by Donna Lockner, Volunteer Coordinator

Do you need tools?  Do you need advice for DIY projects?  Do you have broken items that need fixing?  If so, you need The Greenbelt MakerSpace Co-operative, a non-profit organization of all volunteers who can help you. This organization sponsors the Tool Library, the Repair Cafes, and soon will be offering classes for basic home maintenance tasks. The Tool Library has an inventory of close to 1,000 items ready to be checked out for a week at a time.  This saves patrons the cost of purchasing tools that may be used infrequently and saves storage space.  Items available for lending include usual tools such as drills and saws but also includes many garden tools (such as battery-operated lawn mowers), power washers, kitchen appliances (including food processors and mixers, air fryers, and even an espresso machine), sewing machines and a few musical instruments (ukeleles and a guitar).

Last year 1,126 items were checked out from the Tool Library located in the basement of the Granite Building, 115 Centerway in Old Greenbelt.  To become a member of the Greenbelt MakerSpace Cooperative and be able to borrow unlimited items during the year, you can join online at Greenbeltmakers.org or visit during the Tool Library open hours: Thursdays 6:30pm-8:00pm, Saturdays 10am-noon, and Sundays 11:00am-1:00pm.  A nominal membership fee is based on a sliding scale and starts at $20 per year.

Repair Cafes now *every* third Saturday

The Repair Café is held the third Saturday of every month from 10am until noon at the same location as the Tool Library, 115 Centerway, Greenbelt.  This popular event offers free repair of household and personal items.  Bring your broken lamp or toaster, clothing that needs mending, jewelry that needs repair, furniture that needs glueing, or knives/scissors that need sharpening.  Volunteers will show you how to repair and make them useful again and keep them out of the landfill.  Although none of the repairs are guaranteed, at a recent Repair Café 63 items were brought in, 23 volunteers were on hand and 83% of the broken items were made useful again.  Repair Cafes are free to all; you do not need to be a Greenbelt MakerSpace Cooperative member to participate in these fun events.

The latest news from the Greenbelt MakerSpace Cooperative is receipt of a $6,500 Special Appropriations Grant from the Prince George’s County Council which will be used to begin small, hands-on classes on topics related to home improvement.  Look for more information about these classes in the coming months.

The Greenbelt MakerSpace Cooperative (encompassing the Tool Library and Repair Café) is not affiliated with The Space located in Beltway Plaza, although they collaborate on some projects.  For more information visit Greenbeltmakers.org or send an email to  staff@make125.org.

Photos by Susan Harris.