The West Philly Tool Library loans tools to community members so they can perform simple home maintenance, tend their yards and gardens, build furniture, start projects, and learn new skills in a safe and affordable manner. We aim to be a community resource to provide home owners, tenants, long-time residents, and newcomers with the tools (and the knowledge) they need.
The Tool Library is a fiscally-sponsored project of the Urban Affairs Coalition (UAC). Since our founding in 2007, we have lent out over 100,000 tools and have welcomed over 4,000 members. 40% of our funding comes from annual membership dues and late fees. The balance is funded by generous individual contributions, as well as community supporters including Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell and the Philadelphia Activities Fund, Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation, the Samuel S. Fels Fund, the Connelly Foundation, and more.
The Tool Library is staffed by four part-time tool librarians. A volunteer steering committee meets every other month to do fundraising, set policies, and other administrative and management tasks. If you are interested in becoming part of the steering committee, please fill out the form in the “Donate Time” section of our Donate page.
Interested in starting a tool library in your neighborhood? We have a lot of information to get your started on our Resources page.