##VIDEO ID:Q5NF8dbBe3M## D MORNING EVERYONE. MY NAME IS ENRIQUE PEPEN DISTRICT FIVE BOSTON CITY COUNCILOR AND I'M THE CHAIR OF THE BOSTON CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON CITY SERVICES AND INNOVATION TECHNOLOGY. TODAY IS MONDAY, OCTOBER 21ST, 2024. THIS HEARING IS BEING RECORDED. IT IS ALSO BEING LIVESTREAMED BOSTON ARGON CITY. THAT IS COUNCIL DASH TV AND BROADCASTED ON INFINITI CHANNEL EIGHT RCN CHANNEL 82 AND FILES CHANNEL 964. WRITTEN COMMENTS MAY BE SENT TO THE COMMITTEE EMAIL AT C C C AS IT AT BOSTON DOT GOV AND WILL BE MADE PART OF THE RECORD AND AVAILABLE TO ALL COUNCILORS. ALL THE TESTIMONY WILL BE TAKEN AT THE END OF THIS HEARING.  INDIVIDUALS WILL BE CALLED ON IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY SIGNED AND WILL HAVE 2 MINUTES TO TESTIFY. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN TESTIFYING IN PERSON PLEASE ADD YOUR NAME TO THE SIGN UP SHEET NEAR THE ENTRANCE OF THE CHAMBER. IF YOU ARE LOOKING TO TESTIFY VIRTUALLY PLEASE EMAIL OR SEND YOUR STUFF LIAISON QUORA QUORA DOT M OWEN TR OMD BOSTON GOV FOR THE LINK AND YOUR NAME WILL BE ADDED TO THE LIST. TODAY'S HEARING IS ON DOCKET NUMBER 1210. ORDER FOR A HEARING TO SUPPORT THE CREATION OF LINDEN LIBRARIES TO BENEFIT RESIDENTS AND REDUCE WASTEFUL PURCHASES. THIS MATTER WAS SPONSORED BY ME COUNCILOR ENRIQUE PEPEN AND WAS REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON AUGUST SEVEN, 2024. TODAY.  I AM JOINED BY MY COLLEAGUES IN ORDER OF ARRIVAL COUNSELOR AT FLYNN.  THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE COUNSELOR AND WE WILL HAVE TWO DIFFERENT PANELS. WE HAVE OUR FIRST PANEL HERE THAT CONSIST OF TESSA WILEY AND DEB AND THEN WE HAVE A SECOND PANEL FROM THE ADMINISTRATION WITH NATE AND MELISSA. BUT I WILL KICK IT OFF REALLY, REALLY QUICKLY.  THIS THIS HEARING IS A VERY IMPORTANT HEARING FOR US BECAUSE IT'S ONE THAT IS WAS BUILT ON CREATIVITY AND ON THINKING ABOUT HOW WE CAN BETTER SERVE OUR COMMUNITIES. I ALSO WANT START OFF BY GIVING A QUICK SHOUT OUT TO ONE OF MY STAFF MEMBERS, EDDIE CONNELLY WHO WAS THE ONE THAT REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT THIS IDEA AND LEARNED ABOUT IT FROM OTHER MUNICIPALITIES. SO I JUST WANT TO GIVE KUDOS TO EDDIE THERE.  THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY WANT TO START TRYING BECAUSE MANY TIMES RESIDENTS IN THE CITY OF BOSTON PURCHASE AN ITEM AND THEY ONLY USE AN ITEM ONCE.  IT COULD BE A SEWING MACHINE. IT COULD BE A LEAF BLOWER.  IT COULD BE A RAKE. IT COULD BE YOU NAME IT WHATEVER IT IS.  AND THEY SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ON IT AND THEN IT JUST SITS IN THEIR HOME. SO WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE AN AMAZING IDEA TO FOLLOW WHAT OTHER MUNICIPALITIES HAVE DONE TO CREATE A SPACE WHERE RESIDENTS CAN COME TOGETHER AND RECYCLE THESE ITEMS, BE ABLE TO SHARE IT WITH OTHER PEOPLE AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE'S HAS ACCESS TO THEM WHICH IS WHY WE INVITED BOTH OF YOU WHO I KNOW HAVE BEEN DOING AMAZING WORK NOT JUST IN THE DISTRICT BUT IN YOUR RESPECTIVE COMMUNITIES AND ACROSS THE CITY AS WELL. AND I'M VERY INTERESTED TO HEAR WHAT IDEAS YOU HAVE TO SHARE WITH US. WHAT CAN WE DO TO WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR LIBRARIES OR OTHER DEPARTMENTS IN THE CITY OF BOSTON TO MAKE SURE WE COULD MAKE THIS POSSIBLE? WELL, YES, I'M EXCITED TO HEAR FROM YOU ALL AND AT THIS TIME I WANT TO GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MY COLLEAGUE COUNCILOR AT FLYNN TO ALSO PROVIDE OPENING REMARKS AND THEN WE'LL HEAR FROM THE PANELISTS.  THANK YOU, MR CHAIR, AND THANK YOU TO THE PANELISTS FOR BEING HERE. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING YOUR TESTIMONY. THE CHAIR SPELLED OUT THE REASON FOR THE HEARING AND I'M INTERESTED IN THAT SUBJECT. I THINK IT CAN HELP AND BENEFIT A LOT OF PEOPLE ESPECIALLY PEOPLE IN NEED AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WILLING TO DO AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE IS WORK WITH EACH OTHER, WORK WITH THE PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM, WORK WITH RESIDENTS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS TO ENSURE THAT EVERY MEMBER OF OUR COMMUNITY HAS ACCESS TO VARIOUS SERVICES OR SUPPORT.  SO I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO COUNCILOR PEPEN AND HIS STAFF FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. AND I ALSO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE INCREDIBLE ROLE OUR PUBLIC LIBRARIES PLAY THROUGHOUT BOSTON. MY WIFE AND I WERE AT THE SOUTH BOSTON LIBRARY ON SATURDAY AND WE LOVE GOING THERE AND WALKING AROUND SAYING HELLO TO PEOPLE. IT'S A GREAT WAY TO MEET PEOPLE . BUT THE LIBRARY SYSTEM HERE IN BOSTON BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER JUST LIKE YOU DO AND NEIGHBORS ACROSS THE CITY.  SO WE WANTED TO BE HERE HONORED TO BE HERE WITH THE ADMINISTRATION TEAM AS WELL. THANK YOU, MR CHAIRMAN. THANK YOU, COUNSELOR. ALL RIGHT. AT THIS TIME I WANT TO KICK IT OFF TO OUR FIRST PANEL. AGAIN, THAT IS TESSA WYLIE AND DEB, THE FLOOR IS YOURS. YOUR INTROS ARE PRESENTATIONS AND WE'LL GO FROM THERE. YEAH.  OKAY. GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY. THANK YOU FOR THE INVITATION TO BE HERE THIS MORNING. MY NAME IS DEB BEATTY. MEL AND I AM A ROSLINDALE RESIDENT AND I ALSO REPRESENT BOSTON BUILDING RESOURCES WHICH IS A NONPROFIT HOME IMPROVEMENT STORE. LOCATED IN ROXBURY CROSSING IN THE EARLY DAYS OF OUR ORGANIZATION WHICH WAS THE LATE SEVENTIES AND EARLY EIGHTIES, A BIG PART OF OUR BUSINESS WAS SELLING INSULATION AND RENTING AN INSULATION BLOWING MACHINE TO CUSTOMERS SO THEY COULD DO THE WORK THEMSELVES OF INSULATING THEIR ATTICS AND THEIR WALLS. AND THIS WAS IN THE DAYS BEFORE MASS EVEN EXISTED. SO BBR TAUGHT HOMEOWNERS HOW TO DIY WHILE RENTING THEM THE EQUIPMENT AND PROVIDING THE CELLULOSE INSULATION AND OTHER MATERIALS AT AFFORDABLE PRICES . OVER THE YEARS WE HAVE RENTED OUT A FEW TOOLS FOR SPECIFIC HOME REPAIR PROJECTS ESPECIALLY WINDOW REPAIR. OVER THE YEARS THE SUGGESTION THAT BBR MIGHT START A TOOL LIBRARY HAS COME UP FROM TIME TO TIME AND WE DID NOT PURSUE IT SERIOUSLY BECAUSE WE DO NOT HAVE THE SPACE IN OUR FACILITY TO STORE THE TOOLS OR THE PERSONNEL TO MAKE SURE THE TOOLS ARE RETURNED AND MAINTAINED IN GOOD WORKING ORDER. ALTHOUGH BBR DOES NOT HAVE THE CAPACITY THE GOAL OF PROVIDING SUCH A RESOURCE IS WELL ALIGNED WITH OUR WORK OF TEACHING PEOPLE TO CARE FOR THEIR HOMES AND PROVIDING AFFORDABLE RESOURCES FOR THEM TO DO SO. WHILE BOSTON BUILDING RESOURCES NOW ONLY RENTS A HANDFUL OF SPECIALIZED TOOLS, WE CONTINUE TO TEACH CLASSES ON BASIC TOOL USE AND THESE CLASSES HAVE PROVEN TO BE EXTREMELY POPULAR ALONG WITH GIVING PEOPLE ACCESS TO THE TOOL ITSELF.  IT'S VERY HELPFUL AND EMPOWERING TO HAVE SOMEONE SHOW YOU HOW TO USE IT MOST EFFECTIVELY ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE LITTLE EXPERIENCE. MANY PEOPLE DON'T HAVE A HANDY FRIEND OR RELATIVE TO SHOW THEM THE BASICS.  CURRENTLY OUR MOST POPULAR WORKSHOP IS INTRO TO TOOLS FOR WOMEN WHICH IS A HANDS ON INTRODUCTION TO COMMON POWER TOOLS FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE HISTORICALLY BEEN MARGINALIZED . WHEN IT COMES TO THIS TYPE OF LEARNING JUST TO BRING A FEW OF THE VOICES OF OUR WORKSHOP ATTENDEES TO THE HEARING TODAY I WENT THROUGH THE COMMENTS FROM SOME RECENT WORKSHOP EVALUATIONS AND PULLED OUT A FEW THAT SPEAK TO THE VALUE OF HANDS ON INSTRUCTION.  ONE PERSON WROTE THIS CLASS WITH HANDS ON PRACTICE GAVE ME CONFIDENCE TO DO THINGS THAT I MIGHT BE HESITANT I MIGHT BE HESITANT TO TRY ON MY OWN.  ANOTHER TOLD US I APPRECIATE THE HANDS ON NATURE OF THE WORKSHOP AND THE ABILITY TO ASK QUESTIONS LIVE.  AND A THIRD WROTE I ENJOYED GETTING TO TRY ALL THE TOOLS AND FINDING OUT THAT THERE ARE PLENTY OF OTHER WOMEN IN THE SAME BOAT.  LEARNING HANDS ON SKILLS IS EMPOWERING ESPECIALLY FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN TRADITIONALLY EXCLUDED FROM THE SPHERE OF LEARNING. IT CAN ALSO DEMYSTIFY HOME REPAIR PROJECTS AND HELP HOMEOWNERS TO MORE CONFIDENTLY MANAGE CONTRACTORS IF THEY DECIDE TO HIRE SOMEONE TO DO THE WORK.  