Not Your Traditional Library: How Benthyg Cymru is Changing Lives, Differently

It’s Libraries Week: Libraries Change Lives — and we couldn’t agree more.

Book libraries have long been sanctuaries of knowledge, imagination, and possibility. They’ve changed our lives, too. And while we don’t lend books at Benthyg Cymru, we carry the same spirit in a different form.

We’re Wales’ network of Libraries of Things — lending out tools, tents, toys, and trust. Built on the belief that everyone should have access to what they need to live well, we make it easy to borrow instead of buy, to share rather than own.

Just like book libraries, we’re rooted in free, low cost, fair access. But instead of shelves lined with stories, ours are filled with drills, carpet cleaners, camping gear and cake tins. Different items — same mission: to help communities thrive, reduce waste, and build a future where resources are shared, not stockpiled.

Because whether it’s books or baking trays, the library is still where you go when you need something — and where you leave with more than you came for.

Sharing is Circular. And Circular is Economic.

This year’s Libraries Week theme is all about how libraries support economic growth. At Benthyg, we’d add a word to that: sustainable economic growth.

When people can borrow what they need—whether it’s tools to fix a leaky tap or a projector for a big idea—they save money, reduce waste, and feel empowered to do more with what they have. Our model supports:

• Families juggling the cost-of-living crisis

• Community organisers running local events on a budget

• Startups and side-hustlers testing ideas with shared equipment

And that’s just the start. Borrowing boosts wellbeing, builds connection, and helps communities meet their own needs without overconsuming resources or relying on extractive systems.

More Than Stuff – A Different Kind of Infrastructure

Libraries of Things like Benthyg are part of a growing movement that puts people and planet first. We don’t just lend items—we build relationships, confidence, and capacity. We offer volunteering opportunities, local training, and community conversations about what matters most.

And we do it democratically. Our services are co-designed, shaped by the needs and voices of the communities we serve. No judgement. No assumptions. Just the belief that access is better than ownership, and that the things we need already exist—we just have to share them.

Libraries of Things Across Wales

From Cardiff to Wrexham and many in between, Libraries of Things serve communities across the country.  

Carmarthenshire Machinery Ring aims to increase fruit and veg production and regenerate the soil, by lending out farm machinery and equipment. Read more: Carmarthenshire Machine Ring

Benthyg Llandaff North and Gabalfa is located in the boot room of a local football club in Gabalfa, Cardiff and is run entirely by volunteers. Most recent borrows include a dehumidifier, combi ladder, surform, and air fryer, but there's lots more to explore. Read more here: Spotlight on: Benthyg Llandaff North and Gabalfa

Benthyg Barry is run by Awesome Wales, a social enterprise based in Barry town centre. They are focused on providing eco friendly products and projects for the local community. This includes a preloved kids shop, cleaning refills station, community food cooperative, cloth nappy library and the Benthyg Library of Things for Barry. Read more here: Spotlight on: Barry Benthyg

Let’s Rethink What a Library Can Be

As we celebrate Libraries Week, let’s expand the definition. Let’s include places like Benthyg that are library in spirit, if not in shelves—offering dignity, connection, and opportunity through access to the everyday things that help people get by.

Because libraries do change lives.

And sometimes, they do it with a hammer and a hoover.

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