Borrowed Tool Project Archive

2020

Communally-sourced archive collection that contains documentation of work done by tool library members, in addition to workshops led by artist and craftspeople

at the Carlisle Tool Library in Carlisle, PA

---

In this archive, we explore the potential of an egalitarian archival process within a nonprofit community organization. Looking at the word “tool” in a more abstract way is one of the goals of the archive. We want to challenge ourselves and our members to re-build parts of our world bit by bit, and we hope to make this process more visible and creative by collecting documentation along the way.

A Tool Library is like a library for books, except its shelves are stocked with tools. At the Carlisle Tool Library, our annual memberships are designed to be accessible—there is a sliding scale for individuals from any income level. Members can borrow tools, take workshops, and use the wood shop.