Library of Things

A Library of Things (LoT) is a community hub for sharing all kinds of stuff. LoTs follow the traditional mechanics of a library while pushing the boundaries of what can be borrowed: tools, instruments, camping gear, toys, kitchen gadgets, and more! They build community while providing a low-cost, environmentally friendly way to meet our material needs.

There are roughly 2,000 formally established LoTs worldwide, as well as countless informal ones. Modern LoTs have been in operation since 1978, but informal resource sharing has always been an essential part of the human experience. Many of the largest LoTs in the US started to lend tools, but they can contain whatever items the community of members needs that can be shared safely and effectively.

Shareable has supported the development of several LoTs over the past decade. Projects have included an official advisory role to the former mayor of Seoul, South Korea, as they developed a pilot program with 32 lending libraries in apartment buildings, an inspiration and advisory role on the creation of La BOM, a three-story community center and sharing hub in Montreuil, France, and the incubation of the US Tool Library Alliance.

In 2022, we began a multi-year international research project into the current state of LoTs. Following the public release of our findings, we hosted a year-long Library of Things Co-Lab and Fellowship and published a free, comprehensive Library of Things Toolkit.

We believe every community can (and should!) have access to a Library of Things by 2050.

This comprehensive guide is designed to help people like you plan, start, and grow a Library of Things in your community. Each of the 12 sections addresses a critical aspect of the process.

Get the Toolkit

In 2024, the Library of Things Co-Lab brought together 250+ organizers—from curious newcomers to seasoned practitioners—to launch and grow community resource-sharing spaces. Through a 12-week training course, an online support network, and a paid fellowship for six teams from historically marginalized communities, participants gained the tools, connections, and resources to turn sharing economies into tangible change. The Tool Library Alliance has taken over the leadership of this series and is continuing the monthly Co-Lab series for LoT practitioners and partners.

Learn more

This 2024 benchmark report is a helpful guide whether you are part of an established LoT looking to understand how you measure up to the larger field or if you are just getting started and are learning what it takes to open a new LoT in your community!

Read the report

Current Projects

With support from Purpose Built Communities, Shareable began working with Connect Communities (Houston, TX) in 2023 to incorporate a Library of Things into their new development, Connect Highstar Apartments. Shareable’s support included monthly 1-on-1 coaching, a peer network, comprehensive training, access to library management software, templates, and other resources. In the Spring of 2025, Connect Communities opened the Connect Highstar LoT, which is accessible to both residents of the development and those living in the surrounding area, demonstrating their commitment to providing tangible benefits to the local community. Residents are currently playing a key role in deciding which items to include. In addition to the primary location, Connect Communities has also opened a micro-LoT in the St. Luke’s Garden Youth Center, with items selected by program participants.

Shareable partnered with The Center for Biological Diversity, UNF students, and campus Housing & Residence Life to develop several mini Libraries of Things housed within the university dorms. These LoTs provide free resources to students who may otherwise not have access to them while living on campus.

There is now a guide for replicating this model on other campuses.

Get the Univerity Guide

The Tool Library Alliance (TLA) unites tool libraries across the United States to foster community resilience, increase sustainability, and build a culture of generosity through the sharing of tools, skills, and knowledge. Shareable passed the Library of Things Co-Lab baton to TLA, which is now hosting monthly training and resource-sharing webinars for LoT practitioners around the globe. Shareable is also currently supporting the development of the TLA as its fiscal sponsor.

Inspired by the Hawaiian Ahupua’a system that encourages resource sharing and cooperation between communities, Share Circle Maui’s neighborhood Na Mea Manuahi (free things stands) are fostering community connections, sustainability, and mutual support. Share Circle is bringing the spirit of the Ahupua’a to 12 of their moku’s (districts) across the island of Maui. With support from Shareable, they are also developing three Libraries of Things in and around communities that were decimated by the 2023 fires.

Shareable is supporting the expansion of a little free pantry and little free library, started by Mutual Aid Eastie as a beacon of collective care and resource-sharing. Their community-driven space offers nonperishable food items and a diverse collection of books, inviting neighbors to take what they need and contribute what they can. All items are donated by community members, which is communicated through WhatsApp.

Shareable is supporting the expansion of Library of Things started by the Central Florida Mutual Aid (CFLMA), a collective of community members practicing mutual aid in Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties. The CFLMA Library of Things was initially created to support community-led disaster response and recovery efforts.