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What kind of tools a tool library should have varies with the community's needs. Durable tools that are useful for many situations as well as safety equipment are important. Specialized tools that are too expensive for many members to purchase individually or may only be used once or twice in a household are ideal for community lending. For example, a flooring installation kit may only be used once by a homeowner, but it can be reused by many different homeowners with shared access.
Many tool libraries accept donations of well-maintained tools to support their inventory. Inspection and testing is required to verify the functionality and safety of donated tools.
== Rules of order ==
A well-functioning tool library has guidelines that users must follow.
=== Cleaning up after work ===
The users of a shared workshop are responsible for cleaning up after themselves. For example, it is expected that tools are put back in their place, and that one vacuums or sweeps up chips and dust before leaving, and that smells from paint, varnish and chemicals is aired out.
=== Storage and deadline ===
In the shared workshop of one housing association, it is expected that work should be able to be completed within 3-5 days, and that stored materials, objects and tools may be removed at the owner's risk.<ref name="kampenterrasse">{{cite web|access-date=2023-07-31|language=nb-NO|title=Verkstedet – KAMPEN TERRASSE BORETTSLAG|url=https://www.kampenterrasse.no/index.php/verkstedet/}}<!-- auto-translated by Module:CS1 translator --></ref> A shared workshop is not a place for [[self storage|storing]] personal belongings.
=== Safety ===
Some [[power tools]] can be dangerous to use, and have an age limit or may require training. For example, [[table saw]]s can be very dangerous since the operator holds the material being sawed instead of holding the saw, which makes it easy to accidentally move the fingers into the spinning saw blade. Table saws can also cause dangerous [[table saw kickback|kickback]] where part of the [[workpiece]] is propelled back towards the operator at a high speed. A [[plunge saw]] with a track can, on the other hand, be a safer alternative that can achieve much of the same results for hobby use, and is therefore a much better candidate for a shared hobby workshop in terms of liability, risk of personal injury and training.
=== Enforcement ===
To ensure that the workshop is kept neat and orderly, there should also be a role of someone who enforces that rubbish is thrown away, that non-functioning equipment is either repaired or thrown away within a reasonable time, and that abandoned projects are disposed of.
=== Opening hours ===
Some self-service workshops are open 24/7, but one must still take into account of public holiday peace and [[quiet hours]] during night time, and in general to not be of unnecessary nuisance to neighbours. For example, the shop owners may demand that no noisy work can take place between 22:00 and 07:00.
== See also ==
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