Join us on Monday, January 22nd between 4 and 8 pm at GB’s Fish and Chips when 20% of proceeds will be donated back to the Denver Tool Library! This is a great opportunity for you to support DTL, as well as meet some other members of our amazing community. Not a big fish fan (pun intended)? Yah me neither. Well no worries, we’re in luck because there’s a bar! See you there!!
Wanted! Garden, Lawn, Permaculture Teacher
It might not seem so now, but spring is just around the corner, and we’d LOVE to have a “Knowing Your Yard” type of class again for 2024! If you are or you know someone who enjoys teaching and is knowledgeable in gardening, lawncare, and/or permaculture, please contact us for details.
Thanks!!
DTL 2023 Wrapped (Plz don't sue us, Spotify.)
Oh boy it’s the end of another year which means we’ve exported the .CSV files and have done the questionable math so we can tell you the highlights of our Impact in 2023!
Thanks to all of you who have supported the Denver Tool Library in any way big or small. Any impact we make can only happen because you’re spending some bucks, donating some tools, or just DMing us to tell us what a cool concept we are (it keeps moral high). Because of you we’ve managed to break ALL of our records this year in terms of money we’ve saved members, free memberships we’ve given to people and orgs, and the sheer volume of tools that have gone in and out of our door.
Here’s some data points about what went down in 2023:
We had 771 Active Tool Library Members.
We reached 5,299 tools in our inventory (and those are just the ones with numbers).
We checked out 10,822 tools.
If you do some (real sketchy) math and assume the average of each tool checked out is $50 and you subtract that by an annual membership fee of $150, that means we saved members $425,450! That’s almost a half million dollars in tools that would end up draining your pockets, clogging your garage, and ending up in the landfill.
We’re not done! Because of your donations to our Financial Assistance Fund, in 2023:
We were able to give 43 free memberships to individuals.
We were able to give 15 free memberships to organizations.
That’s $15,450 in free memberships for people who need tools and for orgs doing very important work for our community.
Next year with your help we’ll break all of our records again, so be sure to pick yourself up a membership, take some classes, make a donation, or drop off a six-pack of your fav beverage during open shop hours. See you in 2024!
What are your New Year's Resolutions?
Here are some totally non-bias New Year’s Resolution recommendations: be more creative, save money, be more social, get the tools and education to finally do that project you’ve wanted to do forever. Well coincidently, the DTL can help you achieve all of these things! And here’s how…
First, pick yourself up a super affordable annual Tool Library Membership starting at just $150 so you can check out practically as many tools as you want for a whole year. After that, sign up for a few of your favorite classes that will show you how to use those tools to do things like fine woodworking, renovate your home, sew, weld, do artsy stuff, and so much more. Need some bigger tools for your woodworking project? Well take a Shop Safety & Certification class and pick yourself a discounted Open Workshop Punch Card and use our Open Community Workshop Hours to build that project with assistance from our super pro shop monitors.
Happy New Year to all! This year is your year! You can do it! (and remember, even if you don’t, shoot for the moon and land among the stars).
Happy New Year & Thank You So Much!
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR AN AMAZING 2023! Thanks to all y’all who bought memberships, took classes, used the workshop, donated for Colorado Gives, donated tools, came by the shop to drop off a six-pack, and did anything else to support us big or small. This past year we had the privilege to introduce amazing new volunteers, employees, and teachers to the team who make the DTL what it is through new outreach programs, keeping your tools running smoothly, or just a familiar friendly face helping you battle to load the string on your string trimmer. Between all of y’all, we were able to lend out TONS of tools and save people a BUNCH of money and fix A LOT of leaky sinks.
We have some exciting plans for 2024, and we're stoked to share them with you (we’re not just saying that - we really, really do!). Stay tuned for more news, updates, and opportunities to get involved. Don't forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and (even) YouTube to see what we’re up to.
!!!❤️❤️❤️TRIPLE HEART TRIPLE EXCLAMATION POINT❤️❤️❤️!!!