GIVING THE TOOLS, GIVING PEOPLE THE TOOLS AND THE SKILLS TO REPAIR THINGS WILL ALSO BENEFIT THE ENVIRONMENT BY REDUCING NEEDLESS WASTE. IF AN ITEM CAN BE REPAIRED INSTEAD OF SENT TO A LANDFILL, THE EMBODIED CARBON THAT WENT INTO MANUFACTURING THAT ITEM WILL BE PRESERVED.  BOSTON BUILDING RESOURCES HOSTED A NATIONAL REUSE DAY THIS PAST SATURDAY AND THAT INCLUDED A FIX IT CLINIC.  THIS IS ONE WAY THAT WE ARE TRYING TO BREAK THE CYCLE OF OUR THROWAWAY CULTURE AND TO PROMOTE THE IMPORTANCE OF REPAIR AND REUSE.  THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TODAY TO CONSIDER HOW A TOOL LIBRARY CAN BENEFIT BOSTON RESIDENTS. THANK YOU. WILEY HI MY NAME IS WILEY COX. I ALSO LIVE IN ROSLINDALE.  I BECAME INVOLVED WITH THE ROSLINDALE KITCHEN AND TOOL LIBRARY WHICH IS A FACEBOOK GROUP THAT IS FOR LENDING AND BORROWING TOOLS FOR PEOPLE.  SHORTLY AFTER I MOVED TO ROSLINDALE ABOUT EIGHT YEARS AGO I TOOK THE GROUP OVER. I WAS OFFERED TO TAKE THE GROUP OVER BY SOMEONE WHO WAS LEAVING ROSLINDALE.  I BECAME INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY IN GENERAL WITH HELPING PEOPLE FIX THINGS. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH WHEN I WAS YOUNGER TO HAVE A GRANDPARENT WHO WAS AN ENGINEER MECHANICAL ENGINEER WHO TAUGHT ME HOW TO FIX A LOT OF THINGS AND HE TAUGHT ME THE VALUE OF REUSING REUSING THINGS AND FIXING THINGS. SMALL ENGINES, TRACTORS, TOOLS, SEWING MACHINES, ALL KINDS OF THINGS AND I LIKE TEACHING PEOPLE THINGS LIKE THAT ALSO.  SO I BECAME INVOLVED WITH KIND OF SOME SPONTANEOUS CLASSES FOR FOLKS AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO LEARN HOW TO FIX THEIR FIX THEIR APPLIANCES, FIX THEIR SNOWBLOWERS, FIX THEIR LAWN MOWERS THINGS LIKE THAT. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I ALWAYS HEARD WHEN I WAS TEACHING THIS CLASSES WAS I DON'T HAVE THE TOOLS TO DO THIS. I DON'T KNOW HOW TO I WANT TO LEARN HOW TO DO IT. BUT EVEN SO I DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE THE TOOLS TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS. AND SO WHEN I FOUND THE LENDING LIBRARY I HAVE A LOT OF TOOLS I LIKE TO BUY TOOLS.  WE'VE DONE HOUSE RENOVATION PROJECTS. I HAVE CAR REPAIR TOOLS. I HAVE APPLIANCE REPAIR TOOLS. I HAVE A LOT OF MY BASEMENTS VERY FULL OF A LOT OF THINGS AND MUCH LIKE THE COUNSELORS SAID, A LOT OF THESE THINGS WERE WOULD BE SINGLE USE FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE. YOU BUY THEM, YOU HAVE A PROJECT IN MIND, YOU USE IT. YOU KNOW I BOUGHT A NAIL GUN FOR A PROJECT THAT WE DID TO REBUILD MY KIDS ROOM AND IT WAS ALMOST A ONE USE TOOL AND AFTER THAT ALL THE PEOPLE WERE LOOKING FOR NAIL GUNS AND SO I LET THEM I LENT OUT THE NAIL GUN.  IT SEEMED LIKE A REASONABLE THING TO DO. EVERYBODY HAS BEEN VERY, VERY GOOD AND VERY CAREFUL ABOUT THE TOOLS THAT THEY GET FROM PEOPLE. THEY'RE VERY, VERY CONSCIENTIOUS ABOUT HOW THEY USE THEM. I ALWAYS MAKE SURE TO ASK PEOPLE IF THEY KNOW HOW TO USE THE TOOLS AND IF THEY DON'T I WILL SHOW THEM HOW TO USE THE TOOLS AHEAD OF TIME. A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE KNOW HOW TO USE THEM BUT THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THEM. THEY'RE TOO EXPENSIVE OR THEY'RE TOO HARD TO RENT.  AND SO YOU KNOW WE WE I I'D LIKE BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT SERVICE AS WELL IN TERMS OF THE TYPES OF TOOLS THAT WE'VE SEEN THAT ARE POPULAR TO RENT IN THE LENDING LIBRARY. THE NAIL GUN IS VERY POPULAR ANGLE GRINDERS THINGS FOR THINGS FOR CUTTING STONE. PEOPLE WANT TO BE ABLE TO CUT STONES TO PUT GARDENS IN THEIR BACKYARD NAIL GUNS, AIR COMPRESSORS. YOU TEND TO SEE THE SAME TOOLS OVER AND OVER THAT ARE THAT PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR THINGS THEY WANT TO DO HOME PROJECTS. PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR HIGHER POWER DRILLS OR BOLT DRIVERS, THINGS LIKE THAT.  IMPACT DRIVERS ARE VERY POPULAR. PEOPLE ARE VERY CONSCIENTIOUS ABOUT USING THEM AND FOR THINGS THAT ARE CONSUMABLES LIKE FOR THE NAIL GUNS EXAMPLE OR THINGS THAT REQUIRE GRINDING WHEELS. PEOPLE GO OUT OF THEIR WAY TO GO AND BUY MORE OF THE CONSUMABLES AND I HAVE MORE GRINDING WHEELS FOR MY GRINDER NOW THAT I KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH YOU KNOW I USED TO HAVE FOUR OR FIVE AND NOW I'VE GOT A BOX OF PROBABLY 20 OR 30 OF THEM.  SO FOR YOU KNOW, FOR THINGS THAT ARE REUSABLE PEOPLE ARE USUALLY WILLING TO CONTRIBUTE AND PITCH IN. I'M NOT USUALLY ASKING YOU TO DO THAT BUT THEY'RE WILLING TO CONTRIBUTE AND HELP KEEP THE TOOL FUNCTIONAL FOR OTHER PEOPLE AS WELL.  I FEEL THAT THE CITY COULD DEFINITELY MAKE THIS MAKE THIS IDEA WORK ON A BROADER LEVEL.  THE THE CHALLENGES THAT I'VE SEEN WITH THE FACEBOOK GROUP ARE HOW DO PEOPLE KNOW WHAT'S OUT THERE? YOU KNOW, WE DON'T KEEP A PUBLISHED LIST OF WHAT'S ON THE WHAT PEOPLE HAVE IN THEIR BASEMENTS.  YOU KNOW, WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO TO SEARCH FOR WHAT PEOPLE THAT PREVIOUSLY LIVED AND WHAT PEOPLE HAVE PREVIOUSLY BORROWED . BUT THERE'S NO ESSENTIAL CENTRALIZED LIST AND SO IT'S PEOPLE HAVING TO REACT EACH TIME HE HAS ANYBODY HAVE A NAIL GUN OR A POWER DRIVE OR SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN BORROW. SO I THINK A WAY OF HAVING A LIST OF WHAT'S AVAILABLE THAT PEOPLE CAN SEE THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO SEE WHAT'S AVAILABLE WOULD BE EXTREMELY USEFUL. WE DON'T HAVE ANY ESTABLISHED OUT, YOU KNOW, RETURN TIME. SO IT'S REALLY A NEGOTIATION BETWEEN WHO OWNS THE TOOL AND WHO WANTS TO BORROW THE TOOL. SOME PEOPLE WANT TO BORROW IT FOR YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF DAYS SOME PEOPLE ARE LOOKING TO BORROW FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS AND DEPENDING ON WHO HAS THE TOOL IT'S REALLY UP TO THE PERSON WHO HAS THAT ITEM TO DETERMINE IF THAT'S ACCEPTABLE TO THEM.  SO I THINK SETTING BORROWING LIMITS MIGHT BE MIGHT BE USEFUL JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THE TOOL DOESN'T END UP SITTING IN SOMEONE'S BASEMENT. YOU KNOW, FOR A MONTH WHILE THEY'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THEIR PROJECT WITH US. YEAH, I THINK I'LL STICK WITH THAT. YEAH, I THINK YOU LATER AND WE ALSO HAVE TESSA WHO IS JOINING US FROM CHICAGO I BELIEVE SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US VIRTUALLY. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.  CAN YOU HEAR ME ? YES. OKAY. WONDERFUL.  YEAH. MY NAME IS TESSA BJORK. I AM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND THE CO-FOUNDER OF THE CHICAGO TOOL LIBRARY.  WE ARE AN INDEPENDENT 523 NONPROFIT. I WOULD LOVE IT IF WE WERE PARTNERING WITH THE CITY OF CHICAGO. SO I'M REALLY, REALLY EXCITED TO BE HERE TO DISCUSS HOW LOCAL GOVERNMENT CAN SUPPORT THIS SUPER IMPORTANT WORK THAT WE DO. IT WAS REALLY ACTUALLY WONDERFUL TO HEAR DEB AND WYLIE BOTH OF YOUR PERSPECTIVES ON THE WAY YOU'VE THOUGHT ABOUT AND YOU'VE EXPERIENCED TOTAL LENDING IN THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE THEY ARE EXACTLY LIKE MY IDEAS AND EXPERIENCES HERE IN CHICAGO.  OUR NONPROFIT STARTED FIVE YEARS AGO. WE STARTED IN 2019 AND WE ARE NOW ONE OF THE LARGEST TOOL LIBRARIES IN THE WORLD ACTUALLY BOTH IN ENGAGEMENT AND SQUARE FOOTAGE AND THE AMOUNT OF TOOLS THAT WE HAVE. WE LIKE TO SAY THAT TOOL LIBRARIES REALLY HAVE SEVERAL BENEFITS THEY'RE BETTER FOR PEOPLE PLANET AND THE COMMUNITY. THEY'RE BETTER FOR PEOPLE. THEY SAVE PEOPLE MONEY.  WE'VE SAVED CHICAGO RESIDENTS OVER $2 MILLION IN TOOL PURCHASES AND RENTALS IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS. WE'RE BETTER FOR THE COMMUNITY. THIS IS A SPECIAL, EXCITING, RARE THIRD SPACE FOR ADULTS TO CONTINUE LIFELONG LEARNING TO MEET THEIR NEIGHBORS TO ASK QUESTIONS, TO BE CREATIVE. JUST LIKE PUBLIC LIBRARIES TOOL LIBRARIES OR TOOL SHEDS CAN PROVIDE A REALLY CRUCIAL ROLE SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN YOUR IN YOUR COMMUNITY. AND OF COURSE THE SUSTAINABILITY BENEFITS ARE THERE YOU YOU KNOW, KEEPING STUFF OUT OF LANDFILLS BUT ALSO KIND OF TEACHING PEOPLE HOW TO RETHINK THEIR HABITS. YOU KNOW, INSTEAD OF JUST GOING TO BUY SOMETHING OR THROW SOMETHING AWAY, CAN WE FIX IT? COULD I BORROW SOMETHING? AND SO I THINK THAT'S THE EXCITING PART OF TOOL LIBRARIES IS THEY SORT OF RETRAIN PEOPLE INVITE THEM TO SORT OF CONSIDER ALTERNATIVES.  