Number of loans recorded since April 2019

Number of items available to borrow

We are now a Co operative - Non Profit Organization members are exempt from the hourly contribution.

To best fit the needs of our community, the Library of Stuff has shifted to a cooperative model that emphasizes affordability, accessibility, and shared responsibility. As part of this transition, we’ve structured membership contributions to be as simple and community-oriented as possible.  Joining our membership gets you access to the 1000+ item inventory

For household memberships, the cooperative requires a $1 per week fee and approximately one hour per week (five hours per month) of your time. This combination is designed to keep membership affordable while encouraging a collective commitment to maintaining and growing the Library’s resources. We believe this small financial and time contribution will allow members to become more engaged with our mission while making full access to our shared goods. 

For nonprofit organizations and community events, the Library operates on a minimum $1 contribution, allowing organizations and events access resources without a major financial commitment. This flexibility is intended to foster the wider use of the Library’s items to groups that directly contribute to community well-being, creating an environment where everyone benefits.

In essence, this cooperative model is a reflection of our values of sharing, sustainability, and community care. By pooling our community efforts and resources, we can ensure that the Library of Stuff remains a thriving hub for practical, affordable solutions that help reduce consumption and waste.

WE SIMPLY GOT TOO busy!

The graph above is from the Australian Library of Things Network (ALOT) first survey of Australian share libraries.  It was published earlier this year.  It’s easy to see why most others are still comfortable operating with just 5-10 dedicated volunteers.  We need to move away from a typical volunteer run operation where a few do the work for many to a co operative model of operation where many do the work to support themselves and a generous share of others who need extra assistance for short to long periods of time.

The benefit to community in good times and bad of a store of shared assets is yet to be fully explored.  With a generous team of willing hands and big brains we believe our share library will grow to become a major contributor to the health and wellbeing of our community at large and be able to continue to support other organisations taking on roles of asset managers and sharers – our team is currently working to support Resilient Lismore and Resilient Uki.

At 5000 loans a year recorded April 22-23 and then repeated 23-24 the wheels nearly fell off.  Our volunteer hours didn’t grow proportionally to this sustained increase in demand.  So we have taken the decision to reset and build internal capacity by adopting a Co operative style of operation for our household members.  We will serve each other as well as continue the initiatives impressive history of supporting other non profits in the area.  We also support informal landcare type groups that care for public lands and local event organisers who share our passion for waste avoidance by borrowing reusables rather than using disposables.  If this co op change is new to you please scroll back up and read the important post explaining the announcement.

To read more about Library’s of Things around the country check out the ALOT report just below.

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Our stories

Come Visit!

Come along to our Open Day to see first hand the range of quality items we have to share!  As a co operative all household members have full access to the Library inventory. Most items can be borrowed for two weeks at a time and most items are free to borrow.  Only...

When we share we empower and that underpins wellbeing

A Research Paper by Margot Kelly "The sharing network of the LoS allows individuals to be more sustainable in their personal lives. This mode of sustainability, the reduction of consumption and waste, increases the wellbeing of library users, as this method of...

Recalibrating Our Operation to Better Align With Our Capacity & Purpose

We have been working to find a sustainable model of operation since before the flood.  Try as we have the current reality is that we either close altogether or continue serving our non profit members and local waste wise event operators by asking our Active Members to...

Thank you to our Supporters

The following champions have all pitched in recently, to help support the Library so that we can keep on supporting our community. An anonymous member donated two 6 amp Makita batteries, brand new, when she learned that we had lost a box full of Makita batteries in...

Buy or Borrow Good Quality = Acting on Climate Change

People love our Library.  They love the idea of community.  Of sharing and making good quality items accessible to many people who might not otherwise be able to afford to buy them.  Many understand but it also comes as a surprise to others the direct impact of our...

We prepared for the flood but now we need your help : Part 1 Makita batteries

You might have seen our story about Paul, our Inventory Manager and our preparations for flood in late February? We put items back to their normal spot days after that post then decided to go back in and lift it all up again on the Saturday afternoon before the Monday...

Free 6 month membership for any flood impacted locals

If you or anyone you know has been affected by the floods, please become a member of the Library for FREE, for the next 6 months.  We are here to support the community, during the good times and the hard one's. We have so many items available for people to borrow. For...

Paul & Preparedness

Meet Paul. Paul is our Inventory Manager. Paul is pictured in our tool room where we moved all items that would be damaged by flood to higher ground. We know it’s not a question of if but when the hall will flood again and we exist to support our community with our...

The Library wins the Byron Shire Community Initiative of the Year award

We feel very honoured to be awarded the Byron Shire Community Initiative of the Year. Thank you to everyone who has journeyed with us up until now.  We look forward to continuing to support the community in sharing and borrowing, reducing consumption and waste,...
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