I rarely need a forty foot ladder, but this weekend, my sewer drain sprung a leak. This giant pipe runs clear to the roof where it syphons rainwater, though the plumber could have said it led to a magical rooftop pond where nymphs frolic. I wouldn't have argued. I've never been up there, and until Friday had zero desire to go. That's when I learned my options—check the roof for problems or start opening walls to find the leak, possibly destroying historic tile.
A good ladder, it turns out, runs around $350. That's steep for something I've needed once since I moved here eighteen months ago, and I did just notice a contractor's fully-loaded truck parked down the street. All's fair in love and home repair, right?
If only I lived in Asheville. I might not be considering larceny just to reach my roof. The Asheville Tool Library will open on April 9, and it's going to make it easy to borrow just about any tool you can imagine, everything from ladders to palm sanders.
“We’ve been hard at work organizing and cataloging our tools," says project coordinator Kara Sweeney, who told me that people from every walk of life have shown interest in the library. "From urban folks living in small spaces, homesteaders, artists, DIY enthusiasts, and everyone in between." 
Membership costs between $50 and $150 with a sliding scale based on income, plus scholarships are available. Once a member, you can borrow tools for as many as seven days, and let's be honest. How often do any of us need an angle grinder for more than a week?
The idea is to put tools to work rather than let them collect dust, which is novel but not unique to Asheville. At least 70 other North American communities have tool libraries. They are innovative extensions of the sharing economy, which has exploded in recent years, making it possible to share a car through Uber or a house through AirBnB. I've even read about city libraries lending sewing machines.So why not tools?
Would you borrow a socket set rather than buy one? And do you have any interest in starting a tool library in your area?
If so, the good folks at ShareStarter offer a map of existing libraries along with turnkey resources for starting a new one. And should you start one anywhere near Alexandria, Virginia, let me know. I might need to unload a ladder soon.