AND ANOTHER REALLY IMPORTANT ELEMENT THAT I THINK IS BECOMING MORE URGENT IS DISASTER RESPONSE. THE CHICAGO TOOL LIBRARY RESPONDED TO SEVERE DISASTER LEVEL FLOODING ON THE WEST SIDE OF CHICAGO WHICH IS WHERE WE ARE LOCATED LAST SUMMER BECAUSE A LOT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ARE ALSO OFTEN NOT PREPARED TO RESPOND IMMEDIATELY IF TREES ARE DOWN, IF BASEMENTS ARE FLOODED AND I THINK THAT A CRUCIAL BENEFIT OF TOOL LIBRARIES IN THE FUTURE IS TO BE RESILIENCE HUBS FOR FOR RESIDENTS IN GOOD TIMES WHEN WE'RE THERE TO KIND OF BUILD RESILIENT COMMUNITIES WHO CAN BUILD COMMUNITY GARDENS AND MAINTAIN THEIR HOMES AND WHERE NEW SKILLS BUT ALSO IN TOUGH TIMES THAT THEY CAN BE THESE COMMUNITY SPACES THAT HAVE CHAINSAWS AND GENERATORS AND SUMP PUMPS AND SHOVELS AND ALL THE THINGS WE NEED TO KIND OF MEET THE MOMENT.  ANOTHER WONDERFUL BENEFIT OF TOOL LIBRARIES IS THEY CAN HELP ENFORCE WHATEVER OTHER LOCAL IMPERATIVES YOU HAVE. DO YOU WANT YOUR RESIDENTS TO BE WINTERIZING AND IMPROVING THE EFFICIENCY OF THEIR HOMES? WHY DON'T YOU RENT THEM THERMAL CAMERAS? DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO BE TESTING THEIR WATER AND THEIR SOIL? HOW DO YOU DISTRIBUTE AND DISSEMINATE THOSE THOSE THE EQUIPMENT NEEDED FOR THAT TOOL? LIBRARIES ARE GREAT.  THEY'RE JUST REALLY CRUCIAL AND SENSIBLE AND PRETTY AFFORDABLE PROJECTS TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE AND I REALLY THINK THAT THEY'RE KIND OF A PUBLIC AMENITY OF THE FUTURE. SO I'M EXCITED TO BE HERE TO DISCUSS AND SEE HOW YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO ADVOCATE FOR AND CREATE THE SERVICE IN BOSTON.  THANK YOU SO MUCH TESS. I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THREE OF YOUR OPENING TESTIMONIES. I AGAIN IT'S REALLY AND THANKFUL FOR THE WORK THAT YOU ARE ALREADY DOING AND TO SEE THAT CHICAGO ALREADY HAS SOME SORT OF AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE MAY WANT TO DO HERE IN BOSTON AND TO KNOW THAT YOU HAVE SOME LOCAL HEROES HERE AS WELL.  SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. I'M GOING TO JUMP RIGHT INTO QUESTIONS AND AS I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT COUNCILOR ERIN MURPHY HAS JOINED US SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US,  COUNCILOR . I APPRECIATE THAT. I AM GOING TO KICK IT OFF TO COUNCILOR FLYNN TO OPEN IT UP WITH TO START OFF WITH QUESTIONS.  THANK YOU, MR CHAIR. AND AGAIN THANK YOU TO THE PANEL FOR PROVIDING EXCEPTIONAL LEADERSHIP ON THIS ISSUE.  I WOULD START WITH TELL ME B IF THIS PROGRAM WAS IMPLEMENTED IN BOSTON BY AND BY THE CITY.  WHAT STEPS WOULD THE CITY OF BOSTON NEED TO TAKE PLACE? WOULD THEY NEED TO MAKE TO ENSURE THAT IS IT'S A SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM? HOW WOULD THEY COMMUNICATE WITH RESIDENTS? WHERE WOULD THEY ESTABLISH A POINT OF CONTACT TO USE TOOLS? WOULD IT BE AT THE LIBRARY? WOULD IT BE AT A COMMUNITY CENTER OR WOULD IT BE AT ANOTHER FACILITY? JUST GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON ON ON WHAT YOU ENVISION.  YOU SPEAK A LITTLE BIT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT AHEAD OF TIME HERE. LIBRARIES SEEM LIKE A NATURAL AND NATURAL PLACE TO DO THIS TYPE OF THING AND I KNOW THAT SOME OTHER CITIES HAVE IMPLEMENTED TOOL LIBRARIES AT ACTUAL LIBRARIES.  THEY HAVE SOME OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE AVAILABLE FOR CHECK IN, CHECK OUT RESERVATION ETC. THAT COULD BE USEFUL IF NOT AT THE LIBRARY TO ADAPT A SIMILAR A SIMILAR TECHNOLOGY FOR THE TOOL ASPECT AS WELL.  I THINK A SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE IS VALUABLE TO HAVE.  I THINK A LIST OF WHAT'S AVAILABLE WOULD BE NECESSARY TO HAVE AND A WAY OF ENSURING THAT THE TOOLS THAT YOU HAVE ARE AVAILABLE ACROSS THE CITY AND NOT JUST IN A PARTICULAR AREA AND THAT THEY'RE AVAILABLE TO ALL OF THE RESIDENTS WHETHER OR NOT THOSE RESIDENTS POTENTIALLY WOULD HAVE TROUBLE GETTING TO THE TOOLS DEPENDING ON WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING TO BORROW, IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO BORROW SOMETHING LARGE, A LAWNMOWER OR A SNOWBLOWER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, IT'S THAT'S CHALLENGING TO FIT IN A VEHICLE SO IT WOULD BE POTENTIALLY USEFUL TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF SYSTEM THAT COULD GET THOSE TOOLS TO A LOCAL AREA FOR THE RESIDENT TO PICK THEM UP OR TO BE ABLE TO USE THEM NOT NECESSARILY TO MAKE THE RESIDENT TRAVEL ACROSS THE CITY TO GET TO THOSE TOOLS.  I GUESS I TEND TO THINK ABOUT THE MARKETING AND THE PUBLICITY ASPECT OF THINGS GETTING THE WORD OUT ABOUT THE AVAILABILITY OF OF THE TOOLS AND JUST KIND OF USING THE POWER OF THE CITY'S COMMUNICATION VEHICLES, THE LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD NEWSLETTERS, THE SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS, THE QUESTION OF COFFEE HOURS, THE MAYOR'S COFFEE HOURS LIKE HAVING A TABLE THERE TO KIND OF BRING THAT AWARENESS INTO THE NEIGHBORHOODS.  WOULD THE PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM BE SUPPORTIVE OF THIS TYPE OF INITIATIVE WITH IN WOULD THEY HAVE THE STRUCTURE TO DO IT? WOULD THEY HAVE THE ROOM IN THE BACK BEHIND WITH A LIBRARIAN SET TO ESTABLISH A A ROOM DEDICATED TO STORING TOOLS AND WOULD LIBRARIANS THEN ALSO HAVE TO HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT TOOLS ARE WHAT WHAT IS WHAT A STAPLE GUN IS, WHAT A LAWNMOWER IS BUT WOULD THEY BE CAPABLE OF AND I KNOW THEY ARE CAPABLE OF DOING IT BUT WOULD THEY WOULD THEY THEN HAVE TO BE TRAINED IN LEARNING HOW TO OPERATE ANY OF THIS TYPE OF MACHINERY? I CAN I CAN SPEAK TO A FEW A FEW OF THESE QUESTIONS.  YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR A TOOL LIBRARY TO HAVE A SEPARATE SPACE. THE SPACE NEEDS ARE DIFFERENT THAN LIBRARIES THINKING ABOUT LOADING ACCESS YOU NEED TO HAVE FIRST FLOOR LOADING ACCESS FOR THINGS LIKE LIKE A LAWNMOWER. YOU DON'T REALLY WANT TO BE CARTING THAT AROUND MULTIPLE STAIRS, YOU KNOW THINGS LIKE THAT AND ELEVATORS I THINK THAT OUR PUBLIC LIBRARIES CAN HELP FACILITATE PROGRAMS LIKE LIBRARIES BUT I WOULD ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO BE CREATIVE AND TO KIND OF NOT OVERBURDEN OUR LIBRARIES. THEY ALREADY ARE KIND OF PRESSED TO DO SO MUCH PUBLIC SERVICE AS I'M SURE IS THE CASE IN CHICAGO. I'M SURE IT'S A CASE IN BOSTON THAT OUR LIBRARIANS ARE HELPING PEOPLE FIND JOBS AND DEAL WITH HOUSING AND ALL SORTS OF THINGS . SO I WOULD REALLY STRONGLY ENCOURAGE EVEN IF TOOL LIBRARIES ARE A PROGRAM OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM THAT YOU REALLY CONSIDER GIVING THEM THEIR OWN ATTENTION AND NOT OVERLOADING OUR PUBLIC LIBRARIES.  AND ANOTHER PIECE YOU REALLY NEED TO THINK ABOUT LIKE HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP BEFORE IS SOFTWARE THAT IS KIND OF HOW YOU'RE GOING TO TRACK ALL OF THE TOOLS. IT'S HOW YOU WILL MANAGE WHO'S BORROWING THEM AND HAVE AUTOMATED REMINDERS TO PEOPLE AND THERE ARE QUITE A FEW INDUSTRY SILVER INDUSTRY STANDARDS OUT THERE THE CHICAGO WHICH I REBUILT OUR OWN SOFTWARE THAT IS OPEN SOURCE THAT ANYBODY CAN USE AND KIND OF ADAPT BUT THERE'S ALSO OTHER SOFTWARES OUT THERE SO IT'S ACTUALLY NOT A SUPER COMPLICATED SYSTEM TO GET STARTED. IT'S REALLY YOU JUST NEED SOME SORT OF SPACE. I'M SURE THE CITY HAS SOME ALTHOUGH YOU ARE KNOW EAST COAST CITY MAYBE LESS THAN OTHER CITIES YOU HAVE LESS STOCK BUT THINKING ABOUT FIRST FLOOR ACCESSIBILITY LOADING,  ACCESSIBILITY, PARKING AND THEN OF COURSE SOFTWARE ARE REALLY BIG PIECES OF THE PUZZLE AND THANK YOU.  AND MY FINAL QUESTION WOULD BE WOULD ABOUT POSSIBLY CONSIDERING A PILOT PROGRAM WHERE YOU WILL YOU WORK WITH A NONPROFIT IN A PARTICULAR NEIGHBORHOOD AND MAYBE NOT NECESSARILY A LIBRARY BUT MAYBE A NONPROFIT WELL-RESPECTED IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT HAS THE ABILITY TO HAVE EXTRA SPACE IN THEIR BUILDING THAT'S ACCESSIBLE?  IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S A POSSIBILITY AND THEN SEEING HOW THAT TYPE OF PILOT COULD BE CHANGED IMPLEMENTED TO ENSURE THAT MORE PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS TO THESE TOOLS THROUGHOUT THE CITY BUT MAYBE PARTNERING WITH A HANDFUL OF NONPROFIT FITS AS A PILOT PROGRAM AND IN CERTAIN AREAS TO JUST THINKING OUT LOUD . YEAH, I THINK MY MY MIND GOES TO THE THERE USED TO BE THESE PAINT DROP OFF DAYS AND THERE WERE FOUR LOCATIONS AROUND THE CITY KIND OF ONE IN EAST BOSTON, ONE A BROWN ONE AND YOU KNOW KIND OF SPREADING A LITTLE BIT AROUND THE CITY SO YOU'RE NOT SUPER FAR AWAY FROM ANYBODY LIKE THEY MIGHT NOT BE RIGHT IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD BUT IT MIGHT BE CLOSE ENOUGH THAT YOU CAN GET YOU CAN GET THERE. SO YEAH, I PILOTING IS ALWAYS A GREAT IDEA YOU KNOW, TEST IT AND WORK THE KINKS OUT BEFORE ARE KIND OF GOING GOING INTO THE FULL IMPLEMENTATION BUT YOU KNOW PERHAPS MORE LIMITED THE SPRINKLING AROUND THE CITY TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S CLOSE ENOUGH BUT NOT EVERY BRANCH NEEDS TO HAVE A TOOL LIBRARY.  AND YOU HAD MENTIONED LIKE THE THE INSTRUCTION AND WOULD A LIBRARIAN HAVE TO SHOW YOU HOW TO USE THE THE IMPACT DRIVER OR SOMETHING LIKE ME YOU KNOW, MAYBE MAYBE NOT BUT MAYBE THERE'S VIDEOS THAT CAN BE PRODUCED THAT SHOW HOW TO USE IT AND SOME LITERATURE AND SOME BASIC SAFETY INSTRUCTION THAT PEOPLE COULD ACCESS TO BE ABLE TO USE THE TOOLS THAT THEY'RE BORROWING.  THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR CHAIR. THANK YOU, COUNSELOR. AND ALSO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE FOLKS FROM THE LIBRARY AFTER THIS AFTER THIS PANEL. SO MAYBE THOSE ARE SOME GOOD QUESTIONS FOR THEM AS WELL. OKAY, COUNSELOR MURPHY, THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.  IT REMINDED ME A BIT OF YOU KNOW, BEFORE I CLOSED THE BOSTON YOUTH CENTER FOR ADULT EDUCATION PEOPLE WOULD TAKE CLASSES, LEARN NEW SKILLS.  MAYBE IT WAS A HOBBY OR MAYBE IT WAS A FUTURE PROJECT WHERE I WHAT I'M HEARING IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S COMMUNITY BASED. IT'S INDIVIDUALS LENDING OUT THEIR OWN TOOLS AND YOU TALKED ABOUT LIKE THE FACEBOOK PAGE IS HAS A LOT OF BENEFITS BUT THERE IS SOME DRAWBACK. SO JUST SOME THOUGHTS YOU KNOW THE SOCIAL MEDIA ANY TIME I ASK MY KIDS HOW TO DO SOMETHING THEY REMIND ME I SHOULD JUST GOOGLE IT. I SHOULD JUST GO TO YOUTUBE. A VIDEO WILL SHOW ME THAT EVEN TIK TOK I GUESS NOW GIVES VERY, YOU KNOW, VIDEOS AT A VERY EASY TO FOLLOW. SO I'M FEELING MOST PEOPLE CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO USE THEM IN WAYS BUT IF IT SHIFTED FROM NEIGHBORS BEING VERY NEIGHBORLY AND STRONG COMMUNITY BUILDING TO A CITY RUN PROGRAM, WOULD THESE TOOLS NO LONGER BE OWNED BY INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE LENDING THEM RIGHT? I MEAN THE LAST TIME I CLEANED OUT MY TOOL CHEST YOU KNOW YOU HAVE 17 SCREWDRIVERS. YOU ONLY NEED ONE MAYBE ONE BACKUP. SO IT'S LIKE DO YOU JUST GIVE THE FEELING? SO I DO FEEL LIKE IF WE HAD A PLACE IN I'M THINKING MORE LIKE AN ESTEEM BUILDING NOT A LIBRARY. RIGHT. THAT THERE ARE OTHER DEPARTMENTS IN THE CITY THAT MAYBE WOULD BE A BETTER PLACE FOR STORAGE OR PUBLIC WORKS STORAGE PLACE THAT WE PROBABLY WOULD GET ENOUGH RESIDENTS WHO WOULD WANT TO DONATE. RIGHT. BUT THEN YOU NO LONGER WOULD OWN THEM BUT IF IT'S A DONATION TO YOU KNOW WHEN THEN THERE IS A LIST SO PEOPLE CAN SEE AND IF IT'S CENTRALLY STORED. BUT WHEN WE DO LIKE YOU CAN CALL A LIBRARY AND ASK A BOOK TO BE DELIVERED SO MAYBE IT'S YOU KNOW THAT THERE IS A CERTAIN TOOL AND MAYBE YOU HAVE TO WAIT A DAY OR TWO BUT IT COULD BE DELIVERED TO YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY CENTER AND MAYBE IT'S DELIVERED TO THE LIBRARY BUT IT'S NOT REALLY MANAGED THROUGH THE LIBRARY. JUST A THOUGHT. I ALSO HAVE AND MAYBE IT'S NOT A BAD THING BUT JUST DEVIL'S ADVOCATE HERE WOULD IT MATTER IF PEOPLE WERE USING THESE TOOLS AND THEY WERE MAKING A PROFIT OFTEN BE IT LIKE THEY WERE WORKING? AND IT'S NOT JUST A HOME REPAIR LIKE MAYBE YOU'RE GETTING PAID AND YOU YOU KNOW, LEAFLETING THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND YOU'RE GOING TO DO LEAF IN OR YOU'RE GOING TO SNOWBLOWER BUT NOW YOU'RE BORROWING THE SNOW BLOWER FROM THE CITY THAT MAYBE YOU KNOW SOMEONE WAS GOING TO BORROW TO PLOW OUT. THEIR MOM AND HER NEIGHBORS ARE JUST SOME THOUGHTS WHICH I KNOW YOU'VE PROBABLY THOUGHT THROUGH JUST THE SHIFT FROM WHAT'S A WONDERFUL THING I KNOW THAT YOU'RE DOING NOW AND IF IT WAS UNDER THE GOVERNMENT RIGHT AND ALL THAT COMES WITH IT LIKE WHAT WOULD THOSE BE NEGATIVES DO YOU THINK?  YEAH, I HADN'T REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT THE IDEA OF MAKING A PROFIT BUT YOU KNOW PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE ARE CRAFTY AND YOU KNOW, THINK OF WAYS TO DO THINGS AND WAYS TO GET GET AHEAD I GUESS. YEAH, I'D HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE MORE JUST BECAUSE I WOULD FEEL LIKE MAYBE THEY'RE FIRST IN LINE OR THEY KNOW OH WE DON'T HAVE TO BUY ANOTHER LAWNMOWER OR MAYBE WE CAN JUST BRING LEND IT OUT RIGHT? MAYBE THERE COULD BE A LIMIT OF HOW LONG YOU COULD USE IT FOR OR HOW MANY TIMES YOU COULD BORROW IT, RIGHT? YEAH AND A YEAR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO PREVENT SOMEBODY FROM TAKING ADVANTAGE.  WHO DO YOU THINK WOULD LOSE ANY OF THE BENEFIT THAT IT NO LONGER WAS STILL OWNED LIKE IT SEEMS LIKE NOW THAT YOU'RE STILL OWNING IT YOU'RE EXPECTING IT BACK. MOST IF NOT ALL OF YOUR EXPERIENCE HAVE BEEN POSITIVE SO IT'S NOT LIKE YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT. BUT WOULD IT THEN SHIFT TO NO LONGER OWNING THEM? ARE YOU LENDING THEM TO THE CITY TO LEND OUT TO AN ANOTHER PERSON?  I THINK YOU POTENTIALLY GIVE UP A LITTLE BIT OF THE COMMUNITY ASPECT BY BEING ABLE TO COVER A MUCH BIGGER AREA RATHER ALLENDALE IS A SMALL NEIGHBORHOOD AND YOU KNOW IT'S A IT'S A LIMITED NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN ROSLINDALE THAT THAT BORROW AND SHARE TOOLS. I THINK YOUR CONCERNS ARE ARE WORTH THINKING THROUGH THAT SOMEONE MIGHT TRY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT BUT I THINK THAT THE BENEFITS THAT YOU BE ABLE TO OFFER THIS VALUABLE SERVICE TO THE ENTIRE CITY OF BOSTON POTENTIALLY IS A GOOD WAY TO BALANCE AGAINST THAT. I WOULD AGREE WITH THAT AND I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT FOR MOST FOLKS IN MY EXPERIENCE AT THE CHICAGO TOOL LIBRARY WHEN FOLKS ARE BORROWING THINGS FOR PROFIT, IT'S A SHORT TERM THING FOR THEM BECAUSE MOST FOLKS WILL YOU KNOW, I THINK MAYBE THEY WANT TO GET INTO THE TRADES OR WE DO HAVE SOME HANDYMEN START THEIR SMALL BUSINESSES WITH THE CHICAGO TOOL LIBRARY AND THEY'RE ABLE TO GET THEIR FOOT IN THE DOOR BY BORROWING THE TOOLS FOR MAYBE THE FIRST JOB OR TWO. BUT ULTIMATELY IT'S NOT CONVENIENT TO WAIT IN LINE FOR A TOOL FOR A CONTRACTOR SO THEY MIGHT USE IT ONCE OR TWICE, GET A COUPLE JOBS, GET THE MONEY AND THEN THEY BUY THEIR OWN TOOL. IT'S GREAT. SO ACTUALLY I DON'T THINK THAT THE CROSSOVER THERE ISN'T A LOT OF COMPETITION BETWEEN THE GENERAL PUBLIC WHO'S ABLE TO WAIT A COUPLE OF WEEKS TO GET ACCESS TO A LAWNMOWER VERSUS A CONTRACTOR WHO NEEDS IT TODAY BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN THEY'VE BEEN HIRED TO DO IT. SO THAT MAKES SENSE AND YOU KNOW, SO I THINK THE PROFIT PIECE IS ACTUALLY GREAT BECAUSE YOU'RE ALLOWING FOLKS TO GET THEIR FOOT IN THE DOOR WITH TRADES CAREERS AND THEN AS FAR AS THE SHIFT AND SORT OF ACCOUNTABILITY OR KIND OF HOW PEOPLE TREAT THE THINGS WHEN THEY BECOME CITY OWNED,  THEY DEFINITELY DO NEED TO BECOME OWNED BY IT'S WAY TOO HARD TO MANAGE IF YOU'RE YOU KNOW, JOE LOANED HIS LAWNMOWER TO THE BOSS UNTIL EVERY TWO LOANED OTHER PEOPLE THE CHAIN OF COMMAND IS TOO COMPLICATED SO IT DEFINITELY NEEDS TO ALL BE OWNED BY THE ENTITY THAT LENDS THE THINGS AND I WOULD SAY THAT THE CHICAGO TWO LIBRARY WE ARE A NONPROFIT SO OUR RELATIONSHIP IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT. OUR MEMBERS ARE USERS PAY WHAT THEY CAN TO GET IT ACCESS TO OUR TOOL LIBRARY SO THAT LITTLE BIT OF INVESTMENT THAT PEOPLE MAKE I THINK KIND OF CREATES A LITTLE BUY IN AND A LITTLE BIT OF COMMUNITY CARE THAT ENSURES PEOPLE KIND OF HAVE THE SAME EXPERIENCE. BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S NECESSARY THAT THAT HAPPENS. PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE WANT TO DO A GOOD JOB IF YOU PROVIDE SOMETHING FOR THEM THEY FEEL RESPECTED AND IN TURN THEY KIND OF WANT TO RETURN THAT RESPECT TO THE SERVICE. IN MY EXPERIENCE FOR FIVE YEARS THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW BECAUSE YOUR EXPERIENCE IS MORE WITH THE LIKE YOU OWN IT AND YOUR EXPERIENCES.  