Sonoma County Library branches offer DIY tool kits for home energy and water conservation

Sonoma County is trying to help residents save money and go green at home by outfitting most county library branches with do-it-yourself tool kits containing equipment that can make homes more energy and water efficient.

Library card holders who check out the tool kits free of charge for up to three weeks can use their contents - which include low-flow water fixtures, weatherstripping and an infrared laser thermometer - to make minor home improvements with sustainability in mind. The tool kits also contain guidebooks that instruct library patrons how to use them.

“It’s really a ... process for residents to, first of all, learn about efficiency and water conservation, and then give them some of the really basic, easy tools to do the first steps toward becoming more energy efficient or water conservation-oriented,” said Jane Elias, energy and sustainability community programs manager in the county’s General Services department.

Since November, library patrons have been able to check out one of 11 tool kits at the library branches in central Santa Rosa, Sebastopol and Guerneville under a pilot program the county launched in partnership with the library system and Sonoma Clean Power. The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday allocated more than $6,100 to expand the program, inspired by a previous effort in Santa Clara County, to nearly every library branch with a total of 30 kits.

Carolyn Glanton, a ?27-year old Santa Rosa resident, checked out one of the tool kits from the central Santa Rosa branch nearly six months ago, after spending about two weeks on a waiting list.

She and her two roommates used four LED light bulbs from the tool kit to replace existing ones inside the home they rent. They also applied weatherstripping to some of their windows and doors, after using the infrared thermometer to measure their home’s indoor temperature, and installed low-flow faucet and shower fixtures, Glanton said.

“I’ve always been kind of an energy geek and interested in saving energy and being sustainable,” Glanton said. “I thought it was a really cool tool to use, especially because it was free and it was available at the library, which I go to semi regularly.”

Some of the tool kit’s contents, such as the weatherstripping and low-flow fixtures, are clearly intended for residents to keep. Others, such as the infrared thermometer, a refrigerator thermometer and a meter that measures the energy usage of household appliances, must be returned.

As of earlier this week, the kits had been checked out nearly 100 times since the trial run launched in November, and branches have often had wait lists for cardholders who want to bring one home, according to Jaime Anderson, division manager for the county library system.

The success of the kit program ties into broader ambitions for the county libraries, Anderson said.

“One of our goals at the library has been to be kind of one of the go-to places in the community for sustainability,” she said. “It’s a step in that direction. It’s an excellent addition to our collection.”

The tool kit program won praise this week from Sonoma County Supervisor Susan Gorin, who called it a “fabulous idea.”

Glanton said she hoped to see many others bring a tool kit home like she did.

“I’ve been telling all my friends about it and just encouraging it as a great first step to learn about energy and water conservation,” she said.

You can reach Staff Writer J.D. Morris at 707-521-5337 or jd.morris@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter ?@thejdmorris.