Lend to the neighbourhood. Get the ladder back.
For volunteer-run tool libraries, libraries of things and repair cafés with a few hundred items, a Saturday opening and members who borrow for a week at a time.
| Item | Location | Qty | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bosch PSR 18 drill driver IT-000501 | Library / Power tools | 1 | Member 214 · due Sat |
| Kärcher K4 pressure washer IT-000517 | Library / Garden | 1 | Overdue · 3 weeks |
| Ladder, 3-section 3.5 m IT-000522 | Library / Ladders and access | 1 | Reserved · next Sat |
| Tile cutter, 600 mm IT-000530 | Repair bench | 1 | Problem: blade missing |
| Sanding sheets P120, pack of 10 IT-000541 | Consumables | 4 packs | Low · min 6 |
Sound familiar?
Saturday morning: twelve members at the counter, two volunteers, one laptop with a spreadsheet. Loans get written on paper to keep the queue moving and typed up later, or not. The pressure washer has been "out" since August, the tile cutter came back without its blade, and nobody can tell a new volunteer which hedge trimmer is the one with the sticky trigger.
Counter, loan week, return, repair.
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Saturday at the counter
A member brings a drill and a sander to the counter. A volunteer scans both into the basket, picks the member, sets a one-week due date and takes a thumb signature. The member gets a receipt with their My things link.
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The loan week
Two days before it's due, the member gets a reminder with Return and Extend. Extend works if nobody has reserved the sander for next week.
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Return and check
Scan it back at the kiosk or the counter. If the blade is blunt or a part is missing, flag the problem on return. It stays on the tool's record and on Today until a volunteer fixes it.
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Repair night
Log the repair on the tool (new brushes, PAT test passed), and schedule the next safety check. The history follows the tool, so the next volunteer knows its quirks.
How it looks in ItemTally.
Folders are the real places tool libraries and libraries of things keep things. Every take, return, count and move becomes a dated line with a name on it, and lines are never edited.
Your workspace
- Library
- Power tools
- GardenHedge trimmers, strimmers, loppers
- Ladders and access
- Camping and outdoors
- Kitchen and partyGazebo, urn, folding tables
- Repair benchWaiting for a fix
- ConsumablesSanding sheets, drill bits
Setting up a small library
Most libraries start with a spreadsheet of a few hundred things. Import it, print labels on Avery sheets at the next volunteer evening, and stick one on each tool where it won’t rub off: the case, not the handle. Members get added the first time they borrow. If you number members, use the number in their name (“Member 214, Sam O.”) so the counter can search either way.
Tools with a safety check, such as anything with a plug or a blade, get a scheduled check on their record. They show up on Today when the check is due, and the history proves it happened.
What runs the counter.
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Equipment checkout
A basket of tools, one member, one due date, one signature. Volunteers learn it in a minute.
How it works → -
Self-service and kiosk
A tablet at the counter where regulars pick their name and scan, with PINs so nobody borrows on someone else's card.
How it works → -
Maintenance dates
PAT tests, blade changes and safety checks scheduled per tool, with the repair history on its record.
How it works → -
Reservations
Members reserve the ladder for next Saturday, and nobody else can take it that week.
How it works →
No memberships, fees, deposits or a public catalogue website. ItemTally doesn't take payments, renew memberships or show members an online catalogue to browse. If you need those, Lend Engine and myTurn are built for lending libraries and do them well. ItemTally fits when the loans, returns and repairs are the hard part.
The questions tool libraries ask.
We're volunteer-run with no budget.
The Shelf plan is free forever with unlimited items. One volunteer coordinator edits, and loans they hand over are free, so every member can borrow. A team of five volunteers on Stockroom is €19/mo.
Our volunteers change every Saturday.
The volunteer's part is scanning and picking a name. Kiosk mode needs no logins at all, and staff accounts can be added and removed in seconds.
What software do tool libraries use?
Dedicated lending-library systems such as Lend Engine and myTurn handle memberships, fees and a public catalogue. Many small libraries use a spreadsheet. ItemTally sits between them, with checkout, reminders, a kiosk and repair history, and no payments.
Do members need an account?
No. Each member's receipt carries a private My things link where they see what they have, return it or extend the loan. No password.
Can members take tools themselves?
Yes, if you give them self-service. Each self-service member is a borrower; Shelf includes 10, Stockroom 50 and Warehouse unlimited. Loans handed over by a volunteer editor never count.
How do we handle tools that come back broken?
Flag the problem when it's returned. The tool shows the problem on Today and on its record, move it to the repair bench folder, and log the repair when it's fixed.
Can we see which tools are popular?
The logbook export shows every loan by item and date, so you can see what goes out most and what never leaves the shelf. The stale stock report lists things untouched for 90 days.
Put the busiest shelf on it before Saturday.
Free forever for one editor and ten borrowers. No card.
Free for one editor and ten borrowers, with unlimited items. No card needed.