About Us

Our friendly volunteers strive to help our local community with their DIY projects.

Come on in and say hello!

What We Do

Run by volunteers, the St. John’s Tool Library provides a variety of services and benefits to our members. We aim to:

  • Save our members’ money.

    • Unlimited, free tool loans! Why buy, when you can borrow?

    • Discounts on workshops. Learn new skills!

  • Promote sustainability.

    • Reduce waste by preventing the need for purchasing barely-used tools.

    • Promote DIY knowledge and skills, focusing on repair over replacement.

  • Build local community.

    • Involve individuals in the local DIY community, building connections, and fostering responsibility.

    • Keep the local DIY community in touch with each other, increasing opportunities for involvement and skill-sharing.

Why We’re Different

When it comes to tool rentals in town, there are a few options. What sets the St. John’s Tool Library apart from other local services is our community-focused, non-profit volunteer-based structure. Our only goal is to provide a valuable service to the DIY community.

When you borrow a tool from us, there are no strings attached. Our loan system is transparent, and you won’t get hit with hidden fees. The people who volunteer their time to keep our doors open are friendly and helpful, and dedicated to making sure you’re able to get the most out of your membership.

Mission

The St. John’s Tool Library is a local not-for-profit community tool lending service in St. John’s, Newfoundland, providing opportunity for people who want to create, make, build, and grow. Through a membership-based program, we aim to build the local DIY community, save money, and reduce waste.

Values

Affordability

The St. John’s Tool Library prioritizes affordability by providing unlimited access to expensive tools for a small membership fee, eliminating the need for individual purchases. This allows our community members to undertake home repairs, gardening, and other DIY projects without a large financial commitment.

Sustainability

Through our focus on sharing resources, we minimize the number of tools produced and discarded, lessening the environmental impact of new purchases. We extend the lifespan of existing tools through maintenance and repair, reducing the demand for new manufacturing.

Education

We offer workshops that provide valuable hands-on education, teaching members how to use our tools safely and effectively. These workshops empower individuals to learn new skills, from basic home repairs to advanced woodworking, fostering self-sufficiency and community knowledge sharing.

DIY Independence & Community

We aim to foster independence by equipping individuals with the means to tackle projects themselves, reducing the cost of home maintenance and repair. We build the local community by creating shared spaces where members connect, exchange knowledge, and collaborate on projects. Through sharing resource, we strengthen local ties and promotes a sense of collective responsibility.

Learning & Trying Again

We strive to offer a safe space for learning for all in a low-stakes, low-stress environment that encourages experimentation! An inevitable part of learning is the occasional “failure.” We encourage all our members to keep trying new projects, and learn from any set-backs, growing their resilience and practical problem-solving skills. This iterative process of trying, failing, and ultimately succeeding builds confidence and a deeper understanding of craftsmanship.

Two images of SJTL dogs edited to look like polaroid pictures. Our Director, Mike, holds Molly. Magnum sits in an office chair at the front desk.

Who We Are

The St. John’s Tool Library is run entirely by volunteers from the local community. Our workshops are run by paid facilitators or members of our Board of Directors, who you can read more about here!

Testimonials

From Our Members

“This is one of the rooms that was completely remodeled with the help of the St. John’s Tool Library. Throughout this renovation I borrowed many tools, such as a nail gun, a number of different plastering and painting tools, chisels, clamps, and saws… It was a great help to have all of this at my finger tips during such a large renovation, and not have to worry about buying all of these things new. 

As a new DIYer, I was very thankful for all of the advice and suggestions from Mike and team.”

- Tool Library Member

Before and after images of a front porch renovated to look more modern, with tile floors, new paint, new door, and new light fixtures.
Patio couches and table built from wood, furnished with cushions.

“First time building anything. Made possible by SJTL. Love this resource!!!! Thank you!”

- Susan, Tool Library Member

From Google Reviews

“Great selection of tools, and their online catalogue and reservation system works really well. Always a nice vibe from the staff and other members.”

“This is an amazing space and resource for the St. John's community. The library has a wide variety of tools, and typically has several duplicates of the same tool. I've checked out several clamps and sanders from the space and never had any problem. There's also some small supplies available for cheap purchase, such as sandpaper, screws, and safety equipment. Definitely worth signing up for this space to save yourself renting or buying new tools for a one time job.”

“This is where those no longer used tools need to be donated. Lend someone a hand.”