THE BUILDING
SITE ACTIVATION
In the construction phase, our vacant lot will be activated with site repairs, soil remediation, landscaping and tree planting, and the erection of a small, off-grid storage and distribution facility built using sustainable design strategies from natural materials and powered by solar electricity. The tool library will be built by volunteers, and its design and performance will be documented and shared for replication and study.
To volunteer to help with site work or to build the library, sign our petition and leave a comment!
TOOL LENDING
Once operational, the facility will provide for the storage and lending of tools among Newburgh residents, for free or under a low sliding scale membership fee. To begin, these will include basic construction, maintenance and gardening tools; over time, the library can grow and adapt to offer as wide a range of products as its members can arrange to usefully share, based on feedback and need.
Visit our Support Us page and sign up to donate or loan a tool!
ONLINE PLATFORM
With an open-source, easy-to-use lending platform, located here on our website, every Newburgh resident can create a membership and access our inventory of tools - everything from pitchforks to power saws. Through a simple booking process, the tools can be reserved, picked up and dropped off at our building during operation hours. Tools will be securely stored, insured, and maintained by our staff.
COMMUNITY HUB
With both the physical tool library and our online presence, Newburgh TOOLS will serve as a hub for the continuous exchange of locally relevant information.
EDUCATION
We’ll host and facilitate how-to classes, multi-session practical workshops, and long-term workforce development programs, as well as diverse event-based initiatives like neighborhood clean-ups, repair cafes, gardening and street tree drives, block party painting days and picnics.
Have an idea for a class you’d like to teach or an event you’d like to attend? Sign our petition and leave a comment!
SUPPORT
By providing a platform for practically relevant documentation and resources, and a coalition of active participants, we’ll fill an important niche in assisting residents and business owners with specific local challenges, including legal, zoning and building code interpretation, construction know-how, and architectural and landscaping advice.
NETWORK
We’ll also play an important role in connecting other existing Newburgh community organizations with a physical operations space, tools and volunteers. We’re engaged in discussions with, and aiming to support, a variety of local partner organizations already on the ground doing important work in Newburgh.
Beyond our community, we’re building an alliance with tool libraries and community service providers in other Hudson Valley population centers, beginning with Eco Toolshed and its tool library the Hudson Tool Shed Exchange, with the goal of sharing resources and strategies regionally, particularly in the advancement of circular economies, ecological awareness and disaster preparedness.