IT'S MY OWN PERSONAL THEY PROBABLY MEET YOU IN YOUR DRIVEWAY, HAVE CONVERSATIONS IN YOUR KITCHEN SO IT'S VERY PERSONAL. YOU'RE PROBABLY CLEANING IT NICELY TO RETURN IT TO YOU BECAUSE THEY ARE GRATEFUL.  NO, THANK YOU. THANK YOU COUNCILOR . THANK YOU. APPRECIATE THAT. ALL RIGHT. IT'S MY TURN NOW SO SOME QUESTIONS. MY FIRST ONE IS THE TESLA SINCE YOU'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR ABOUT FIVE YEARS, CAN YOU EXPLAIN HOW THOSE YOUR TOOL LIBRARY WORK AND JUST TO KIND OF BREAK IT DOWN, THE FOLKS WELL WHAT HOW DOES IT WORK OVER THERE IN CHICAGO AND WHAT CAN WE POTENTIALLY TRY TO EXPERIMENT HERE IN BOSTON? YEAH, SO THE CHICAGO TOOL LIBRARY WE HAVE AGAIN THE SOFTWARE IS A REALLY BIG PIECE. IT REALLY IS THE KEY TO HOW THIS IS GOING TO FUNCTION FOR YOU BECAUSE IT'S WHERE ALL THE DATA ABOUT YOUR TOOLS AND ALL OF THE USERS IS STORED. SO YOU REALLY NEED A STRONG SOFTWARE PLATFORM. SO THE WAY THAT WE WORK IS WE KIND OF I GUESS BACK TO THE OUTREACH QUESTION WE ARE TOOL LIBRARY OPEN SIX MONTHS BEFORE COVID SO WE HAD TO BE VERY DIGITAL VERY FAST SO WE REALLY LEAN ON FOLKS MAKING USE OF OUR ONLINE PLATFORM. THEY CAN LOG INTO THEIR MEMBER PORTAL, YOU CAN RESERVE TOOLS, YOU CAN MAKE APPOINTMENTS TO COME PICK THEM UP. IT'S A LOT LIKE THE PUBLIC LIBRARY. WE HAVE A WAITLIST SYSTEM SO THAT IF YOU'RE WAITING FOR AN ANGLE GRINDER THEY'RE ALL CHECKED OUT. YOU CAN BE SECOND IN LINE AND YOU CAN EMAIL WHEN IT'S BACK AND IT'S LIKE HEY, TIME TO COME PICK IT UP, MAKE AN APPOINTMENT AND THEN WE'LL HAVE IT READY FOR YOU. THAT'S KIND OF JUST A SUPER,  SUPER FAST OVERVIEW AND SOMETHING ELSE I DID NOT MENTION WAS THAT OUR TOOL LIBRARY ACTUALLY ALSO OFFERS MEMBERSHIPS AND TOOLS TO OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY GROUPS. WE HAVE A SEPARATE TYPE OF MEMBERSHIP AND A SEPARATE TOOL COLLECTION. IT'S MOSTLY TABLES, CHAIRS, CANOPIES, SPEAKERS, GENERATORS ALL THAT KIND OF EVENT HOSTING SUPPLIES THAT OUR COMMUNITY GROUPS MAKE USE OF THROUGHOUT MOSTLY THE MONTHS AND THAT IS HUGE AND WE ARE GOING TO BE PARTNERING WITH THE CITY OF CHICAGO NEXT SUMMER TO HELP THEM THE FUNDING THAT THEY FUNNEL INTO ALL THE PROGRAMS THAT THEY WANT OUR COMMUNITY GROUPS TO PUT ON THROUGHOUT THE YEAR HELPING THEM GET THE SUPPLIES TO PULL IT OFF.  THAT'S A BROAD OVERVIEW BUT YEAH, WE REALLY RELY ON OUR SOFTWARE.  OUR TOOLS HAVE MOSTLY BEEN DONATED BY FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT HAS PROS AND CONS.  IT'S EASIER TO ACQUIRE TOOLS THAT WAY BUT IT'S HARD TO MAINTAIN THEM THAT WAY BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL DIFFERENT. YOU'RE NOT DEALING WITH YOU KNOW EVERY TIME A SANDER BREAKS IT'S NOT THE EXACT SAME SANDER SO YOU HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO, YOU KNOW, UNIQUELY CARE FOR EVERY SINGLE ITEM. SO PROS AND CONS TO EVERYTHING AND BECAUSE WE ARE NOT YOU KNOW WE DON'T HAVE THAT DIDDY SUPPORT CITY FUNDING WE DO PAY RENT FOR A SPACE WHICH IS RATHER EXPENSIVE HERE IN CHICAGO AND WE ARE ONLY ABLE TO BE OPEN THREE DAYS A WEEK AGAIN JUST DUE TO FUNDING. SO I WOULD I'M ALWAYS REALLY EXCITED TO HEAR ABOUT THE LIBRARIES GETTING GOVERNMENT SUPPORT BECAUSE OFTEN GOVERNMENTS HAVE SOME AMENITIES TO SUPPORT A LITTLE BIT OF THAT STAFF PAY AND PERHAPS EVEN PROVIDE SPACE BECAUSE THAT GOES SUCH A LONG WAY TO SUPPORTING A TOOL LIBRARY AS WAS ALL OVER THE PLACE. I MEAN THERE'S A QUESTION THEY DIDN'T ACTUALLY ADDRESS THERE. NO, THAT'S GOOD. AND WHAT'S THE TIME FRAME OF WHEN A RESIDENT IS USING A TOOL FROM THE POINT THAT THEY RECEIVE IN TO THE POINT THAT I HAVE TO RETURN IT TO OUR STANDARD LOAN PERIOD IN ONE WEEK PARTLY BECAUSE WE ARE LIKE I MENTIONED OPEN THREE DAYS A WEEK. SO THAT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO HAVE A LITTLE WIGGLE ROOM TO GET IT BACK. YOU CAN GO ONLINE AND YOU CAN RENEW TOOLS FOR LONGER AS LONG AS NOBODY ELSE IS ON THE WAITLIST FOR IT AND THEN COMMUNITY GROUPS ARE ABLE TO BOOK THEIR TOOL RESERVATIONS FOR AS LONG AS THEY NEED. SO A CAMI ENTITY GROUP COULD GET A SPECIFIC DATE.  THEY HAVE A, YOU KNOW, THANKSGIVING EVENT OR SOMETHING. THEY CAN BOOK THEIR TABLES AND CHAIRS OR WHATEVER THEY NEED AT A CERTAIN DATE TO PICK UP AND A CERTAIN DATE TO DROP OFF AND IT COULD BE LONGER AND THAT'S JUST SOMETHING WE CAN'T REALLY OFFER THE PUBLIC BECAUSE IT WOULD JUST GET REALLY OKAY.  AND I GUESS TO ALSO I TELL YOU THINGS ON BOTH SIDES OF THINGS WHAT ARE SOME OF THE RISK THAT YOU HAVE FACED RUNNING THIS OPERATION?  THE ONLY RISK IS IT'S MAKING SURE IT SUSTAINS. IT IS A UNIVERSALLY BELOVED CONCEPT.  WE'VE BEEN PULLING OUR MEMBERS THIS YEAR FOR A STRATEGIC PLAN AND WE'VE ASKED THEM TO PRIORITIZE YOU KNOW, WHAT DO THEY WANT FROM US? AND THE MAIN THING WANT IS MORE THEY WANT MORE TOOL LIBRARIES, MORE LOCATIONS, MORE HOURS PEOPLE WE YOU KNOW CHICAGO IS A BIG CITY.  WE HAVE I THINK OVER 60 ZIP CODES HERE AND WE GET VISITORS TO OUR ONE TO EVERY LOCATION FROM EVERY SINGLE CHICAGO ZIP CODE . WE HAVE ABOUT 9000 USERS. SO REALLY THE ONLY RISK IS KEEPING UP WITH DEMAND IN MY EXPERIENCE. OKAY. AND YOU REFERENCED THE NUMBER EARLIER THAT YOU SAID YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO SAVE RESIDENTS OVER $2 MILLION IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS. CORRECT. AND THAT'S JUST PART OF HOW WERE YOU HOW DID YOU CALCULATE THAT THE VALUES OF TOOLS, THE AMOUNT OF TIMES THEY'VE BEEN USED WE WERE ABLE TO TRACK ALL OF THAT THROUGH OUR SOFTWARE THE AMOUNT OF TIMES THINGS HAVE BEEN BORROWED I MEAN TOOLS HAVE BEEN BORROWED TENS OF THOUSANDS OF TIMES. SO THAT'S GOOD. THAT'S THAT'S A GOOD THING TO THINK ABOUT. I JUST ALWAYS THINK ABOUT THAT TO THE FAMILIES TRYING TO USE A DRILL OR SOME TOOLS AT HOME AND I MEAN WHO KNOWS HOW MUCH DRILLS CAN GO FOR THESE DAYS AND MAYBE THEY DON'T NEED IT SO OFTEN. SO WE THEY'RE PROBABLY SAYING SOME MONEY BY JUST RENTING ONE OR USING A LENDING LIBRARY THERE.  SO THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTIONS FOR FOR THE BOSTON TEAM HERE.  HOW DO YOU THINK BOSTONIANS WOULD BENEFIT FROM HAVING A PUBLIC MAN THE LIBRARY I THINK JUST WHAT YOU SAID YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WANT TO PUT UP A PICTURE. THEY WANT TO PUT UP A LAMP IN THEIR HOUSE. THEY NEED A SCREWDRIVER. THEY NEED SOMETHING TO BE ABLE TO DRILL INTO SHEETROCK SOMETHING AND IT'S DRILLS ARE HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS, SOME OF THEM 120 $150 IF YOU BUY THAT ONCE FOR A LENDING LIBRARY AND LEND THAT OUT TO 50 PEOPLE, YOU'RE YOU KNOW, MUCH LIKE TESSA SAID YOU WERE SAVING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR YOUR FOR YOUR RESIDENTS.  YOU KNOW, PEOPLE NEED TOOLS FOR PROJECTS BUT THEY EITHER DON'T KNOW WHAT TO BUY OR THEY JUST CAN'T AFFORD IT AND THEY WANT TO DO SIMPLE THINGS AND I THINK HAVING THE TOOLS TO MAKE THAT MAKE IT AVAILABLE TO THEM WOULD BENEFIT A HUGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE AROUND THE CITY PEOPLE DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT CERTAIN TOOLS ARE AVAILABLE. THEY DON'T EVEN MEAN IF THEY DON'T EVEN WANT TO GET STARTED ON PROJECTS BECAUSE THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THEY NEED.  SO LIKE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IF YOU CAN PROVIDE SOME VIDEOS ON HOW TO DO SOME OF THESE THINGS PEOPLE ARE GOING TO FEEL MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE DOING SOME WORK ON THEIR ON THEIR OWN HOUSES AND GIVING THEM TOOLS TO ABLE TO GET INVOLVED WITH THAT I THINK IS BENEFICIAL TO EVERYBODY.  