Libraries are repositories of knowledge. Repair Cafes can be knowledge transfers by means other than “just books.” By having the community members sit across from the volunteer fixers, knowledge transfer often occurs, almost by accident. A Repair Cafe also creates a space where members of the community can interact with others that they wouldn’t ordinarily see, doing things that they wouldn’t normally think of doing in a library. It’s also a great tie-in with Earth Day and the library’s desire to have a healthy environment and community.

This program provides a valuable service to the community. It’s a great way to fix items for people who couldn’t repair them on their own and who might not be able to afford to replace them. It builds a greater sense of community by offering opportunities for people with fix-it skills to be challenged with new problems and to be recognized in the community for their talents. It provides a setting where people can learn how to take the skills showcased in the Repair Cafes out into their everyday lives. It also brings people into the library who might not come in otherwise.

Members of the community that came to our event were surprised and extremely excited that this program was happening at their library. We fixed a lamp, sewing machine, tent…the list goes on. But beyond that, patrons know that they can come to the library to fix their broken items now that this is a regular part of our programming. For those patrons who had never stepped foot in their library before the program, and there were a few, they got a great introduction to how the library can directly benefit their lives.