Miscellaneous past and future info
History: A small group of interested individuals met September 20th, 2018 at Lucky Lab SW to review an initial list of parameters (such as boundaries), discuss possible locations and other items suggested on a Nextdoor thread, and set communication cadence. Previous SW Portland effort from 2012
Area: Tool libraries should have a defined and limited area to manage inventory and limit travel time to the library, but include a sufficient number of interested users to support the library. This could just be SW Portland, but the Downtown and NW/S areas are sufficiently small and close-in to be included.
Name: Calling the library SW Portland (rather than West) will allow a NW or Downtown library to be established if there is interest at a later date. In addition we believe including the unincorporated areas between West Portland and the suburbs should also be possible, but we will have to see if any contract will be partial to ending at the city/county boundary instead.
Hours Discussion: Likely will be driven by volunteers available, but proposing 9am-2pm Saturday, and a future weeknight, which is similar to the other Portland tool libraries. It was noted that the Seattle Tool Library is open Friday night and Sunday as well, to allow tools to have more than one lease over the weekend.
Items/info from discussion with NEPTL board
- Sent us copies of their insurance info and bylaws
- Only became stand-alone 501c(3) in 2018, originally sponsored by neighborhood association and under insurance of host (church)
- Current board size is 10-12, started with 7-8. Working board (NPTL is not)
- Budget is fuzzy: rent, 10hr/wk employee, annual filings and insurance
- $15K estimated over lifetime of library, mostly in membership donations/late fees
- Sponsors not significant contributions (Parr at-cost tools)
- Initially had volunteers commit to 1 shift per month for a year
- Volunteer experience varies, some have no tool experience
- The 10hr a week employee is responsible for finding volunteers
- The Portland tool libraries meet up once per year
- Consumables - limited, suggested donation of $1, but saw would have a blade
- No interest in inter-library tool exchange, because of recovery challenges
- Limited tool loss, more commonly broken
- Accept volunteers from outside of area
- Green Lents has a lease in a city-owned building
- Indicated that NET is interested in having access (keys) to tool libraries
- Would come to a future meeting for discussions