Volunteering for Your First Shift

Thank you so much for serving your community by volunteering at the tool library!

Before arriving

If you don’t already have a tool library account, create one and bring a government ID with you to your first shift. Volunteers do not need to pay for membership, so you can use the “Flexible” option and select $0 for payment.

The account creation process also importantly includes signing our liability waiver.

Expectations

Shift volunteers are expected to be present for as much of the shift as possible, and are expected to serve patrons or proactively work on tool library initiatives rather than work on their own personal projects.

Attire

Wear close-toed shoes and avoid dangling clothing, hair, or accessories, since you’ll be working around heavy objects and power tools.

Location

We’re at 1552 Crawford Pl, Seattle, WA 98122, halfway down the Crawford Place alleyway between Pike and Pine Streets in Capitol Hill. If you have trouble finding us day-of, you can call the library phone at 206-420-7005.

Transportation

• The closest bus routes are the 8, 10, 11, and 49
• If you bike in, our garage has a bike rack for locking up
• If you need to drive, Capitol Hill has free street parking on Sundays but otherwise you’ll need to park several blocks away to avoid expensive parking meters

Creature comforts

We have an accessible restroom and water fountains, and often have snacks as well. Feel free to bring your own water bottle, and if you’d like to also bring your own food we do have a fridge and microwave to use. We have a large space heater for cold-weather shifts, and typically our space doesn’t get too hot in the summertime.

More info

You can stop reading at this point; you already know everything you need for your first shift! You’ll get onboarded by your fellow volunteers in-person.

But if you’re curious and like reading ahead, you can learn how onboarding will go or dig into common shift tasks on this wiki.