CORNING, N.Y. (WENY) -- A new resource in Steuben County is making home improvement projects more accessible and affordable. The Tool Library, launched by Habitat for Humanity, allows residents to borrow tools, just like checking out a book from a library.

For an annual $30 membership fee, residents of Steuben, Chemung, and Schuyler Counties can borrow up to three tools at a time. The goal is to help community members in the Southern Tier complete DIY projects and home repairs without the expense of purchasing tools outright. 

"The idea with the Tool Library is it's like any public library, where we have a set of things that everybody is sharing, and with tools, they're really useful for a bunch of different things," says Scott Sayre, a volunteer with the Steuben Co. Habitat for Humanity.

Sayre said the idea for the Tool Library was inspired by similar programs in places like Minnesota. However, the Steuben County Initiative has been nearly seven years in the making. The launch was delayed due to a fire in 2023 at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

Despite the setbacks, the program is now fully operational. 

"The Tool Library, which is a service to community members so that they're able, for [the] annual membership fee, to borrow up to three tools," says Joy Overacker, Community Outreach Director for Steuben Co. Habitat for Humanity. "Works very much like a regular library they can come in, look at the catalog, see what tools we have, or find it online."

Members are expected to return tools on time and keep them clean. The program is about more than just lending equipment, Overacker says it aligns with Habitat for Humanity's broader mission. 

For those unfamiliar with certain tools, the Tool Library offers guidance to every member.

"When you go to our library of tools online, you can not only see what tools we have, but in most cases, you can get to the user manual as well, as we've got one or two YouTube videos that show exactly how to use the tool. So if you're kind of like I've never used one of these before, we'll help you with that. We've also got people that work here and people in our build crew that know how to use these tools and they should be able to really help give some guidance when needed," explained Sayre.

The Tool Library officially opened on February 4th at the Steuben County Habitat for Humanity ReStore. Residents across the three counties can browse tools, reserve equipment in advance, and access materials to help with projects.

The PDF document below contains membership forms and rules. Habitat says the forms can be completed at home, but they must be filed in person to activate. 

Library hours are Tuesdays and Fridays: 12 - 5 p.m., Saturdays, 12 to 2 p.m.

Steuben County Habitat ReStore is located at 3412 State Route 414, Corning, N.Y.