Borrowing_center
Borrowing center
Library of household items and tools
A borrowing center, borrowing shop, borrowing bar, item library or library of things is a library of household items and tools, usually organized as a volunteer cooperative, nonprofit organization, or operated by the local public library.[1][2]
Borrowing centers are part of the sharing economy, which was termed in 1984 by Harvard economist Martin Weitzman.[3] In contrast to a rental store, which offers many of the same items, borrowing centres are operated on a non-profit or collective basis.
The concept of a borrowing center is not new.[4] Historically some public libraries have offered items beyond print and audio-visual media, such as toys.[5] The concept is also similar to toy libraries, which have existed since at least 1935, and tool libraries.
One of the better-known borrowing centers is the Sharing Depot in Toronto, Canada.