Need a Dibble? The Library Has It!
Andrew Iannaccone is using a tablesaw at the East Warren Tool Library. Image courtesy of Jim West
The East Warren Tool Library has just about any tool you might ever need – including a dibble. If you don’t know what that is, chances are you’re not an avid gardener looking for a tool to make holes in the ground for seeds or young plants. It also happens to be tool #2021 in the EWTL’s extensive collection, according to staffer and EWTL booster Andrew Iannaccone.
When we first wrote about the EWTL three years ago, they were just getting started under the umbrella of Motor City Grounds Crew, a project of MorningSide board member Aaron Smith. Despite the challenges presented by the pandemic, their inventory has grown from roughly 800 tools to more than 2,000. They’ve also moved to a larger home on East Warren – between the Craft Café and M&M Pet Supplies – grown their membership to about 400, developed a roster of 35 volunteers, trained DIYers, and are near completion of a broadcast and recording studio.
The tool library concept is simple: for a sliding scale membership fee based on your income, you get access to a wide range of tools – everything you’d need to plant a garden, make a bookshelf, or give your home some serious love. Who wants to buy an expensive tool that you may only need once? Renting tools from a big box store will cost you more, and you won’t get the kind of personal attention you can find at the East Warren Tool Library.
Building a broadcast and recording studio on site has been a great opportunity for members to learn new construction skills, says Andrew. Thirty-five people have worked on it so far, and it should be completed soon. “The spirit of all our workshops is that people learn from each other. As a teacher, I emphasize that you can learn more from your teammates than from me because you’re meeting each other at a similar skill level and working out problems together.” When it’s completed, the studio will give members a space to create podcasts and commercials or record music.
A Dibble at the East Warren Tool Library. Image courtesy of Susan Newell
Helping residents develop their building skills and confidence is integral to the EWTL’s mission. “One member joined two years ago and had a house that needed a lot of work,” says Andrew. She used YouTube and we helped her, too, which really built her confidence. She said ‘I couldn’t have done it by myself.’”
Most tool donations come from people bringing in the tools that belonged to a loved one who’s passed away. “It’s really neat,” he says, “when they bring the tools and go through them and tell the stories of the people. It’s sad, but the people are always happy because they know the loved one’s tools will live on in the people who use them now.” Andrew also says that “the trust between us and our membership is fantastic. Some people worried that our tools would just disappear, but 99.5% of all our tools come back!”
Looking to the future, Andrew says he wants to increase the number of workshops they hold, guided by the needs of the community. He teaches most of the workshops himself, with Joshua Arntson, cofounder and director of the EWTL also filling in.
Andrew hopes to give the Tool Library a higher profile in MorningSide by making the entrance more inviting, installing a bigger sign, and creating a play area for kids to build something themselves while their parents are busy picking out tools or taking a workshop. He’d also like to offer supplies and workshops for crafters. Always the visionary, Andrew imagines having a rooftop garden on the library someday. He admits, with a laugh, that Aaron and Joshua sometimes have to remind him of the practical challenges that come with his dreams. Whether they get a rooftop garden or not, you can bet that the East Warren Tool Library will continue to grow its commitment to MorningSide and surrounding communities.
The library is open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 3-6 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. To find out how you can take advantage of all the EWTL has to offer, call them at (313) 924-5585, or better yet, stop by the library at 15631 E. Warren.
