How It Works

The Basics

How much does it cost? Membership dues are $45/month or $210/year. Annual members save $15 when renewing a membership before it expires. We offer 20% discounts on annual memberships for students, seniors over the age of 65, and active-duty military.

How long can I keep tools? Typically up to a week. You can renew tools for a second week if no one else reserves them.

Can I borrow more than one tool at a time? Yep! We’re here to help with as many tools as you need.

So, borrowing tools is free? Yes, members can borrow with no fees as long as tools are returned clean and on time.

What if I return tools late? Please don’t! Fees of up to $2 per tool, per day apply to late returns.

Do you provide blades and bits? Yes! Basic used consumables are free to borrow. New and specialty items are available for a small fee.

What if I break a tool? Normal wear and tear is covered by your membership dues. If a tool breaks due to abuse, misuse, or negligence, we may ask for the replacement value of the tool plus a $10 administrative fee.

Renewals & Reservations

Can tools be renewed? Members can renew tools for an additional week as long as they aren’t reserved by anyone else. Self-renewal is available online after three days of the loan period have elapsed.

Can I reserve tools? Yes! Tools may be reserved up to 90 days in advance in the Member Portal.

Memberships

Can I give a gift membership?  Yes, you can share the love and buy a gift membership for someone special!

Is membership based on the calendar month/year? No. Memberships are active for 30 or 365 days from your signup date, so there’s no need to align your projects with the calendar.

Can I add a household member? Yes, as long as you’re related and both live at the same address. Send us the name and email of your household member and we’ll get in touch to verify proof of address and set up their account.

What if I’m experiencing extreme financial hardship? Please contact us if you need tools but can’t pay.

Volunteering & Donations

Can I donate tools? Please do! If you have under-used tools sitting around, we'd be happy to give them a new great social life. You can add them to our inventory and receive a tax deduction on them, while still having access to them in the library. Learn how here.

Do volunteers get free memberships? Yes! We’re super grateful for the volunteers—or Tooligans— that help keep HNL Tool Library running. One way we show our appreciation is by offering complementary membership for Tooligans that spend 6+ hours each month volunteering in-person or remotely. Learn more and apply here.

What do you do with damaged tools? We are building a ‘tool hospital’ at the lending library where tools are cared for, fixed, cleaned, and sharpened by experienced volunteers ensuring you get a tool that is in working order. We are looking for “tool doctors,” wanna help?

Safety

Is my credit card information safe? HNL Tool Library doesn’t store your card information directly. We use a third-party payment processor which securely encrypts and stores the data. We can use your card to process any fees, but no one from our team can access any information except the last 4 digits of your card number.

Have a question we didn’t cover? Get in touch! We love hearing from our members. :)