Tool libraries, places where people could borrow a tool to use for a short-term project, began gaining popularity in the 1970s. Yet many of the places that host them today are cities like Portland, Oregon or Berkeley, California. “Access can be difficult in a rural community,” said Daniel Ruiz-Jordan, one of the co-founders of the McMinnville Tool Library which started in March 2025.
Borrowing instead of buying isn’t just eco-friendly, it’s also an issue of accessibility. “Tools are expensive to buy and expensive to rent,” Ruiz-Jordan said. Not everyone has room to store large tools, especially for one time use. “We ask a suggested $50 donation to be a member of the tool library for the year, during which time you can borrow as many tools as you’d like.” But people can pay what they are able.
“I’ve had people come up to me and say I need to work on my car and it’s my only method of transportation but I can’t afford to take it somewhere or buy the tools myself,” Ruiz-Jordan said. Conversations like this with members of the Yamhill County community helped shape the Tool Library’s inventory. They carry automotive tools, yard maintenance equipment, woodworking tools, as well as tools for home repair and maintenance.
“The only real restriction is we want things that can be carried by one person,” Ruiz-Jordan explained. “But we plan to carry everything you can think of.”
The opening inventory in the Tool Library’s storefront spans 1,000 different tools. Some were purchased new but the majority were donated by members of the community. Local support for the project, even before it opened, has been overwhelming. McMinnville, which has a population of 34,000 is the largest city in Yamhill County. Ruiz-Jordan describes the area as being in a transitional phase where it’s still quite rural but increasingly is having an influx of people due to the growing wine industry.
The Tool Library hopes to become a community center where people can learn how to use tools and meet their neighbors, not just a borrowing site. They hope to host ten events in the first year, including one on cleaning out gutters and another on drywall patching.
The Tool Library is a project that can benefit people of all income levels, bringing even more of the community together as it changes.
A grant from the Roundhouse Foundation allowed the Tool Library to build out their downtown storefront where people can gather and collect their tools.
