my local library network has craft supply swap days! Anyone can bring craft supplies or tools they no longer need and/or walk out with supplies and tools that someone else brought to give away. It’s only once every few months, but that cadence apparently works well for this area (smallish city).

i <3 tool libraries, but they really do need dedicated space, storage, and maintenance - our local is run out of a shared space garage. a couple things: tools are going to get dirty when used, dirt on shovels, even electric only mowers; meanwhile, some stuff gets gross - drain snakes being a great example. some people treat everything like trash and don’t clean or maintain it, even when borrowing it from a library.

so love both book libraries and tool libraries, would not recommend trying to mix the two into the same loc.

Our university Astronomy club started a program like that, it’s great! Community members donated their old scopes and now people can borrow them.

Our home school group (health issues and not other things …) has one and a set of microscopes

Of cause every time we get them out I spend an hour or 3 fixing all the little issues

One thing I’d really like is vehicles, although I’m sure it would be an absolute liability/insurance nightmare, not to mention the upfront and ongoing costs and such, so I totally I totally understand why it’s not a thing.

Our regional (gov-esque) insurance corporation (insure your car) also operates a car-booking service called Evo. You pay like $10/mo for the opportunity to sign out a car from street parking, and off you go. Park it anywhere again where it’s legal, and even in some places where parking isn’t typically allowed. If you don’t want to drop and relinquish it, you can choose to keep it for longer, but the clock keeps running while it’s sitting under your control.

Drive it home and drop it somewhere allowed. An army of gig people fill the tank overnight. If it’s messy or dented, you don’t take it and you report it and the last guy pays a bundle. If you take a busted car and the next guy rats on you, you’re still paying even though you didn’t do it.

It’s a pretty tight system.

Mainly Priuses, but they have some family-vans and the odd truck, I think. Maybe it’s a competitor. Grab a van, pick up your IKEA, drop it at home, ditch and relinquish the van.

So easy.

I’ve read about an instrument library that was mostly stocked with donated instruments

Home endoscopy sounds …challenging.

I’d like to be able to borrow one of those tools that rolls the cord into the grooves to hold window screening. Because mine’s coming loose, and I’m unlikely to need it again for another several years.

One of the libraries in my area carries all of that, tho stuff like the cricut and 3d printer requires you to go to some class, but I haven’t because they only offer them during business hours.

I feel like hiking and climbing equipment wouldn’t work well. At least where I live, tents, backpacks, etc would almost certainly be booked out by the homeless population indefinitely. That the homeless need camping equipment is a whole other discussion to have… but I don’t think most libraries would be equipped for the demand they would recieve.

I would not want to check out publicly owned rock climbing equipment. That sounds sketchy af. And I am a rock climber who knows how to inspect their equipment.