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New! All Tools are now Requestable!

by eli

Good News Everyone! AADL's industry-leading Tools Collection is now available for request! Most tools go out for 1 week (with a few extended loan tools, such as sewing machines and telescopes) and can be renewed one time if there are no outstanding requests on that item.

You can request tools for pickup at any location, with the exception of a few oversize tools, like Guitars, or Giant Connect Four, which can only be requested for Downtown Pickup.

Thanks to those of you who have used our experimental Tools Event Bookings! We are winding down the experiment for the Winter while we use what we've learned to build a new Tools Event Booking system that will be easier to use. We will stop accepting new Tools Event Booking requests on September 30, and Event Bookings won't be available for dates after October 31st. The service will be back in the spring with a much easier process and the ability to see your bookings from your My Account page.

Don't forget that you can freeze any request, including requests for Tools, so if you are hoping to get your hands on a Tool for an event over the Winter, request it now and freeze it; you'll likely be near the top of the queue when you're ready for it! Just like other items, you'll still move up the queue while your tools request is frozen.

You will still have a chance of finding tools on the shelves! We'll still have Express Shelf copies of popular tools; just like Express Shelf Books or Movies, these copies can't be renewed and don't fill requests.

Thanks for your patience as we've experimented with circulating these items; we're thrilled to expand this service. Let us know if you have any questions or concerns, and thanks for using your library!

Comments

This is great to hear! The inability to request tools was one of the very few things that I did not like about them. Will there be tools in the non-Downtown branches, like there sometimes have been in the past?

Not likely in the near term. All tools have to be processed between checkouts Downtown, so it doesn't make as much sense to shelve them at branches where the space is limited. But it's possible as we see how this change impacts the use of the collection. Thanks for asking!

That's how you can reserve tools for a specific date, it was an experimental service that was not promoted. We didn't expect how popular our giant games would be for weddings and parties! We'll take a break over the off-season and be back in the spring with a service that works better for everyone.

Yep, we have a problem with making Mega Chess requestable we're still working through. Mega Chess requires the checkout of 4 bags, and we don't have a way for 1 request to connect to 4 items, but if we ask you to request all 4 bags separately, that won't likely happen right. So stay tuned as we iron out this wrinkle; Mega Chess will join the ranks of the requestable soon.

I still recommend that you add a bat detector to your collection. I make this suggestion every spring, but on paper. I have used the Batbox Baton for several years and I have learned quite a bit about bats (and crickets and grasshoppers and running water). They have added an output jack which increased the cost to $130, but if cost is an issue, I've heard good things about Batseeker 4, though durability is not one of them.
Anyway, think about it.
https://batmanagement.com/collections/bat-detectors/products/batbox-bat…
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=bat+detector+ultrasonic&crid=26KY25F0NALA5&s…

Tools - what a great idea. Can I suggest you include a Cricut Maker? I don't use one enough to justify buying one myself but I would love to check one out when I have a special project that I could use it on.

https://cricut.com/

Hi there, thanks for the suggestion! We actually had cricuts in the tools collection some years ago, but they turned out to be not very durable and difficult to use, but we will take a look at the new models! Thanks again for your suggestion, and thanks for using your library.

In reply to by Lee the Geek

Thanks for asking. We've experimented with this, but we haven't yet found a 3D printer reliable enough to be circulated. If you're looking to print something, you might try Maker Works, All Hands Active, or Thingsmiths.

Could you please add a circuit breaker finder? This is the sort of tool a homeowner could use to map their home once, so would not need to own it. Thanks.

So what's the latest status of tools? It's Fall 2021, and many library services are operating.
For the Uprooter, for example, catalog says
None Available
26 requests on 4 copies
It looks like there is a backlog of requests--is that accurate?

Hi there, thanks for asking. All tools are now circulating. All 4 uprooters are either checked out or on the hold shelf waiting for pickup. Yes, there is a queue for this item; you can place a request to join the line. Thanks for your patience!

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