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Public libraries for tools?
Noah writes to me:
Big fan of the blog. I was wondering whether there's a reason other than historical accident why the public library model only exists for media like books and music. I understand the argument that books produce a social benefit that the government should be in the business of subsidizing, but surely there must be other goods with that kind of benefit that can be similarly lent out. Take the example of tools, most of which are rarely used. Is there a public good in having a mechanically-fluent citizenry that would justify a system of public tool libraries? Or is there anything else you think it would make sense to build libraries around?
Reserves, it would seem, and maybe they will waive the overdue fines as well and perhaps even the lost reserves fines. Mark Thoma ponders an AIG bail-out.
Posted by Tyler Cowen on September 16, 2008 at 08:14 AM in Education | Permalink
Comments
The business-school library would seem to provide a fine example...
Posted by: Anonymous_coward at Sep 16, 2008 8:30:46 AM
the city of berkeley has a long-running tool-lending library and it is fantastic. it really is amazing that more municipalities havent picked up on this idea.
Posted by: wiseGEEK at Sep 16, 2008 8:39:34 AM
In Philadelphia there is the West Philadelphia Tool Library (http://westphillytools.org/index.html). It's not state supported necessarily. I am sure there are other tool libraries around the country.
Posted by: Ed at Sep 16, 2008 8:44:57 AM
There are toy libraries in Australia from which members can borrow toys for a week or so.
Posted by: feetapparel at Sep 16, 2008 8:48:44 AM
I haven't seen this here in Canada. One issue I see is that, unlike books, I can't wait a week for the snowblower and everyone apparently wants to mow their lawns on Sunday lunchtime.
Posted by: tom s. at Sep 16, 2008 8:49:43 AM
My West Philadelphia neighborhood recently opened a tool library.
Posted by: Michael Lugo at Sep 16, 2008 8:51:53 AM
Not quite the library model, but TechShops (http://www.techshop.ws) are pretty close to what Noah describes.
Posted by: Simon at Sep 16, 2008 8:52:58 AM
Not the library model, but in some neighborhoods neighbors buy and share lawnmowers.
Posted by: fish on a bicycle at Sep 16, 2008 9:12:07 AM
Again, not a gov't sponsored effort, but zip car could be considered a car library. And in thinking if that don't some US cities (and definately some European cities) have bicycle lending programs?
Posted by: Steve at Sep 16, 2008 9:32:49 AM
Books are different from other durable goods like tools and toys. For most people, most of the time, reading a book once is enough. The utility of a second or third read through is very small. This diminishes the incentive for the borrower to retain the borrowed item, making libraries for books easier and cheaper to maintain.
Posted by: c.gray at Sep 16, 2008 9:50:10 AM
To try to address the "why" in the original question:
(1) "During this time books were scarce and expensive. Franklin recognized that by pooling together resources, members could afford to buy books from England. Thus was born the nation's first subscription library."
(2) In modern times, especially before the Internet, and still today, there are some books which are scarce and expensive: a ten volume encyclopedia on a special topic. And many people would like to look one thing up in it once, and certainly would not buy it. Libraries make sense for this, as well as for the less extreme cases. A snow-blower may be a bit expensive, your local shop can also rent it to you.
Posted by: liberty at Sep 16, 2008 9:56:03 AM
I've always liked the idea of a pet library. There'd be a rush on dogs sunny Sundays & a rush on cats rainy Mondays, sure, but all markets flux. A good veterabrairan and an innovating catalog system could work wonders.
You would, of course, need to be screened to earn a card ...
Posted by: Cotter at Sep 16, 2008 10:07:51 AM
Yeah, the Berkeley tool lending library is (was?) great. The only down-side is (was?) that they didn't have many tools for working on cars.
Posted by: James at Sep 16, 2008 10:07:58 AM
There are private sector tool renting businesses that fill the need for temporary tool usage quite well. Most sophisticated tools require maintenance that may make free-lending models unsupportable.
Posted by: matt at Sep 16, 2008 10:09:35 AM
c.gray, good point. Although I suspect that the selections of tools and toys libraries are heavily oriented to those that are fun/useful for short periods only.
Also, I tink that 'book reading needs promoting' is a much, much stronger claim than 'tool use should be promoted'. There is no obvious reason why commercial tool renting is not enough.
Posted by: Zamfir at Sep 16, 2008 10:12:15 AM
Elaborating on wiseGEEK's mention of Berkeley: The Tool Lending Library is actually operated by the Berkeley Public Library (you know, the book people). The Library restricts lending to residents and property owners of Berkeley, so I suppose it would be considered a "club good."
Posted by: Anonymous Coward at Sep 16, 2008 10:14:59 AM
A local library where I live also keeps fancy/themed cake pans for check out. A local woman was a collector and donated her stash upon her death. Need a specialty character pan? they have it. Strange but true.
Posted by: dana at Sep 16, 2008 10:17:17 AM
I haven't seen this here in Canada. One issue I see is that, unlike books, I can't wait a week for the snowblower and everyone apparently wants to mow their lawns on Sunday lunchtime.
That's why the program does work in Berkeley: the weather isn't as much a force to be reckoned with.
Posted by: Brian at Sep 16, 2008 10:22:29 AM
Whereas scarcity is a justification for shared resources, so is plenty, or perhaps scarcity of storage space for all this stuff.
The enemies of sharing is inconvenience and inefficiency. My time is worth way more than any miniscule savings by not owning most tools I care to use. Anything I don't care to use, I can probably hire someone to do the job. I rented a pneumatic nailer from a hardware store and after the late fees were tallied, I could have owned a new one. And I'm so irritated by the fact, irrationally so, that I'm kind of soured on the whole tool renting idea, until I see the rusting dethatcher in my back yard.
Posted by: Andrew at Sep 16, 2008 10:32:13 AM
We're forgetting the main point here, which is that ALL public libraries are for tools.
Zing!
Posted by: mk at Sep 16, 2008 10:34:45 AM
AutoZone and probably other car parts places run the equivalent of a tool library. They lend many specialized car tools (you pay a fee and get it refunded when you return the tool). Great for tools you'll rarely need.
Posted by: RJ at Sep 16, 2008 10:41:34 AM
Wikipedia has a list of tool libraries. I found it when looking up the one I saw in Takoma Park, MD. However, that one has apparently closed.
Posted by: at Sep 16, 2008 10:45:47 AM
1) Common features of books and tools are that they are much more durable than the typical use. This argues for a rental market if transactions costs are low enough. For public libraries, the rental fee is zero, but for expensive tools or those that are rarely used, say tile cutters or tillers, there is an active rental market.
2) These features also apply to videos and it appears that Blockbuster and Netflix, with positive prices, do a better job than my local library at zero price.
3) The rationale for subsidies and zero prices for book rentals is that there are positive externalities to a literate populace. Are they really that big? Do they exist for home repair?
Posted by: MW at Sep 16, 2008 10:51:22 AM
Besides the obvious (looking it up on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tool-lending_libraries), it should be pointed out that historically there were tool libraries in most large cities. Most were specific to trades, and like the populist movement that gave co-ops and libraries their big boost at the end of the 19th century, they seem localized in the upper midwest where some persist. There is a sash making tool library in Dubuque, IA, for example.
Posted by: Alger at Sep 16, 2008 10:55:16 AM
I know for automotive tools, many auto parts stores (Pep Boys and Autozone, for example) allow one to borrow tools free of charge. If you don't return it, you pay for it. It seems to work pretty well.
I don't think it makes sense to have tool lending seperate from tool sales. The auto parts store model seems to work.
Posted by: Grant at Sep 16, 2008 10:56:41 AM
