You know all those tools you bought and only used a couple of times...

Knjižnica alata is an initiative in Beli Manastir, Croatia, which was started seven years ago by Duško Kostić. This project is the only one of its kind in the country, and consists of a tool library where people can borrow the tools they need. The idea is that people generally buy a tool only to use it once or twice a month. If they can borrow instead of buying, a great deal of resources can be saved.

Moreover, the library is valuable for society because it promotes the social inclusion of Croatia's Roma minority. People can participate by becoming members (membership is free for jobseekers and cheaper for pensioners), and then borrow the tools for 3-5 days – just like in a regular library. Knjižnica alata also contributes to society by organising workshops and training sessions on how to use more complex tools, thus giving participants skills which will be useful in the labour market.