Millvale Community Library receives grant to expand tool lending program
MILLVALE, Pa. (KDKA) — Saws, sanders and hammers are not just available at your local hardware store.
They are available at many of your local libraries. Now, typically, when you do a story about a local library, you talk about things like books and easy internet access. And while the Millvale Community Library has all that, it also has a tool lending program.
"Our tool lending library has been open since 2018," said Melissa Mason, executive director of the Millvale Community Library. "We currently house a selection of over 1,000 tools that range from yard work items, lawn mowers and weed wickers, also any type of tools you may need for a home project."
The Millvale Community Library is part of the Allegheny County Library Association and anyone who is over 18 with a county library card can take a tool out.
"We talk about equable access a lot here in Millvale," said Mason. "And really a program like this keeps people from spending money on tools. It opens up doors for them to be able to learn new skills and do projects on their own. And again, who wants to buy a tool if you are only going to use it one time?"
This is a very popular program in Millvale, and it is about to be made even better thanks to a recent grant of $227,000 from the Allegheny Regional Asset District.
This grant will allow for the construction of an actual building in the rear of the library that will house the tools, moving the current collection out of the building's basement where only staff are currently allowed. It will give the public the space to browse and select tools in person.
The grant will also enable the library to hire a volunteer coordinator to help oversee this and other programming. The library hopes to have this newly improved tool lending program and space up and running by the end of this summer.
"We are extremely grateful for the support from the Regional Asset District," said Mason. "Not only are they helping fund this project here, but they are supportive through the entire county library system. They are funding all of our new computer replacements for the year and just so many great things come of that organization."
If you would like to find out if your local library has a tool lending program like the one in Millvale, you should just give them a call.