"If I couldn't find the tool, the job just didn't get done," Bryant said.

Then he found the Oakland Tool Lending Library, which operates from the basement at the Temescal Public Library, 5205 Telegraph Ave. As the library's inventory has increased, its popularity has soared.

The library is the kind of place that would have television handyman Bob Vila drooling and actor Tim Allen of TV's "Home Improvement" howling.

Tools line the walls in the tiny basement office -- shovels, axes, saws, rakes, shears, scrapers, squeegees -- the list goes on and on. In a small back room, power tools, such as routers, drills and grinders, sit on shelves.

The tool library started two years ago. In January 2000 the library had 325 tools and almost 50 requests in its first month.

Now, with more than 1,300 tools and almost 2,000 requests a month, the library is continuing to expand. Manager Ty Yurgelevic said the library just added a concrete grinder, router table, detail sander, power paint remover and more.

The system of borrowing tools cuts costs for repair projects and also pushes people to plan a little more to get the job done without procrastination, he said.

"It's really a heart-warming system," Yurgelevic said. "People really appreciate the system, and they also know that other people need the tools. It forces them to plan better."

To obtain membership, people need a library card, photo identification and a recent piece of mail. Borrowing is free, but late charges are levied.

Once people obtain membership, they can enter the realm of all things do-it-yourself -- home repairs, gardening, plumbing.

On a warm afternoon last week, the library saw many requests.

Do you have a grinder, Yurgelevic is asked by one man. Do you have a chainsaw, he is asked by another.

One time, Yurgelevic said, a woman wanted to borrow a jackhammer for a special project: remodeling her closet.

Yurgelevic said they talked for a while and he advised her of better tools that would make the job much easier, not to mention less messy.

Bryant, who is fixing up apartment units, said he wouldn't be able to afford to do a lot of the work if the tool library wasn't available, simply because buying tools can be expensive.

"I'm in here three times a week," Bryant said, his arms laden with drills, cords and bits.

"Everything I need, they seem to have it."

Contact Information
Oakland Public Library
Main Library - Administrative Office
125 14th Street
Oakland, California 94612
(510) 238-7241 Office
(510) 834-7446 TTY
(510) 238-3850 Teen Services
(510) 238-7654 Volunteer Services
www.oaklandlibrary.org

Temescal Library
5205 Telegraph Avenue
Oakland, California 94609
(510) 597-5049

Tool Lending Library
Located at the Temescal Library
(510) 597-5089

To find out more about the Oakland Public Library or to get involved in this wonderful community tool lending program, please contact (510) 597-5089.

The Oakland Tribune: Local News
Leanne McLaughlin, Managing Editor
(510) 208-6447
(510) 208-6477## Fax
lmclaughlin@angnewspapers.com Email