Gather ‘round now while we tell some tales of times past. April 2025 is our 10th birthday month, so we’re going to reminisce with a chronology of grainy photos and stories that are at least 90% true. 🎉
10th Bday Month Tale #1: Did you know that the Denver Tool Library started because the founder, Sarah, found some bolt cutters laying in the road?
After doing all the research and surveys and brainstorming with friends and making a pretty nifty binder with lots of tabs and sticky notes, she asked the universe for a sign if she should really pull the trigger on the DTL plan. Less than 30 minutes later, the universe bopped some bright yellow bolt cutters directly in her path. So really you can thank whoever’s truck the universe bumped those beautiful bolt cutters out of. They sacrificed a tool so that Denverites could share thousands of them 🫶
10th Bday Month Tale #2: Did you know that the DTL started entirely with $20,000 raised during a fundraiser?
After Sarah was inspired by some old bolt cutters she found on the road, she started an IndieGoGo campaign to raise seed money for the DTL. Slinging the “cool concept” of tool sharing, she managed to get people to buy their DTL memberships in advance of being open - raising $20,000! She threw a party for all of our Founding Members, whose names now hang on the wall in celebration of their pioneering spirits. That party is also where she met Garrett, who just showed up and stuck around so long that now he’s the assistant director.
Want to ensure this “cool concept” stays alive another 10 years?