I HAVE A MEMORY OF DOING A TILING PROJECT MANY YEARS AGO AND I HAD TO GO OUT AND BUY A TILE CUTTER AND NIPPERS AND LIKE I COULD HAVE USED A WET SAW BUT I GOING TO BUY A WET SAW BECAUSE I'M ONLY GOING TO USE IT ONE TIME AND I'LL TELL YOU THOSE TOOLS ARE STILL IN MY BASEMENT AND THAT PROJECT WAS 20 YEARS AGO AND YOU KNOW WHAT LIKE I WOULD HAVE DONE MUCH BETTER TO BE ABLE TO BORROW THEM WOULD TO SAVE SOME MONEY AND THEN JUST THE ENVIRONMENTAL COST OF ALL THESE UNNECESSARY OBJECTS THAT ARE BEING MANUFACTURED THERE IS A THE CONCEPT OF EMBODIED CARBON RIGHT? SO A LITTLE BIT OF A ESOTERIC BUT IF YOU THINK ABOUT YOU KNOW, ANY OBJECT LIKE THIS VEST RIGHT IN ORDER FOR IT TO GET ON MY BODY TODAY IT HAD TO SOMEBODY HAD TO EXTRACT PETROLEUM PRODUCTS FROM THE GROUND. IT HAD TO BE MADE INTO THIS FLEECE FABRIC, HAD TO GO TO A FACTORY, IT HAD TO GO TO A YOU KNOW, STORE AND LIKE TRUCKS BRINGING IT ALL IN BETWEEN ALL THOSE POINTS, ALL OF THOSE STEPS EMIT CARBON . RIGHT. AND IF WE CAN KEEP THAT OBJECT IN CIRCULATION FOR LONGER AND YOU AVOID HAVING MORE UNNECESSARY ONES MANUFACTURED THEN YOU CAN AVOID EMITTING ALL THE CARBON THAT IT WOULD TAKE TO MANUFACTURE MORE COPIES OF THAT ITEM RATHER THAN JUST SHARING OR REUSING THE ITEM. SO OUR ENVIRONMENT WOULD DEFINITELY BENEFIT FROM A LENDING LIBRARY. YEAH. I WOULD ALSO SAY YOU KNOW I'VE MUCH LIKE DEB I'VE GOT A WHOLE BUNCH OF TOOLS IN MY BASEMENT THAT ARE YOU KNOW ONE OR TWO USE TOOLS IF THERE WAS A CENTRAL LOCATION THAT BOSTON RAN A LENDING LIBRARY I WOULD HAPPILY GIVE A LOT OF MY TOOLS TO THE LENDING LIBRARY BECAUSE I CAN'T REACH 500,000 PEOPLE. YOU KNOW, ROSLINDALE IS A SMALL AREA.  THE FACEBOOK GROUP HAS 1500 PEOPLE ON IT AND THAT'S IT. IF I COULD LEND THIS TOOL OUT,  YOU KNOW, IF I DON'T NEED IT 100% OF THE TIME I'D I'D GIVE IT TO THE LENDING LIBRARY AND I THINK OTHER PEOPLE WOULD TOO PEOPLE WHO HAVE OLDER PARENTS WHO ARE MOVING OUT OF THEIR HOUSES AND THEY HAVE A BASEMENT FOR THE TOOLS OR THEIR GRANDPARENTS PASSED AWAY AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH ALL THESE THINGS. THEY GIVE IT TO A SCRAP YARD OR THEY JUST THROW THEM OUT. I THINK PEOPLE I THINK IF YOU MAKE IT YOU KNOW, PUBLICIZE THAT THIS IS THIS GROUP IS AVAILABLE, THIS LENDING LIBRARY IS AVAILABLE AND THEY'RE TAKING DONATIONS, I THINK YOU'D GET A BUNCH OF PEOPLE THAT WOULD DONATE THINGS. LET'S JUST BECAUSE YOU KNOW I CAN'T USE THEM ALL I CAN'T EVEN LEND THEM TO ENOUGH PEOPLE TO MAKE IT WORTH KEEPING THEM NECESSARILY. BUT THE LENDING LIBRARY NEEDS THINGS LIKE THAT. I THINK YOU'D GET DONATIONS FOR IT. YEAH, DEFINITELY WOULD WE DO ALL OF OUR RETIRING TRADES FOLKS WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR THEIR TOOLS ARE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, NOT BE WASTED. SO WE SEE THAT EVERY SINGLE WEEK. RIGHT. AND I THINK THAT WELL, YOU BRING UP A GOOD POINT THAT DO YOU CURRENTLY HAVE THE FACEBOOK GROUP WHICH IS 1500 THOUSAND PEOPLE. RIGHT. THERE'S ALREADY THERE SEEMS TO BE A REALLY AN APPETITE FOR THIS KIND OF SERVICE. PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO SHARE TOOLS.  IS THERE A CRATE DO YOU THINK THERE WOULD BE A CRITERIA FOR THE WOOD FOR THE CONDITION OF OBVIOUSLY HAS TO WORK BUT LIKE I DON'T WANT MAYBE WE DON'T WANT I DON'T KNOW 100 DRILLS INSIDE OF ONE LIBRARY OR LIKE WHAT DO YOU FORESEE THERE BEING HOW DO YOU CHOOSE WHAT ITEMS PEOPLE COULD SHARE OR NOT? YEAH I'M SURE TESLA TESLA HAS SOME MORE THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS BUT YOU MIGHT HAVE AN AGE RESTRICTION ON THEM YOU KNOW YOU WILL PROBABLY AND AGAIN TEST YOU SPEAK TO THIS BETTER THAN I AM YOU'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE QUALIFIED TO REVIEW THESE TOOLS ,CHECK THEM FOR SAFETY, CHECK THEM FOR OPERATION AND THEN DISCARD OR YOU KNOW, SCROUNGE FOR PARTS THE ONES THAT ARE NOT WORTH KEEPING. YOU'RE NOT GOING BE ABLE TO KEEP EVERYTHING PEOPLE ARE GOING TO DONATE, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT ARE WORKING OR DANGEROUS OR YOU KNOW, BAD BATTERIES OR THINGS LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW TESLA WHAT'S WHAT'S YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH THAT BEEN YEAH SO WE WE HAVE A FEW GUIDELINES YOU KNOW WE EVERY TOOL LIBRARY IS GOING TO BE A LITTLE OR TOOL LENDING PROJECT IT'S GOING TO BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT DEPENDING ON WHAT THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY ARE. BUT FOR US THE ITEM NEEDS TO BE PORTABLE BECAUSE WE NEED YOU TO TAKE IT AWAY SO IT TO BE PORTABLE MOVABLE BY ONE PERSON WE ONLY ACCEPT DONATIONS THAT ARE IN GOOD WORKING ORDER. WE JUST DON'T HAVE TIME TO REPAIR AND MAINTAIN THE TOOLS ALREADY IN OUR INVENTORY PLUS NEW ONES. IT'S JUST A LITTLE UNWIELDY AND IT JUST NEEDS TO YOU KNOW, AGAIN I THINK IT'S REALLY CRUCIAL AND I WOULD REALLY, REALLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO AGAIN NOT LEAN ON YOUR BOOK LIBRARIANS BECAUSE THEY HAVE AN AMAZING SPECIALIZED SET OF SKILLS AND WE WANT TO RESPECT THAT AND LET THEM DO THEIR JOBS AND TO HAVE DEDICATED STAFF OR A LENDING LIBRARY OF OF THINGS AND THOSE FOLKS WOULD BE REALLY SENSITIVE TO THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY AND HAVE A REALLY GOOD COMMON YOU KNOW YOU WOULD AGREE ON A SENSE OF WHAT TYPES OF ITEMS PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR AND YOU JUST NEED TO REASSESS ALL THE TIME THEN THINGS OUT OVER THE YEARS ARE LIKE WOW. I MEAN PEOPLE ARE ASKING FOR A LOT OF ANGLE GRINDERS WHICH IS TRUE. LET'S GET MORE AND NOBODY HAS EVER BORROWED THE WHATEVER LET'S GET RID OF IT.  SO JUST LIKE ANYWHERE YOU KIND OF NEED TO REASSESS ALL THE TIME AND THINK ABOUT WHERE YOU WANT TO PUT YOUR ENERGY AND FOR US WE DON'T HAVE THE TIME OR ENERGY TO REPAIR BROKEN THINGS AS DONATIONS.  YEAH WELL THANK YOU FOR THAT AND I THINK THAT GOING OVER TO COUNCIL COUNCILOR FLYNN BROUGHT UP A GOOD POINT OF POTENTIALLY STARTING WITH THE PILOT IDEA OF SOMEWHERE THAT WE CAN FIND NONPROFITS THAT ARE DOING THE WORK ALREADY IN BOSTON AND I THINK THAT MAKING SURE THAT WE CHOOSE A LOCATION THAT IS ACCESSIBLE FOR FOLKS I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GREAT IDEA AND I VERY MUCH WOULD WANT TO CONSIDER THAT. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING ALL YOUR POINTS.  BEFORE I LET YOU GO, COUNCILOR MURPHY, DO YOU HAVE ANY FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS?  I'LL JUST THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND HAVING THIS CONVERSATION. I KNOW IT'S JUST THE BEGINNING. LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. THANK YOU.  AND JUST AN IDEA THAT OCCURRED TO ME MAYBE THE BOSTON HOME CENTER HAS COULD PLAY A ROLE HERE, RIGHT? LIKE I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY'RE LOCATED THESE DAYS. I KNOW THEY USED TO BE DOWNTOWN BUT IT'S ALIGNED WITH MANY OF THE WORKSHOPS THAT THEY'RE DOING AND PERHAPS THAT COULD BE FOLDED INTO THEIR MISSION SOMEHOW. THAT'S A GREAT POINT.  THAT IS A VERY GOOD IDEA AND I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE VALUABLE TO REACH OUT TO THEM SO I'LL DO JUST THAT. THANK YOU FOR ANY CLOSING REMARKS BEFORE I LET YOU ALL ENJOY THE REST OF YOUR DAY.  OH, TESSA, I'M I'M JUST REALLY I WANT TO APPLAUD YOU ALL FOR FOR HAVING THIS CONVERSATION BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE RISKS OF HAVING A TOOL LIBRARY ARE MUCH FEWER THAN THE RISKS OF NOT HAVING A TOOL LIBRARY. I THERE'S SO MUCH POTENTIAL AND YOU CAN REALLY FOSTER A LOT OF EMPOWERMENT AND SELF-DETERMINATION IN YOUR CITY. SO I JUST WANT TO APPLAUD YOU ALL FOR HAVING THIS CONVERSATION I THINK WAS REALLY EXCITING AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND I HOPE THAT CHICAGO'S DOING OKAY SO APPRECIATE YOU JOINING VIRTUALLY BUT SERIOUSLY THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE WORK YOU DO. I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THIS CONVERSATION WITH YOU ALL AND LEARNING A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HOW WE CAN POTENTIALLY START A PILOT OR FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN MAKE THIS HAPPEN. