Press Release:
On April 9, the West Seattle Tool Library will be re-opening in a new space at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, in the Delridge neighborhood of West Seattle. The new, larger space in the Dennis Jorum Workshop will allow for the tool library to greatly expand its collection, as well as offer workshop space for individuals and groups to borrow or rent. 
 
Grand re-opening festivities will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m and include tours of the new space, demonstrations by Do-It-Yourself experts, snacks and beverages. Visitors are invited to sign up for a membership or donate tools in good condition.
 
The library's hours will remain the same for the time being: Saturdays, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m., although the workshop space will be available for rent by request at other times. 
 
Youngstown, located at 4408 Delridge Way S.W., is home to a wide variety of arts and nonprofit organizations, attracting a steady stream of West Seattle area residents attending dance classes, watching theater productions, or taking community education classes. 
 
"The beauty of this location is that it will be a lot more accessible and visible to the community, and it will allow for collaboration with the other groups and individuals who call Youngstown home," said Patrick Dunn, tool library director. "We are very excited to grow our operation to provide even more tools for community projects and empower more residents to take on tasks to improve their homes and communities."
 
With three times the space as the current location at South Seattle Community College, the Youngstown space is intended to become a community gathering spot, where local residents can bring in their projects and use available table saws, sanders and drills, and also receive tips and advice from the tool library staff, instructors or volunteers. In addition to the shop space, the new library has features such as ample whiteboards for sketches or notes, a "coffee corner" for informal meetings and home improvement books to reference. 
 
The library will continue its "Ask an Expert" series on Saturdays, where local building and sustainability experts volunteer to answer questions or help with projects on a drop-in basis.  
 
The tool library, a project of Sustainable West Seattle, is moving from its current location at South Seattle Community College, where it first opened last June. Since that time, the library has collected over 1,000 tools for community use, and attracted about 150 members. One of just a handful of tool libraries in the country, it has also garnered local and national media attention and interest from other communities who want to start a tool library. 
 
The tool library has one part-time manager and otherwise relies on volunteers for its operation. Most of the tools have also been donated and refurbished. The library is open to anyone, regardless of income. All membership dues are voluntary. 
 
Started with a grant from the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, the library now relies on dues from members and donations for its operating expenses. The library is also seeking additional grants and corporate sponsorship to boost its services. Any companies interested in a sponsorship should contact Patrick Dunn at patrick@sustainablewestseattle.org.
 
 The tool library will be operating one more weekend at South Seattle Community College. The last day there will be April 3. 
 
 About Sustainable West Seattle
Sustainable West Seattle is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that educates and advocates for urban sustainability in our local community.
 
For more information on the tool library, visit our web site at www.sustainablewestseattle.org/tool-library/
 
To view the tool library inventory, visit http://localtools.org/library/org/WSTL/inventory/browse
 
For more information on Youngstown, visit www.youngstownarts.org