Skipton's Library of Things Lets Residents Borrow Drills, Telescopes and Life Jackets
The nonprofit Share Skipton runs a community library that loans everyday items to curb waste and save money.
Skipton's Library of Things opened in July 2024, expanding the town's library service beyond books to lend everyday items such as drills, telescopes and life jackets alongside magazines and films.
Run by the charity Share Skipton, the project aims to promote sustainability by encouraging residents to buy fewer goods they will only use occasionally. The top borrower is Susan Mullett, who developed a DIY habit after being made redundant and now treats the library as her first port of call for home projects. It started really with DIY items, wallpaper strippers, ladders, drills, your usual kind of thing. As I got further into my DIY, I started to borrow the mitre saw to do the skirting boards. Now it's my first port of call, whenever I am coming up to a big event I think to myself: "What can I borrow?"
Most items can be loaned for a fee, but more than 100 are free to borrow. Since opening in July 2024, the library has grown to around 500 members with more than 1,500 loans having been completed. In total the library has more than 600 items available.
Angela Monaghan, chair of Share Skipton, said: "Once people are members, they can borrow anything they like from the library for a week at a time." "Most things are really low-cost so it makes it really accessible for people."
Daniel Brown, 35, who has just bought a house in Skipton, borrowed one of the library's most popular items, a wallpaper stripper, so he could decorate his new home. "I did consider buying one but when I saw the prices here, I thought it's probably just worth borrowing it instead, we're going to use it once. It's £2 a week, it's very reasonable." He said he had also loaned a rotavator to use for work on his allotment.
Larger items are stored in a garage unit. There are options for entertainment as well, such as musical instruments and garden games, while the exercise section offers golf clubs and gym equipment. Miscellaneous items include a life jacket for dogs. Ms Mullett adds: "If you want a girls' night in, borrow the foot bath. If you want to look at the meteor showers, borrow the telescope."
The project is part of a broader trend toward sharing libraries of things to reduce waste and help people stretch household budgets, with the aim of deepening community ties while cutting the typical costs associated with owning rarely used items. The library is supported by Share Skipton, a local charity, and continues to expand its inventory and member base as residents discover affordable, sustainable ways to access tools, gear and gadgets without purchasing them outright.