Warning: Our tool library almost folded because we ignored this one stat | Community Tool Library

Xena Bell · 2026-05-04T07:35:04.857346+00:00

I was digging through our local tool library's records last week and found out something wild. We had over 200 members but only 15% of them borrowed anything in a six month stretch. The rest just paid their annual fee and never picked up a single tool. Found this in a spreadsheet our treasurer had been sitting on since January. That means we were basically running a charity for people who liked the idea of a tool library more than actually using one. We changed our renewal policy to require at least one borrow every 12 months and our active numbers jumped to 60% in just 4 months. Has anyone else dealt with a big chunk of 'ghost members' killing their budget?

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Warning: Our tool library almost folded because we ignored this one stat | Community Tool Library - The Community Guide