Staff the Capitol Hill Tool Library

Join our crew to learn new skills, connect with your community, and have lots of fun. No prior experience required!

How we serve the community

The Capitol Hill Tool Library empowers our neighborhood to build DIY skills and improve sustainability, through offering tool borrowing, workspace, and classes.

Our inventory includes over 3,000 items, ranging from ice cream makers to hedge trimmers to sewing machines to drills. Our workshop has spaces for woodworking, jewelry making, and 3D printing. And our classes cover everything from backpacking to kombucha brewing wood shop safety to tax prep.

We're an entirely volunteer staff, and everything we offer is free or pay-what-you-can so that we can serve everyone in the community.

What skills you’ll need

Absolutely none. Really!

Many of us (including the person writing this listing!) came to the tool library with no DIY, woodworking, or "maker" experience at all - just an interest in connecting with our neighborhood. It’s very easy to learn on the job.

What you’ll do

We're open six days per week, for three hours each day. You'll pick a day to come in for, where you and one or two other tool librarians will serve patrons and improve the library. This includes checking tools in and out (like a library book), organizing inventory, helping patrons plan their projects, designing outreach and signage, and repairing broken items.

During your first shift, you’ll get an orientation from an existing volunteer and we’ll help you find tasks that you enjoy.

Why you’ll be excited

Staffing the tool library is a fun, rewarding way to connect with your community. You’ll meet your neighbors and help them with projects that they’re infectiously enthusiastic about. You’ll also learn a ton through your own tasks - whether it’s by cataloging new inventory, chatting with patrons, or opening up and trying to repair items.

You’ll do all this while working as a team with other sociable, community-minded tool librarians who are excited to make Capitol Hill a better place. You'll also have a chance to meet tool librarians from other shifts at our monthly volunteer potlucks.