Santa Fe Road Closure! Arrive Early & Parking Info

Santa Fe Drive just north of the Denver Tool Library (6th Ave-13th Ave) is closed Mon-Fri for the foreseeable future due to maintenance! 🚗⚠️ 🚧 ⛔

What this means for you

• Tool Lending & Open Shop Hours: Limited parking is available along 5th Ave as well as neighboring streets. For tool pick-ups and drop-off, you should still briefly be able to park out front between the cones.

• Classes: Plan to arrive to class EARLY! Parking will be limited. You can hang at our neighbor Town Hall and get 15% off a drink / snack while waiting for your class to start.

First Screenprinting Community Event Recap!

Our donation based screenprinting First Friday Art Walk event was PACKED! Many thanks to everyone who came out to get a cute DTL logo slapped onto your threads, and many thanks to our awesome volunteers and staff for making the activation possible.

If you weren’t able to sign up this time around, don’t worry - we will be hosting more screenprinting events in the future! Keep an eye on social media or sign up for our weekly newsletter to know when the next one is announced.

What’s up with Denver Tool Library Community Events?

We host free / donation based community gatherings like Repair Fairs, Skill Shares, Mending Circles, and more that are open to everyone - no membership required. At these events, you can learn about our other programs, meet your handy neighbors, and get inspired for your next project.

Project Spotlight! 13' Puppet Octopus

Our tools can do everything from fixing a leaky sink to making a 13 foot long puppet octopus! Here’s a pic of Tie with the People's Free Puppet Program (@denverpuppets) holding up one of the tentacles.

The People’s Free Puppet Program is a Denver Public Library community art initiative bringing puppet building and performance to underserved Denver Metro communities.

Want to build a 13’ puppet octopus of your own? Sign up for an annual Tool Library Membership (they’re just $150/year).

We're Hiring! Tool Librarian

HIRING: TOOL LIBRARIAN POSITION

Deadline to Apply: Wednesday, August 12th

The Denver Tool Library is hiring a part-time tool librarian for Tuesday, Saturday, and every other Sunday shifts!

Tool Librarians play a vital role in the Denver Tool Library as they are the first face someone sees when they come in to learn more about DTL, check out tools, and learn about classes. Tool librarians are responsible for checking tools in and out for members, keeping the tool library clean and accessible, and fostering a welcoming environment for people to come in and learn about tools!

To learn more and apply, visit denvertoollibrary.org/jobs

Group, Org, & Biz Private Classes at the Denver Tool Library!

Is your group or organization taking on a building project and looking to learn some tool basics? Or maybe you’re planning a company party and want to find something that’s fun, empowering, and educational? Well forget a trust fall - give your coworker a circular saw in one of our private workshops!

Not only are our classes a lot of fun, but they also encourage creativity and camaraderie, passing on practical skills to your group that will last a lifetime. All courses are taught by experienced instructors in a beginner-friendly and supportive environment with all materials provided. By choosing us, you’ll also be supporting local craftspeople, artists, and a nonprofit that strives to put tools in the hands of all folks and organizations, regardless of income.

Brand New Shirt! A Decade of DIY

To celebrate the unlikelihood of an org surviving over 10 years on old donated tools and stubborn goodwill, Evan of @artandsuchevan made us a new shirt design!

If hard to see, it reads: "Denver Tool Library. Building communities together for over a decade."

If you’ve ever wanted to give us $20 worth of support and spread the gospel of tool sharing by acting as a stylish billboard, now is a great time!

Unfortunately we don’t sell these online, so you’re just gonna have to come in and tell us what a cool concept we are in order to get one.

First Friday Aug 7! DTL Screen Printing

This next First Friday with the @denversartdistrict is the big one where they shut down the street!

We’ll be hosting a special event where you can screen print your own DTL shirt (or tote bag, or pants, or patch, or whatever you want really so long as it fits). Bring a blank shirt, or purchase one from us, and pick a design. Click here to RSVP for free.

We will have music, drinks, a limited amount of pizza (so come early!).

August 7th 5pm-9pm. $5 suggested donation.

Our First Take it (A)Party

Our first volunteer appreciation Take it (A)Party last Monday was a ton of fun! Our volunteers get some sweet sweet perks, like events where they can all get together and tear things apart.

Take it (A)Parties are an invitation to take already-broken electronics apart and look at their insides! Participants get the chance to dismantle a device and figure out how it does what it does in a space that fosters curiosity and confidence. We work together at identifying what the components inside are for and how they function. At the same time, we have a group discussion around how to move beyond observation to diagnosis and ultimately repair or re-use. The goal is to encourage adopting and sharing repair and maintenance concepts and ethos.

Interested in volunteering? Learn more at denvertoollibrary.org/volunteer

Planned Obsolescence Isn't a Conspiracy - It's a Business Model

A perfectly good pressure washer has plastic internal gears that are known to break soon after the warranty expires. This isn’t a coincidence - this is how budget manufacturers engineer repeat purchases at the expense of the consumer and the environment. At a tool library, it’s more cost effective for us to buy quality tools that can be fixed again and again.

Instead of buying that bottom dollar big-box tool, use the Denver Tool Library's pro-grade tools for just $150/year.

Tired of stuff breaking too soon? Follow @repairorg_official and @ecocycle_zerowaste to learn how you can take action against planned obsolescence.

Back from Hiatus! Woodturning III: Lidded Boxes

Woodturning III: Lidded Boxes is back from a bit of a break! First dates are Saturday, October 24th and Saturday, November 14th. October is already almost sold out, so sign up soon.

Take your turning skills to the next level by creating a lidded box. This workshop dives into the art of precision, teaching you the techniques to craft a beautiful hardwood box with a seamless, friction-fit lid. We'll guide you through advanced skills like hollowing end grain and creating a continuous grain match, transforming a simple block of wood into a functional work of art. You’ll leave with a stunning handmade piece that showcases a high level of craftsmanship. Join this supportive friendly workshop, expand your handy DIY skillset, and connect with a community of fellow makers!