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. THANK YOU.  LIKEWISE. THANK YOU. WE'RE NOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE SECOND PANEL WANT TO STAGE . WE HAVE NATE LASH WHO'S THE PROGRAM MANAGER FOR THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF NORTHERN MECHANICS AND MELISSA ANDREWS WHO'S THE CHIEF OF COLLECTION MANAGEMENT FOR THE BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY.  GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY.  DO YOU HAVE AN OPENING PRESENTATION, OPENING STATEMENTS? DO YOU LIKE TO START OFF WITH THAT? I THINK I CAN. I'M ALSO ANDREW'S I'M THE CHIEF OF COLLECTION MANAGEMENT. SO FOR THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF WE'VE BEEN PILOTING A SMALL LIBRARY OF THINGS COLLECTION AT OUR LIBRARIES THAT INCLUDES TELESCOPES, ORAL HISTORY, BACKPACKS AND SOME BIRD WATCHING KITS. WE FOUND THAT THEY'VE BEEN VERY WELL RECEIVED.  VERY PATRONS HAVE BEEN WRITING IN TO TELL US WE LIKE TO SEE US EXPAND TO ADD MORE THINGS WITH THOSE PILOTS WE WORK THROUGH MANY OF THE ISSUES THAT PEOPLE HAVE BROUGHT UP SO SPACE MAINTENANCE OUR PEOPLE ARE GOING TO EXPECT US TO TRAIN THEM ON HOW TO USE A TELESCOPE IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR OUR WORK DAY.  LIKE I SAID, WE DO MANY OTHER THINGS AND THESE ARE ALL CONCERNS THAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO THINK ABOUT AND ADDRESS AS WE CONSIDER EXPANDING. OKAY.  HI, MY NAME IS NATE LIVES AND MY PROGRAM MANAGER IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE NEW URBAN MECHANICS OUR TEAM HAS RUN TWO PILOT PROGRAMS IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS THAT I THINK HAVE SOME LESSONS LEARNED FOR THIS CONVERSATION BOTH.  LENDING PROGRAMS ONE A WINTER SHED RECREATIONAL LENDING LIBRARY AS WELL AS A BLOCK PARTY KIT PROGRAM AND JUST APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE PART OF THIS CONVERSATION. THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. I REALLY APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU TOOK YOUR TIME OUT OF YOUR DAY TO COME TESTIFY.  I THINK IT'S FAIR TO JUMP RIGHT INTO Q&A. OKAY.  OKAY. COUNCILOR MURPHY, DO YOU WANT TO START US OFF? I KNOW YOU'VE ALREADY KIND OF TOUCHED ON THE CONCERNS YOUR ALREADY KIND OF FIELDING WITH THE SMALLER VERSION IN THE REQUESTS YOU'RE GETTING FROM RESIDENTS ASKING TO EXPAND. HAVE THERE BEEN SPECIFIC REQUESTS THAT YOU COULD JUST SHARE SOME THAT WE MAY BE SURPRISED PEOPLE ARE ASKING FOR YOU TO BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE THE ONES WE'RE DOING NOW ARE MORE HOBBY. YEAH.  ORIENTED. YEAH LIKE THERE'S A SEED PILOT AT ONE OR YEAH YEAH AND THIS IS MORE OF LIKE TO GET SOMETHING FIXED YOU KNOW MORE KIND OF TOOL ORIENTED USEFUL.  SO WE HAVE AN OPEN FORUM ON OUR WEBSITE WE'VE GOTTEN OVER 90 SUGGESTIONS THE MOST POPULAR ITEM TO OUR LIKE OVER 20% HAVE BEEN FOR SEWING MACHINES. WE HAVE SEEN A WIDE RANGE OF THINGS A LOT OF ELECTRONICS LIKE, MICROPHONES AND PODCASTING KITS, SOME MEDICAL SORT OF DEVICE LIKE TEXT TO SPEECH READERS, BLOOD PRESSURE MONITOR SO THINGS SUPPORT HEALTH, A LOT OF CRAFTING AND CRAFT SUPPLIES, KNITTING NEEDLES, CROCHET HOOKS, CAMPING SUPPLIES HAVE BEEN ONE THAT'S A LITTLE SURPRISING BUT MAKES SENSE. THEY'RE OFTEN ONE TIME USE AND YOU WANT TO TRY OUT DIFFERENT THINGS BEFORE YOU BUY IT.  SOME OF THEM MAKING PANS A LIBRARY OF THINGS HAVE BEEN SORT OF REALLY POPULAR AT ALL LIKE A LOT OF OTHER LIBRARIES THEY'RE SMALLER LIBRARIES AND OUTSIDE OF BOSTON AND OTHER LARGE URBAN LIBRARIES THAT HAVE BEEN DOING THIS THEY'VE SAID YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S BEEN REALLY WELL RECEIVED ACROSS THE COUNTRY. WE'VE NOT SEEN A TON OF USAGE FOR SORT OF REPAIR TOOLS AND THE THINGS THE NEEDS THAT WERE ADDRESSED BY THE FIRST PANEL. IT HAS BEEN A LOT OF I GUESS NOT SURPRISINGLY THINGS THAT MIGHT SUPPORT THE PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE ALREADY DOING THAT PEOPLE ARE ALREADY COMING IN FOR AND I WOULD ASSUME PEOPLE WOULDN'T EVEN THINK TO ASK THE LIBRARY FOR A LAWNMOWER OR BECAUSE IF IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE'RE USED TO LIBRARIES LENDING YEAH THE THE POINTS BROUGHT UP BEFORE ABOUT THE SPACE AND EVEN THE LOAD IN AND HOW LIBRARIES ARE LAWNMOWERS HAVE NOT BEEN ASKED FOR. I THINK THAT WOULD BE A HARD OBJECT FOR US TO LOAN OUT OF OUR CURRENT BRANCHES. COULD YOU SEE YOURSELF THOUGH BEING PART OF THIS TYPE OF PILOT OR THIS PROGRAM WITH YOUR EXPERTISE? I MEAN IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THE NATURAL YOU WOULD GO TO A LIBRARY BECAUSE YOU LEND THINGS BUT OBVIOUSLY THIS IS SOMETHING VERY DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW? YES. LIKE WE ASKED THE VA TO HELP US WITH LINES AND QUEUING DURING COVID BECAUSE THEY KNOW HOW TO MANAGE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AND WE FIGURED OUT HOW TO DO THAT. THEY ARE SO LIKE DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU COULD LEND YOUR EXPERTISE TO A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT IN THE CITY DOING YES.  SO WE DO LEND MILLIONS OF ITEMS A YEAR.  PART OF THAT IS WE HAVE SOFTWARE THAT CAN MANAGE THOSE QUEUES CAN TAKE HOLDS.  I THINK WE'RE HAPPY TO LEND EXPERTISE. I DO THINK THAT THERE'S ALSO A LEVEL OF SUPPORTING ITEMS THAT MIGHT MAKE SENSE. THERMAL IMAGING CAMERAS HAVE BEEN REQUESTED. THOSE ARE SMALL ARMS I THINK A SOIL TESTER SUPPORTS A LOT OF OUR SEED LENDING LIBRARY WORK. SO I THINK THAT THERE ARE WAYS THAT WE COULD SUPPORT THIS WORK AND ONE THING I THOUGHT OF WHEN I ASKED THE LAST PANEL ABOUT YOU KNOW, IF PEOPLE ARE LENDING FOR, YOU KNOW, A JOB, YOU DON'T REALLY HAVE AN OPINION EITHER WAY. BUT IT MADE ME THINK OF THE COMMUNITY KITCHEN. IT'S LIKE THE NONPROFITS WHERE THEY'RE LENDING THEIR OVENS AND THEIR KITCHEN FOR YOU TO START YOUR BUSINESS SO MORE I THOUGHT OF IT MAYBE IT IS A GREAT IDEA RIGHT THAT THIS IS HOW YOU CAN START OFF AND MAYBE WE'RE PILOTING WITH YOUTHBUILD,  RIGHT? OTHER NONPROFITS WHO WORK WITH YOU KNOW, TRAINING PEOPLE WITH THE TOOLS AND YEAH, OKAY WELL I HAVE NO OTHER QUESTIONS. THANK YOU.  THANK YOU, COUNSELOR. ALL RIGHT, IT'S MY TURN NOW.  ALL RIGHT, MY FIRST QUESTION I THINK YOU KIND OF HINTED AT THIS A LITTLE BIT BUT THE ONE THE LIBRARY BE A WELCOME ADDITION TO YOUR CURRENT POOL OF CITY SERVICES MAYBE EXPANDING THE KIND OF TOOLS YOU PROVIDE.  I THINK EXPANDING YOUR LIBRARY OF THINGS IS SOMETHING WE'RE ACTIVELY THINKING ABOUT JUST BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF REQUESTS WE'VE GOTTEN AND HOW OFTEN OUR PATRONS ARE TELLING US THEY'D LOVE TO SEE US HAVE MORE. SO YES, WE'RE LOOKING FOR WHATEVER WE CAN GET AS WE ADD MORE ITEMS. THAT'S GOOD. I WAS ABLE TO VISIT THE I VISIT THE HIGH PARK LIBRARY QUITE A BIT AND THEY IN THE MATTER OF HAVING ONE OF THIS ACTUALLY THEY BOTH HAVE SEEDS PLANT SEEDS AT THE VERY FRONT OF THE LIBRARY AND IT'S REALLY COOL TO SEE THAT. I THINK THE MATTAPAN BRANCH LIBRARY ALSO WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE POTS FOR THE PLANTS TOO TO BE ABLE TO GROW IT AND THEY ACTUALLY PARTNERED UP WITH A LOCAL GROUP I THINK WAS MATTER PAMPHLET AND FITNESS TO BE ABLE TO ALSO BRING IN SMALL TREES AND HELP THEM DISTRIBUTE ADD THEM AT THE MATTAPAN BRANCH OF THE LIBRARY AND I THINK THAT WAS BRILLIANT. SO DID YOU FORESEE YOURSELVES PARTNERING WITH OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THAT MORE OFTEN SPECIFICALLY LIKE WITH I USE MATTAPAN FOR EXAMPLE THE MATTAPAN BRANCH LIBRARY WITH A MATTAPAN NONPROFIT. IS THAT SOMETHING YOU DO QUITE QUITE OFTEN YES. WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES. I THINK IT IS MUCH EASIER TO DISTRIBUTE AND NOT ASK FOR THINGS TO COME BACK SO WE ARE VERY GOOD WERE CENTRAL LOCATIONS AND I THINK THOSE ARE GREAT PARTNERSHIPS SO WE'RE ALWAYS OPEN TO MORE PARTNERSHIPS LIKE THAT.  OKAY THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW.  