“This is about more than borrowing equipment, it’s about supporting wellbeing, building confidence and strengthening community resilience.” – Alison Nolan, chief executive of SLIC.

Orkney Library has expanded its Lend & Mend Hub to include new cycle repair kits and repair stands, strengthening its commitment to community-led sustainability.

Originally launched in 2022, the Hub has already become a well‑used resource for people across Orkney seeking to learn new skills and embrace more sustainable habits.

The latest expansion introduces three cycle repair kits and two cycle repair stands as well as a collection of new books, provided by HiTRANS as part of their Active Travel project. The items are available for all Orkney Library members to borrow for free, making it easier for residents to maintain their bikes and support active travel.

These new additions complement the Hub’s existing collection, which includes household tools, kitchenware, birdwatching kits and wintering‑well kits. Together, they offer a practical alternative to buying items that are often expensive, used infrequently or difficult to store at home.

The Hub is part of the Scotland‑wide Lend & Mend network, a pioneering initiative managed by the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC), which supports communities to adopt circular‑economy habits by providing the tools, skills and confidence to repair and reuse everyday items.

Co‑designed by SLIC and Orkney Library, the expanded collection reflects local community needs following requests for these items from local residents.

Alison Nolan, chief executive of SLIC, said:

“Public libraries are uniquely placed to support this kind of practical climate action. By co‑designing these Hubs with local teams, we ensure they reflect the needs of the communities they serve, providing free access to tools, resources and learning that help people save money, reduce waste and build new skills.

“The expansion of the Orkney Lend & Mend Hub collection marks another exciting step in a movement that began with a simple idea – helping people repair and reuse what they already have. By adding cycle repair kits and stands, the Hub is opening up even more opportunities for people to maintain their bikes, support active travel and make choices that fit their everyday lives.

“This is about more than borrowing equipment, it’s about supporting wellbeing, building confidence and strengthening community resilience. We’re proud to continue growing the Hub in ways that genuinely benefit people across Orkney.”

All Orkney Library members can access the Lend & Mend Hub at Orkney Library. To view the collection in full, visit: Library of Things.

For more information about Scotland’s Lend & Mend Hubs, including SLIC’s executive summary of the project’s impact, visit: Lend and Mend

SLIC’s pioneering ‘Lend and Mend Hubs’ proposition was announced as one of just four UK projects selected to receive funding from The John Lewis Partnership’s £1m Circular Future Fund in 2022.

Lend and Mend Hubs were developed in nine libraries:

• Aberdeen Central Library
• A K Bell Library, Perth
• Forfar Library
• Girvan Library
• Kilbirnie Library
• Midlothian Libraries, Gorebridge
  • (Midlothian has since extended to two further locations – Loanhead and Danderhall)
• Orkney Library and Archive
• Southwest Library, Greenock
• Wester Hailes Library, Edinburgh