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Contact: Tess Mayer
Director of Library Services
Berkeley Public Library
510.981.6100
tmayer@cityofberkeley.info

Kitchen Tools Now Available at the Tool Lending Library
Reserve All Tools in the Collection in the New Online Tool Catalog

Berkeley, California (March 16, 2021) – The Tool Lending Library has provided Berkeley residents with access to free home repair tools for over 40 years. The collection has been expanded in recent years to include bike repair tools, as well as smartphone and tablet repair kits. Now, kitchen tools are available as well!

Extensive community input was sought to determine which kitchen tools would be most useful for patrons. Sous vide cookers, air fryers, ice cream makers, pasta makers, dehydrators, canning equipment, novelty baking pans and more have been purchased with a generous grant from the Berkeley Public Library Foundation.

“Berkeleyans love food and their public library. The Library Foundation is delighted to be able to provide resources that support the launch of the new culinary collection. It will allow so many more people access to what they enjoy,” says Kathy Huff, Executive Director of the Berkeley Public Library Foundation.

Over the last few months the Library has offered a variety of culinary-themed virtual programs with cookbook authors and noted chefs. Many of the cooking demonstrations featured kitchen tools now available in the collection such as coffee-roasters, Instant Pots, tortilla presses and food processors.

Supervising Librarian Dan Beringhele notes, “This has been an excellent opportunity to fill a need in our community. The Tool Lending Library gives our patrons a way to try out a new gadget without spending money or creating waste. The kitchen tool collection allows for home cooks to explore their creativity and experiment with new recipes and techniques.”

Also new, is a dedicated tool online catalog that makes it easy to search for and place holds on tools of all kinds. Patrons can access the tool catalog from any computer or mobile device directly from the Library’s homepage.

Those who have checked out tools previously with the Library can begin placing holds on tools via the new online tool catalog, right away. Patrons who have never used the Tool Lending Library before are asked to call the Tool Library at (510) 981-6101 to learn more about registration. Similar to the process for books, after a hold is placed, patrons will receive an email notification when the item is ready for pick up.

Tools can be picked up in front of the Tool Lending Library, located in the Tarea Hall Pittman South Branch at 1901 Russell Street (on the corner of Martin Luther King, Jr Way). Outdoor Pickup is available Monday 10-6 & Tuesday 10-6, Wednesday 12-6 & Thursday 12-6, Friday & Saturday 10-6. All holds on tools are held for 3 days. Tools can be checked out for 7 days.

For questions regarding kitchen tools and the Tool Lending Library, please call Dan Beringhele at (510) 981-6265.

For questions regarding Library programs, services and collections, please call (510) 981-6100 during Central Open Hours: Monday, 12:00-6:00 pm; and Tuesday-Saturday, 10:00 am-6:00 pm.
For Library locations, Outdoor Pickup hours, Library Collections and the Event Calendar listing of virtual programs, visit the Library’s website http://www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org.

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