Thursday, January 14, 2010

North Portland's Tool-Lending


NPTL North Portland Tool Library

The North Portland Tool Library (NPTL) is a community resource dedicated to building community and fostering sustainability by providing residents with tools and the power to use them. They loan a wide variety of tools to community members free of charge. The NPTL benefits North Portland residents by reducing the costs of maintaining and improving the places in which we live, work, and play. The NTPL helps support diverse, livable neighborhoods and fosters community pride.

NTPL has over 1,100 different tools to choose from, 900 of them were donated. The NTPL was founded in 2004 and they already have over 2,500 members. They also have a North Portland library and in the spring they will have a South East Portland library. Now if they could have a West Portland library!

Registration with the Library is free to all residents of North Portland and there are no costs aside from late fees and replacement charges.
Membership with the North Portland Tool Library is free and entitles you to borrow from our inventory of over 500 tools to assist in your project. There are a few simple steps, you must: 1) Be at least 18 years of age
2) A resident of North Portland
3) Review the NPTL Borrowing Rules
4) Fill out and sign the Borrowers agreement

To register, simply come on down to the North Portland Tool Library when we are open to sign up. Documents needed to register:

1) Oregon ID
2) Utility Bill
3) 2nd piece of mail to verify address.

I recently read about this place in the Oregonian Newspaper and had to write about it. As a homeowner myself, its gets pretty expensive to do any home improvements. First you need to find out what you need, then go to the store and buy the items and then 50% of the time you need another tool you don't have. And this is why it gets so expensive. If you were to go rent one from a tool store, its 1/3 of the price of the tool brand new. Luckily my husband had tools when we met, he has lots of friends who have tools and my father in law is stocked up with them too. But there are times when we just cannot find a certain tool and we have to buy it. This place would of came in handy and could of saved us a bundle. Unfortunately I do not live in North Portland. You have to live in North Portland to rent them.
What a great idea this is. Now if we could get more cities on board, this would be a great asset to any community. Just think about how much money you would save, they would save and how this would bring your community together.
So if your in Portland and need a tool, check their site out and see if they have it. Lets join each other and support our community.
http://www.northportlandtoollibrary.org/index.htm

Or if your in the neighborhood, come on by and check them
NoPoTool_Library@yahoo.com
2209 N.Schofield , Portland Oregon 97217
(503)823-0209
Saturdays 9am-2pm
Tuesdays 5:30-7:30pm

Dont forget to check Surviving and thriving on pennies on Facebook!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Surviving-and-thriving-on-pennies/139641660734?ref=mf

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