San Luis Obispo County, CA The County of San Luis Obispo Public Libraries is pleased to announce that it will be using a $23,000 grant award to create a tool lending library for the Shandon Library.

One of 20 California libraries to be awarded the California State Library’s California Sustainable Libraries Grant, the Library is working with a local hardware store to outfit a tool collection expressly for the rural, agriculture-based community of Shandon. The ion-lithium battery-powered collection will include power table saws, wet/dry vacuums, hedge trimmers, wheelbarrows, gardening tools, drills, and more.

Dorothy Gruett, chair of the Library’s Green Team committee and the grant’s author said, “As an alternative to driving 20 miles to the nearest hardware store to purchase tools that may only be occasionally used and take up space in the garage, library patrons will be able to borrow tools from Shandon Library to make home repairs, assist in start-up businesses, and cultivate creativity in the garden, all while potentially saving on gas costs and lowering gas emissions. It’s a win-win on many levels.”

The Library will launch the tool lending library in spring of 2023 with two workshops in Spanish and English to demonstrate the tools and to answer questions about usage and maintenance. The tool lending library will also be part of the Library’s Earth Month programming when the community is invited to participate in a “U-Build-It" event to create the Shandon Library Community Reading Garden, featuring seeds from the Library’s Seed Library program. The Library is currently recruiting volunteers to be tool coaches; call the Library at 805-781-5999 for more information.

For more information about Sustainable California Libraries projects and grant awards, visit www.library.ca.gov/services/to-libraries/sustainable/. For more information about County of San Luis Obispo Public Libraries, visit SLOLibrary.org.

This project is supported in whole or in part by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian.