FAQs

What is a Library of Things?

Like a library of books, a Library of Things lends various physical items to its members in the local community.

Where is Lewes Library of Things?

Community Room, 2a Horsfield Road, Lewes, BN7 2TA

When is the Lewes Library of Things open?

See our home page for opening times

What’s the difference between a Library of Things and a hire shop?

There are various differences between a hire shop and a Library of Things, specifically one set up like Lewes Library of Things:

Lewes Library of Things is non-profit and aims to be a community action group, rather than a commercial enterprise;
It contains a wide range of things, including many that a hire shop would not have;
It is FREE in order to make Things available to all;
We aim to be part of a change in economic behaviour that will reduce waste, and through the Library itself be involved in wider networks of events, campaigns and activities.

Who runs the Library of Things?

Go Local Community Interest Company is the legal organisation that runs Lewes Library of Things as well as Lewes Repair Café

Go Local was set up in 2008 by Tony Rowell to initiate projects that are beneficial for the environment and also the local community. It has 3 Directors and would be interested in hearing from anyone who would like to get more involved.

Go Local CIC has changed its objects so that it can expand its activities to include projects that encourage physical activity, healthy eating and improved mental well being.

Can I volunteer for Lewes Library of Things?

Please do. See our help us page.

What Things do we stock?

We have a wide range of Things which can be useful and practical, but also fun and entertaining. These are our 8 categories:

Hobbying – from sewing machines to heat guns
Camping - from tents to camping mats
Events – from a folding table to bunting
DIY – from a drill to a chisel
Gardening – from a lawnmower to a hedge trimmer
Household - from a wallpaper stripper to an ice cream maker
Leisure - from a projector to a portable gas stove
Cleaning – from a pressure washer to a carpet cleaner
Children - from a party kit to puzzles

View our full list of Things here

How do we choose which items to stock?

We have a criteria for deciding what things we take as donations and buy;

YES to

Things that are clean, undamaged and in good working order
Useful Things on our system that need replacing regularly (eg sanders)
Spares for our DIY items such as jigsaw blades and sandpaper

NO to

Car seats and helmets
Items that require training e.g. chainsaw
Petrol powered items

If you are unsure as to whether we would like your donation, please contact us. For items that we are specifically looking for, see our Wish List.

Where do we get our Things from?

We source our Things from local donations, which means we are using what may otherwise be lying around not being used, or possibly even thrown away. This way, we can make the most of the lives of Things, by using less things for longer periods, rather than more things for shorter periods. This helps reduce individual consumption, which not only helps the planet but also helps to develop the strength of the community. Sometimes these Things come broken, but we try as hard as we can to fix them with our great team of repairers.

Occasionally we will also use the funds raised from your membership and borrowing, donations and grants to buy brand new or more expensive second hand Things that we think will be useful to the community. Examples of these might be carpet cleaners, a sewing machine, gazebos, DIY tools and more.

What can I do with Things I have that are broken or that I no longer want?

If you think Lewes Library of Things would benefit from it, have a look at our criteria above.
Repair it! We have a regular Repair Cafe, where you can bring your broken things. Keep a look on our website www.lewesrepaircafe.org.uk for the next event.
You can also contact us at lewesrepaircafe@gmail.com to ask for a repair expert.
Sell it or give it away online on sites like FreeCycle, Freegle or local online groups.
Give it to a charity shop
Recycle it – Look up your closest recycling centre. Check out what materials they accept, and any other restrictions before you make the trip.

Can I request an Thing that you don’t have in stock?

Yes! If we think the Thing will be popular and borrowed often, we’ll either add to our wish list to see if anyone has one they can donate, or we will use our funds to buy a new or second hand one.

What happens when Things break or reach the end of their life?

We ask borrowers to flag any damage they notice as soon as possible. This kicks off the repair process and also ensures the next borrower is not let down.

To do small repairs like unblocking the pressure washer or replacing the jigsaw blades, our small team of local volunteer fixers will try to do simple fixes. When an item is beyond a quick fix, we decide whether it is more efficient to have it professionally mended or simply to donate/sell or recycle it.

We understand that items will break eventually and we don’t charge members for these types of breakages. However we do reserve the right to withhold funds if items are deemed to have been broken by serious misuse or neglect.

Do you accept donations?

Money: Yes we do. We are always happy to accept financial donations (link to local giving page) as the expenses of the Library, though not great, still need to be covered – see ‘Why do I have to pay to borrow things?’ below.

Things for the Library: see ‘Do you need more things?’ above.

What can I do to support the Lewes Library of Things?

Become a member. You can borrow. You can volunteer in many ways. You can donate money or ‘things’.

You can spread the word about the Library, read and follow our blog when up and running), follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Maybe you can find us sources of funding or suggest ways to extend the reach of the Library.

How else can I support your aims of reducing waste and consumption?

We are in favour of attempts to waste less, or move towards “zero waste”. Beyond using the Library, you can support our mission in your own life by making efforts to consume fewer things and waste less. Here are some ideas:

share more things with neighbours/ friends/family
be more mindful about what you really need to buy
buy second-hand and use Freegle
buy good-quality things that last longer
extend the life of your things by repairing them (e.g. at our Repair Cafés)
don’t throw away your unwanted things if they could be re-used or re-purposed (try selling them, giving to us or to charity shops, giving away on Freegle, to Orinoco, etc)

You might encourage your workplace or other organisations you’re involved with to adopt some of these ideas as well.

How do I join?

You can create your account online here

What membership plans do you offer?

Our Community membership is for everyone and free to all.

What are the criteria for joining?

To borrow from Lewes Library of Things, you need to:

Be 18 or over.
Have an email, so we can send you receipts and important information about your borrow.
Sign the Terms of Borrowing included in the sign-up process.
Display a form of ID when you first use us.

Do I need to live in Lewes to borrow things?

Nope – you can come from as far as you like! Sometimes its cheaper than buying a new item!

The 5 Simple Rules of Borrowing

We want to make borrowing fair, friendly and free – without hidden catches and sneaky small print. That’s why it’s important that all our borrowers agree to these 5 simple rules of borrowing:

Bring the item back clean and tidy.
Bring the item back on time so the next borrower isn’t kept waiting!
Make sure you know how to use the item properly by following the instructions (often displayed on the item’s listing in the online inventory, or by asking one of our volunteers for help in the community room).
Tell us about any damages immediately here so we can fix or replace in time for the next borrower.
Share your feedback, stories & ideas here so we can keep improving Library of Things for future borrowers – We love it when people post reviews online.

How do I reserve Things?

You can make a reservation online by signing in, browsing the 'Things' page, and clicking ‘Reserve’ on the item that you want. You will then be prompted to select a date on a calendar.

If you want to add more Things to this reservation, simply keep pressing ‘Reserve’ on the items you want and they will be put in your Reservation Cart. To complete the process click ‘Complete Reservation’.

We have put together a step-by-step guide to reserving online here. (see How it works page) You can also phone during opening hours or email us if you are having any issues reserving online and need us to complete it manually.

Are consumables like carpet cleaning fluid and sandpaper included?

You will need to select the consumables as extra along with your item. See the item descriptions to see what is required.

The prices displayed for consumables are a one-off fixed price, not a per-day price and are at cost to us.

How long can I reserve items for?

We are allowing most Things to be reserved for up to 7 days at a time but would obviously prefer it if you returned items as quickly as quickly as possible so others can use them. Camping equipment can be borrowed for up to 14 days.

How many Things can I borrow at one time?

There is no set limit to how many items you may borrow at one time.

How do I cancel a reservation?

Click on ‘Reservations’. You can then find the reservation and click ‘Cancel’.

If you are unsure, drop us an email or give us a call during our opening hours.

What happens if I can’t return the Thing within opening hours?

Need to extend your loan? First, check nobody else has reserved it after you. If your Thing is available, you can select the days you need it for although you will be restricted to the 7 day limit.

If your Thing is booked, you’ll have to return it at the time you planned. If not, we may charge a daily late fee. We do this to encourage the Things to be ready for other borrowers, who can see via the inventory when an Thing is due in.

What happens if I break something?

Our objective is to make borrowing fair, friendly and free. We know damages happen, and that 99% of the time these aren’t intentional. We simply ask that borrowers are honest and let us know about any damages.

What happens if I lose an Thing or it is stolen from me?

As mentioned above, it is not always the borrower’s fault and mistakes happen, but we ask that you are honest about what has happened so we can start looking for a replacement or fix. For higher value Things that require a deposit, we reserve the right to keep this in order to replace the Things.

Do I need to bring anything with me when I borrow Things?

The first time you borrow you will need to bring proof of who you are and of your address, e.g. a driving licence or passport. If you have neither of these and no other photographic proof of address we can accept two non-photographic forms of ID e.g. utility bills. We may also sometimes ask to see ID on an ad hoc basis so it is best to have some ID with you whenever you come to pick up an item.

Late Fees

In order to make the service run as smoothly as possible for all members, any item(s) not returned on time may be charged a fee for each day that the item(s) are not returned. It is therefore very important that you contact us if you feel you won’t be able to get your item(s) back on time. You can either call us during open hours on 07536177608 or email us outside of open hours on leweslot@gmail.com

Non-Collection

If for any reason you do not come and collect your item at your arranged time please let us know as soon as possible. This is because by reserving the item you will have made it unavailable for any other member to reserve during that time. If for any reason you envisage that you will not be able to make your collection slot please let us know in good time in order that we can rearrange or release the item back to the catalogue for others.

You can either call us during open hours on 07536177608 or email us outside of open hours on leweslot@gmail.com

Cleaning Fees

We are unable to provide a cleaning service due to lack of facilities so we are relying on each borrower bringing the item back as clean as possible. If an item is deemed to have been returned in an unsatisfactory state you will either be asked to take it back home and clean it before returning it later the same day or be issued a cleaning fee of minimum £5.

Loss & Damage Fees

We ask borrowers to flag any damage they notice as soon as possible. This kicks off the repair process and also ensures the next borrower is not let down. To do small repairs like unblocking the pressure washer or replacing the jig saw blades, our small team of local volunteer fixers will try to do simple fixes. When an item is beyond a quick fix, we decide whether it is more efficient to have it professionally mended or simply to donate/sell or recycle it. We understand that items will break eventually and we don’t charge members for these types of breakages.

However, we do reserve the right to charge for items that are deemed to have been broken by serious misuse or neglect. If this is the case and the item is beyond repair the member will be asked to either buy a replacement or pay the replacement cost.

What can I do to support Lewes Library of Things?

As well as the most obvious thing of becoming a member and borrowing from us, there are a few other things you can to support us

You can volunteer with us, whether that’s in the shop or at one of our repair cafes.
You can donate (link to local giving page) money or items.
Follow us, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Spread the word about us and encourage others to sign up! Share us on social media and tell people about your borrowing experience.

How else can I support your aims of reducing waste and consumption?

Share more things with neighbours/ friends/family
Be more mindful about what you really need to buy .
Buy second-hand.
Buy good-quality things from ethical suppliers that will last longer than cheap alternatives.
Extend the life of your things by repairing them. If you don’t know how come along to one of our repair cafes and learn or have it done for you.
Don’t throw away your unwanted things if they could be reused or repurposed (try selling them, giving to us or to charity shops, or putting them on Freecycle).
You might encourage your workplace or other organisations you’re involved with to adopt some of these ideas as well.