Advancement · Community & Giving

Lend the drill,
get it back.

A shared shelf of tools saves a neighborhood thousands of dollars, as long as someone knows what is out, what is late and what came back broken. Tag each tool, log each loan, and do the four checks when it comes home.

Add a toolWhat you get
$19one-time · every device you sign in on
Buy · $19

Included with Caveat Classroom and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the Development and giving kit, $39 for 19 items.

Your tools

The worked example is made up: a drill three days overdue, a worn extension ladder and a hedge trimmer waiting for repair. Saved on this device only.

Loading the tool form. If nothing appears, turn on JavaScript.

What you get

Advancement · Community & Giving$19

What you finish with
A record per tool with its tag, kind, replacement value, condition and what it needs before lending; every loan with borrower initials and the out, due and back dates; four checks after each return. Counts tools, value, loans out and overdue; flags overdue loans, tools needing repair, protective gear to lend and the ladder angle rule.
Who it is for
Volunteers running a tool library, a school or community garden shed, a makerspace, or a group of neighbors sharing equipment.
Format
Browser inventory with a saved record per tool. Prints one tool’s card, the whole inventory or a blank card; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file to pass between volunteers.
Access
$19 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the tool opens once you are signed in with it. Included with Caveat Classroom and Whole-school licenses. Also in the Development and giving kit ($39) and the Advancement Suite pass ($99), and 1 more bundle. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Community & Giving space in Caveat Advancement.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Tag every tool and enter it once.
  2. Log each loan with a due date.
  3. Check the overdue list each opening day.
  4. Do the four checks on every return.
  5. Tag anything broken out of service at once.

Add a tool

How a loan runs

One loan, four steps1Check outMember card, the tool’stag, a due date; ashow-how if it needs one2UseWith the manual and anyprotective gear lent withit3ReturnCount the parts, clean it,look at cords and blades4Back on the wallOr tagged out of serviceuntil it is repairedOne loan, four steps1Check outMember card, the tool’s tag, a duedate; a show-how if it needs one2UseWith the manual and any protectivegear lent with it3ReturnCount the parts, clean it, look atcords and blades4Back on the wallOr tagged out of service until it isrepaired
The return check is what keeps a tool library safe: the next borrower trusts that whatever is on the wall works.

Waivers and insurance

Most tool libraries ask members to sign a waiver and many carry general liability insurance through a sponsoring nonprofit, library or city. Ask a local insurer or your sponsor what applies before you open.

Ladders

For an extension ladder, set the base one foot out for every four feet of working height, extend it three feet above the edge you step onto, and keep three points of contact while climbing.

Sources

  1. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Portable Ladder Safety QuickCard (osha.gov).
  2. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Power tool and extension cord safety (cpsc.gov).
  3. Nonprofit Risk Management Center. Waivers and releases for volunteer programs (nonprofitrisk.org).
  4. Shareable. How to Start a Tool Library (shareable.net).

The worked example is made up. This page keeps a record; it is not safety training or insurance advice. Borrower contact details belong in your own membership list. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.