NOW THE QUESTION IS WHAT DO YOU THINK THE CITY'S ROLE SHOULD BE IN EXPANDING THIS OPPORTUNITY TO OUR UNIONS? SHOULD IT BE GRANT FUNDING? SHOULD IT CITY MANAGED MANAGED BY A SPECIFIC DEPARTMENT? ANY IDEAS ON THAT?  I CAN SHARE JUST OUR EXPERIENCE IN OUR OFFICE THE TWO PILOT PROGRAMS THAT WE RAN BOTH WERE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS SO, THE WINTER PLACE SAID WE WORKED WITH NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS IN DORCHESTER. WE GOT QUITE A BIT OF DONATED EQUIPMENT FROM RTI AND AND SET UP THIS WHEN OUR PLACE HAD THERE WERE A LOT OF LESSONS LEARNED. ONE IS THAT IT DOESN'T SNOW IN BOSTON LIKE IT USED TO THIS REALLY USED TO BE A WINTER CITY AND THE LAST FEW WINTERS JUST THE GLOVES AND SLEDS REALLY WEREN'T ABLE TO BE USED VERY MUCH AND THERE WAS ALSO WITHOUT WITHOUT A ROBUST SOFTWARE SYSTEM TRACKING THE ITEMS AND AND WITHOUT STAFFING THERE THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, LOTS OF CONCERNS AROUND HOW THAT CHILD WAS BEING USED AND SO LOTS OF LESSONS THERE.  AND THEN IN TERMS OF OUR BLOCK PARTY KIT PROGRAM THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS STARTED TO TRY AND GET MORE RESIDENTS HOSTING. BLOCK PARTIES, ALLOWING THOSE BLOCK PARTIES TO BE MORE ENGAGING AND DELIGHTFUL. AND SO WE PARTNERED WITH BC WYETH TO HOST THESE KITS AT VSU. I HAVE SITES ACROSS THE CITY REALLY TRIED TO MAKE THEM AS ACCESSIBLE AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT A TRACKING SYSTEM SOFTWARE SYSTEM THAT YEAH THE THE ITEMS WERE AVAILABLE ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVE BASIS AND SO SOMETIMES RESIDENTS WOULD CALL AHEAD BUT BY THE TIME THEY ACTUALLY ARRIVED SOMEONE ELSE HAD COME TO IN THE KIT AND THEY WERE FRUSTRATED BECAUSE THERE WASN'T AVAILABLE. THOSE KITS SOMETIMES WERE RETURNED WEEKS OR MONTHS LATER AND THEN AFTER TWO SEASONS THE AMOUNT OF BROKEN AND MISSING EQUIPMENT JUST WAS MORE FRUSTRATING FOR RESIDENTS THAN THE PROGRAM WAS BENEFICIAL AT THAT POINT AND SO THAT THE PROGRAM HAS IT'S NOW ENDED AND THE BLOCK PARTY GRANT PROGRAM IS SORT OF FULFILLING THAT NEED AND OUR OUR DEPARTMENT IS MUCH OF OUR WORK IS WITH IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND TRYING TO FILL THE GAPS BETWEEN WHAT OTHER DEPARTMENTS ARE DOING AND SO YOU KNOW IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING TO HEAR SO MANY DIFFERENT MODELS OF HOW THIS SORT OF SHARING LENDING ECONOMY COULD WORK WHETHER IT'S A SINGLE NONPROFIT THAT IS RUNNING IT, WHETHER IT'S A COMMUNITY GROUP AND DIFFERENT I THINK DIFFERENT ROLES THE CITY COULD PLAY IN SUPPORTING THE SHARING OF TOOLS AND AND SO I THINK OUR OUR TEAM WOULD BE INTERESTED IN FURTHER EXPLORING ,YOU KNOW, WHAT THE REAL NEED IS HERE IN BOSTON. ARE THERE DIFFERENCES BY NEIGHBORHOOD IN TERMS OF WHAT TOOLS PEOPLE WANT TO SEE AND YOU KNOW, WHERE ARE WHERE WHERE MIGHT THERE BE ORGANIZATIONS LIKE WE HEARD OR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION WHERE MAYBE SOMEONE HAS A SHARED THAT THEY'D BE WILLING TO USE AND SO I THINK THERE ARE LOTS OF DIFFERENT INTERESTING MODELS THAT THAT COULD BE PILOTED AND I THINK OUR TEAM WOULD BE INTERESTED IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS TOO AND THAT'S REALLY GOOD TO HEAR AND I KNOW THAT NORMAN MECHANICS YOU GUYS HAVE VERY CREATIVE IDEAS THAT I THINK THAT WILL PREVAIL VERY VALUABLE TO HAVE YOUR INPUT INTO WHAT POTENTIALLY WE DO WITH THIS IF IT'S A PILOT I ONE OF THE LIBRARIES OR A PILOT AT SEVERAL OR MAYBE NOT A LIBRARY MAYBE IT'S A BUSY CENTER BUT I WOULD BE INTERESTED TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE HERE AND FURTHER AS WE CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION I GUESS MY WHOLE MY LAST QUESTION TO YOU IS YOU SAID YOUR ONE OF YOUR PROGRAMS ALREADY ENDED. ARE YOU GUYS CONSIDERING ANY NEW ONES? IS IT SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD CONSIDER MAYBE BASED ON WHAT WE HEARD TODAY FROM DIFFERENT PANELISTS WE CONSIDER REBOOTING BUT POTENTIALLY SO CURRENTLY AN INITIATIVE THAT YOU KNOW, ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES IS WORKING ON WITH A COUPLE STUDENTS FROM HARVARD IS DOING SOME RESEARCH AROUND MOVING MOVE OUT WEEKEND AND OPPORTUNITIES TO REDUCE WASTE. A LOT OF THE FURNITURE THAT'S JUST BEEN LEFT THAT'S IN GREAT CONDITION AND UNFORTUNATELY ENDS UP IN A LANDFILL AND SO YOU KNOW, THAT IS IS A CURRENT PROJECT THAT OUR TEAM IS LOOKING AT AND YOU KNOW THAT THAT IS NOT TOOLS FOR SPECIFICALLY MORE FURNITURE AND OTHER ITEMS BUT YOU KNOW WE WOULD YEAH WE WOULD WE WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED IN PARTNERING WITH THE BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY OR AND WE HEARD SOME OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT POTENTIALLY MAY BE HELPFUL TO BE IN THIS CONVERSATION AROUND YOU KNOW MAYBE CURE SOME MODELS WORKING IN OTHER CITIES HERE SOME DIFFERENT WAYS THAT IT COULD WORK IN BOSTON AND DOING SOME TESTING IT'S PERFECT SO WE ARE LOOKING AT SLOWLY EXPANDING THE OBJECTS THAT WE LEARNED BASED ON COMMUNITY NEED. SO SEWING MACHINES WOULD BE THE FIRST NEW OBJECT TO ANSWER YOUR EARLIER QUESTION ABOUT WHAT WE WOULD NEED TO EXPAND I THINK WE DON'T WANT TO DEVELOP A PROGRAM THAT WE CAN'T MAINTAIN AND WILL ULTIMATELY DISAPPOINT, RIGHT? SO THINKING ABOUT WHAT THE BUDGET IMPACTS WOULD BE IN THE FUTURE SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUALLY BUY NEW THINGS, REPLACE DAMAGED ITEMS AS WE LOOK AT LARGER ITEMS UM WHAT THE MAINTENANCE WOULD BE AND KNOWING IF THERE IS A AN ORGANIZATION OR A PATH FOR REPAIR I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO US TO TO CONSIDER. OKAY THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW THAT DEFINITELY WE'RE CONSIDERING PILOTING MORE OR THINK ABOUT THE BUDGET CONVERSATIONS HOW CAN WE INCREASE THE ONE CONCERN THAT HASN'T COME UP ALSO IS MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH COPIES ACROSS THE SYSTEM WE ARE OPERATING RIGHT NOW ON A PICK IT UP AT A BRANCH AND RETURN IT TO THAT BRANCH SO THEY'RE NOT MOVING THROUGHOUT THE CITY. SO WE'RE ALSO THINKING ABOUT SCALE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE MEETING NEEDS CONSISTENTLY THROUGHOUT THE CITY. OKAY. AND ARE THERE SPECIFIC BRANCHES WHERE YOU'RE REALLY TRYING TO SPEARHEAD THIS OR IS IT ALL OF THEM IDEALLY ALL OF THEM THOUGH THERE ARE VARIOUS SPACE CONSIDERATIONS.  SO MANY OF OUR BRANCHES ARE LESS THAN 10,000 SQUARE FEET SO IT DOES LIMIT THE SORT OF SIZE AND NUMBER OF ITEMS THAT THEY COULD STORE.  YOU KNOW, IDEALLY WE WOULD HAVE SOMETHING AT EVERY BRANCH BUT THAT WOULD BE AS WE GROW. OKAY.  I'M A BIG BELIEVER IN NOT REINVENTING THE WHEEL. MM HMM. AND IN PARTNERING WITH FOLKS THAT ARE ALREADY DOING THE WORK. SO IT LOOKS LIKE THIS IS THIS WHAT YOU'RE DOING AT YOUR LIBRARIES IS AN OPPORTUNITY HERE TO EXPAND AND TO JUST PROVIDE SUPPORT AND TO BE ABLE TO MAYBE COLLABORATE WITH OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS TO EVEN PROVIDE THEM SOME TECH HELP OR JUST BE OF AN OUTSIDE RESOURCE AS WELL. SO MY TEAM WILL BE REACHING OUT TO THAT. IT'S GOOD TO KNOW I REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS. THAT IS I THINK I GOT SOME GOOD INFORMATION HERE OF HOW TO MOVE FORWARD AND HOW CAN WE BE AN ALLIANCE SUPPORTIVE WITH THIS PROJECT. DO ASK A COUNSELOR MURPHY ANY FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS.  JUST THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. OKAY. DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC TESTIMONIALS, CHUCK KIND OF MAKE SURE WE HAVE ANY VIRTUAL PUBLIC TESTIMONY TO.  GOOD. ALL RIGHT. WANT TO PROVIDE ANY CLOSING STATEMENTS.  SO THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. WE LOOK FORWARD TO LOOKING FOR NEW WAYS THAT WE CAN PARTNER AND EXPAND.  YES. THANKS SO MUCH FOR INCLUDING US IN THE CONVERSATION. OF COURSE.  THANK YOU ALL FOR THE WORK YOU DO FOR THE CITY. THANK YOU FOR BEING CREATIVE MINDS. THANK YOU FOR BEING PALANTIR TODAY. I LOOK FORWARD TO LEARNING HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER.  AND THANK YOU TO OUR FIRST PANEL ALSO FOR BEING HERE. I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TESTIMONIES.  THIS HEARING ON DOCKET NUMBER 1210 IS ADJOURNED