-Denver Tool Library Team
Humans of the DTL
These are the faces that keep the Denver Tool Library running! The DTL is awesome because people from all different backgrounds end up working / volunteering / buying donuts for us for so many different reasons. Whether it be because of a passion for sustainability and reuse, promoting the sharing economy, practical hands-on education, the love of tinkering, a dedication to fine woodworking, being part of a weird fun community, being more of a communist (miss you Ross!), or you just plane love affordable tools - the DTL is what it is because of the many different types of people who run it.
And now for the plug! Want to join the crew and see what everyone is so happy about? Volunteer with us!
Game: How many of these folks have you seen around the shop? Can you name any of them?
Answer: (clockwise from Ian in the hat) Ian, Scott, Karl, Sarah, Karly, Joe, Jackie
Deal Ends in Ten Days! 15% Off Class Packs. Gift It or Keep It.
Get 15% off class packs until the end of the year
Reminder for all you last minute holiday gift getters! From now until the end of 2023 get 15% off of DTL Class Bucks when you buy $200 or more! Create your own custom discount class packs for yourself or a gift.
How do I make my own custom discount class pack?
Go to our DTL Class Bucks Page and add to your cart however much you want to buy for yourself or a friend. If you want to buy a certain set of class, just total the amount the classes are worth and buy that much in DTL Class Bucks.
On checkout, us the code CLASSPACK2023 and you’ll get a 15% discount.
DISCOUNT CLASS PACK IDEAS to gift or keep
The Woodworker Pack
Woodworking I: Shop Safety Certification
Woodworking II: Practical Joinery
Woodworking III: Box Joinery
Normally $300, Now $255
The Woodturner Pack
Woodturning I: Lathes, Spindles & Vases
Woodturning II: Bowl Turning
Normally $425, Now $361
The Welder Pack
Welding I: Essentials, Safety & MIG
Welding II: Practice, Projects & TIG
Normally $225, Now $192
The Contractor Pack
Knowing Your Home
Tiling
Electricity
Plumbing
Drywall
Normally $475, Now $404
The Sewer Pack
Sewing I: Sewing Machine Basics
Sewing II: Hemming & Alterations
Sewing II: Patching & Mending
Normally $225, Now $192
Remember: These are just some ideas for class packs. As long as you buy over $200 in class gift bucks, you will get the 15% discount. Code expires January 1st, 2024
Follow us on YouTube!
If Instagram and Facebook wasn’t enough, we’re now coming at you from the Googleverse with our new Denver Tool Library YouTube Channel!
“YouTube is social media?? That’s just where I go to watch my hilarious cat videos. Please don’t make me figure out more social media platforms!” Don’t worry, we won’t be posting any new content there, it’s mostly just a place where we can put @aprilfrakenstein videos so they live eternally, likely outliving the last human on earth.
Hopefully at least one of you is cheering about this YouTube channel thing, and if that’s you, give us a follow and SMASH that like button at youtube.com/@denvertoollibrary
It Starts with Intro to Woodturning...
Paul took our Intro to Woodturning classes. Now he’s making making his own beautiful and original woodturning pieces (check those photos - so smooth).
Want to be like Paul? Here’s the process:
Sign up for Woodturning I: Lathes, Spindles & Vases taught by woodturning hero @studiocsh (Still spots left for this Sunday 12/17/23!)
Sign up for Woodturning II: Bowl Turning
Practice and create on our lathes during Open Workshop Hours. A 10 hour Woodturner’s Punch Card is just $120.
Be like Paul
Nah not for you, you say? But my friend would LOVE this, you say? Well perhaps get them a 15% off Woodturners Gift Pack and a Gift Woodturners Punchcard.
CLOSED for Winter Break: Dec 24th - Dec 31st
Mark it on your calendar! The holidays are approaching and the Tool Library & Workshop will be on winter break soon. Don’t be the person locked out of the Tool Library on a snowy Santa Fe Drive holding a frozen table saw. Oh no no no.
Upcoming Tool Library & Workshop Closures:
Winter Break: Dec 24th - Dec 31st (Classes are still happening!)
*Don’t forget - if your borrowed tools are due back on a day that we are closed, that’s an extra free bonus day to keep them! Yay bonus days!
