Before you fork out for an expensive household items, maybe pop down Endike Lane and borrow it, says our appliance leasing correspondent Angus Young.
Here at Curiosity Hull we love our libraries. So when I needed a leaf shredder but didn’t fancy buying one I naturally headed to Endike Lane in North Hull to visit the rather wonderful Library of Stuff.
LoS works a bit like a traditional lending library but instead of books, the shelves are stocked with, well, stuff. Patio pressure washers, camping tents, sets of golf clubs complete with trolleys, a pasting table, disco lights, fondue sets and litter picking kits to name but a few. Currently the most popular item is the humble carpet cleaner.
Founder and director Alan Dalgairns is used to the inevitable question about just how many things are available to borrow. “We have got 1,600 items available and we typically lend around 100 items a week with the same number being returned which makes it pretty busy because we’re only open two days a week,” he says.
Run as a not-for-profit community interest company, the library operates through a membership scheme. You can choose between a £80 yearly membership which allows you to borrow items for free or opt to pay per item as listed in the library’s online catalogue after paying a £5 joining fee.
Prior to pick up, items can be reserved via the website and the typical loan is for seven days. Alan launched Library of Stuff in his own garage five years ago, keen to see if an idea he’d seen elsewhere would work in Hull. “It was March 2020, the week before the Covid lockdown so we were immediately shut for three months. When we were able to open again under social distancing I used to leave items half-way down the drive for people to collect.”
At the time there were only five other projects like it in the whole of the UK. Now there are 15 with London’s Library of Things boasting now fewer than 21 branches scattered across the capital. Although most operate slightly differently, they all share the common aim of allowing people to borrow things at affordable prices instead of them being forgotten about in a loft or ending up in landfill. “Unfortunately we live in a throwaway society but we are trying to buck that trend by encouraging people to reuse things and donate items if they can,” said Alan.
Having worked in IT most of his life, he’s now relishing being part of a growing network of grassroots libraries lending practical hands-on things. “This is my first job working directly with the community and I’ve got to admit it’s been a breath of fresh air. Everyone has been fantastic and so supportive. Library of Stuff exists to make essential items accessible to everyone in Hull, regardless of their income. In times when families are choosing between heating and eating, we believe no-one should have to spend hundreds of pounds on items they will only use occasionally. We keep our borrowing fees intentionally low so that all families can access equipment they need.”.
Support for the LoS was underlined recently when a Crowdfunder appeal aiming to raise £7,380 to cover its annual rental, utilities and insurance costs ended up attracting £11,000 in donations.
As well as its lending service, the LoS runs a monthly repair cafe at Unity in Community in Greenwood Avenue, North Hull, where people can book a slot to have items fixed while some of the library’s most popular items are also available to borrow from a number of special lockers based at the Freedom Centre in Preston Road, East Hull.