010. To buy or to borrow?
Visiting my local "Library of Things" and challenging the assumption that I need to own everything I use.
I just borrowed a waffle maker from the library.
You read that right — A waffle maker. From the library! A Mickey Mouse waffle maker, to be exact.
Before you dismiss me as a crazy person, just hear me out.
The other day, I was browsing my local library’s website to see if they had a book that I’d been wanting to read, and I stumbled on a page that I had never noticed before.
It was titled the “Library of Extraordinary Things.”
Cue an audible gasp. And an *immediate* click.
I had heard about a “Library of Things” in the UK from my circular economy course, and I thought it made so much sense.
But I had (very wrongly) assumed that it was one of those special things Europeans have that Americans don’t — there’s a long list of those.
If you aren’t familiar with the concept, a Library of Things is a place where you can borrow everyday items — like tools, cooking equipment, board games, even musical instruments — and return them when you’re done. Just like we’ve done for centuries with books and libraries.
Maybe some of you have even been doing this for a while. It wouldn’t be the first time I’m late to the party (ahem, consignment and resale).
But this was not something I had ever personally experienced.
And naturally, I needed to go see it for myself.
As I pulled into the library parking lot, I kept wondering why I had never noticed the Library of Things on previous trips there. It is something I would have explored sooner, if only I had known it existed!
Then I remembered that whenever I go, I’m usually in the children’s book section, struggling to pull my kids away from the giant fish tank before they press their entire face against the glass like the 150 other kids that did the exact same thing right before them. Ah…that’s right.🤦🏼♀️
But I digress.
I’ll also admit that my mental image of a Library of Things was a bunch of actual “things,” obviously standing out among the racks of books. That, surely, it would be an easy thing to notice. But, no. Turns out, that’s not actually the case. Once I was inside, I foolishly walked around looking for it way longer than I should have without asking someone first.
But I digress again.
When I finally found it, I realized why it had been a little hard to spot. It was more of a Blockbuster-esque experience, where you take a DVD-style box off the shelf and trade it in at the check-out desk for the actual item (though maybe other libraries are different).
BUT HOW COOL IS THIS!?
If you know me by now, then you know I cannot simply visit a Library of Things without checking something out.
So I decided it would be fun to test out the Mickey Mouse waffle maker (my kids LOVE waffles), and a veggie spiralizer (something I’ve always wanted to try but have never used).
Now, you might be asking, “why is Jenny so excited about this? Can’t she just go buy these things?”
Well, I could. We all could. But once you view the world through a circular economy lens, your soul starts to hurt a little bit every time you buy something new — and especially when you buy something you didn’t need to *buy* at all.
Of course buying something means spending money on it. It also means finding somewhere to store it. Maintaining it. And figuring out how to get rid of it someday. All annoying things, am I right?
But the real reason I’m so excited about it is because I see enormous potential with this concept at scale.
Potential to shift the way we think about “owning” everyday things.
Potential to inspire people to borrow more and buy less.
Potential to create less waste and clutter.
And the real, most impactful kicker: Potential to preserve more of Earth’s finite resources buy not manufacturing so many new products in the first place.
If you think about it, a library is one of the OG circular economy systems. It’s a place you can go to access an item you’ll typically only use once or twice. You use it, you return it, someone else can now use it, you get something else, and on it goes. A beautiful circle. The library even has a “circulation” desk — because it facilitates keeping books in circulation for as long as possible.
Why shouldn’t we expand that proven concept to include other types of items?
After all, we buy so many things that just…sit there. High up on a shelf. Buried in a drawer. Only to be taken out a few times a year. They cost money, they take up valuable space, and they add to our clutter.
And think: If you do that in your house (I’m just as guilty of it too, of course), zoom out for a second and realize EVERYONE does the exact same thing in their own house. There are millions of blenders. Millions of projectors. Millions of stud finders. Millions of waffle makers. All just…sitting there.
And yet, we keep using more and more of Earth’s resources to manufacture more and more of the exact same items for millions of people to buy and only use occasionally.
There’s gotta be a better way. And a Library of Things is an excellent start.
We just need a lot more people to know about it (and then actually use it)! So I’m passing it along to you, my friend.
Now, I can already hear what you might be thinking:
But Jenny, I don’t have a Library of Things!
But Jenny, I don’t want to bother going to a library for a waffle maker! I want it in my house so it’s there exactly when I need it!
But Jenny, I don’t think I even need any of these things (or I already have them)!
I hear you!
However, a Library of Things is not a requirement for integrating a “borrow instead of buying” mindset into your everyday life. It’s just one of many ways you can practice the habit.
For example, last month I got invited to a holiday cocktail party. Remember those?! Between the pandemic and kids, I had forgotten what those were like. I tried on some of the dresses in my closet and wasn’t excited about any of them — and to be super honest, none of them fit my post-baby body quite right.
I had a choice: Do I buy a new dress that I know I won’t wear more than once or twice? Or should I try “borrowing” instead?
I decided to rent a fabulous one from Rent the Runway, and it was only $45 (instead of $330 retail). It doesn’t take up space in my closet. I don’t need to resell it eventually. I don’t even need to dry clean it. I also don’t need to worry if people will ever wonder, “gee, didn’t she wear the same thing last year? AWKKKWARD.”
Wise choice all around, I’d say!
There are plenty of other examples.
🛠️ When you have a DIY construction project in your house and you need some specialty tools you likely won’t use again: Will you buy those tools new? Rent them from somewhere like Home Depot Tool Rental? Or maybe even borrow them from a friend?
🍲 When you’re trying out a new recipe that calls for a kitchen gadget you don’t have: Will you buy it new? Borrow it from the library or a friend? Or maybe just give up and make a different recipe with gadgets you already own? (That would be me). 😂
📚 And whenever there’s a new book you want to read: Will you borrow it from the library? Buy it new? Or maybe buy it from Amazon, but in gently used condition instead?
Like me, you might be trying to ingrain this way of thinking into your own daily choices. But we all know it’s easier said than done.
So I created this handy decision tree to help.
At the end of the day, the goal is not to be a perfect (read: impossible) consumer that creates zero waste. It’s to be an intentional consumer.
It’s training yourself to pause in that split second before you instinctively buy something brand new, and asking:
How often will I actually use this?
Do I need it taking up space in my house when I’m done with it?
Would a used version of this item get the job done just as well as a brand new one?
It takes lots of mental reminders, as well as lots of trying and experimenting. But once you take one small, positive action, I guarantee more will follow.
Make sure to check if there is a Library of Things near you — you never know, you might have even walked right past it without realizing.
Oh, and in case you were wondering, the Mickey Mouse waffles turned out delicious!
Until next time,
Jenny
PS: This is my 10th post on this blog. 🎉 Are you enjoying the content? Have any suggestions? Please let me know in the comments. And thanks for being here for the journey!