About the Thing Library

The Thing Library is a space where Londoners access equipment and training to share, repair, create and learn together.

Our vision is to reduce waste and facilitate skill-sharing among community members to build resilience and belonging.

Just like a library is a place where you can borrow books, a Thing Library (also known as a library of things or a tool library) is a place where you can borrow things.

Thing libraries have been around for many years, and there are hundreds of them around the world, including in Toronto, Guelph, and Kitchener-Waterloo.

In April 2022, a not-for-profit Thing Library opened in London, Ontario, located downtown at 206 Piccadilly St.

The sharing of tools and other household items allows community members to borrow from a large inventory of items to use at home. This pooling of resources benefits the environment through saving energy, natural resources, storage space and money. At the same time giving equitable access to these items to those who would not have another means of affording them.

The Library concept promotes a circular economy, moving from the traditional “take-make-waste” approach of buying unnecessary items to an interconnected community ecosystem that provides a support network for small homes, food preparation, and garden projects.

The London Thing Library launched in April 2022. We are currently accepting donations – see our

Click here to view our current inventory.

Most of the things we offer fall into the following categories::

The London Thing Library is for anyone who is looking to reclaim space in their home, save money on expensive equipment, generate less waste and be a part of this community. If any of these ideas resonate with you, the London Thing Library is for you!

The London Thing Library is perfect for the weekend warrior looking to tackle projects around the house. It is perfect for the prepper, with lots of food storage equipment to store fresh foods for longer. It is perfect for the gardener whether you need an extra shovel or equipment to turn your bounty into jam or pickles. With workshops and events, you can learn about things that interest you and borrow the things you'll need to see them through. Whatever your hobby is, the London Thing Library is here to support you!

We also strive to support those who lack access to home equipment that other Londoners may take for granted. The London Thing Library helps eliminate barriers to accessing equipment that may be too expensive, heavy or large, by allowing people to borrow it as needed.

The London Thing Library is housed in the same building as Reimagine Co's package-free grocery store at 206 Piccadilly Street in downtown London, Ontario.

You can browse and reserve our inventory of things online and pick them up during Reimagine Co’s opening hours.

For a monthly membership fee, you can borrow several things at once, for up to a week at a time. There is a reduced rate for those on a low income.

The Thing Library's lending function i paired with training workshops for all skill levels, repair café events, and other events and programs that facilitate skill-sharing among community members to build resilience and belonging.

The Thing Library is operated by the Institute for Community Sustainability (ICS for short), which is a federal not-for-profit.

The Thing Library is possible thanks to support from Thames Region Ecological Association, the City of London, Libro Credit Union, London Community Foundation, SSHRC, Westminster College Foundation, Tuckey Home Hardware, the Signal Boost Initiative and the Government of Canada.

The Thing Library relies on grants and sponsorships to support our work. We are in conversations with potential partners, sponsors and funders. If your organization would be interested in sponsoring or partnering with us, please email info@reimagineinstitute.ca

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