Library Embraces ‘Spirit of Sustainability’ in the New Year with Repair Cafés
Many items are discarded because it’s often cheaper to buy new ones than to repair what we already own. As a result, more things end up in landfills.
Starting in January, the Library offers a different option: Repair Cafés.
“A Repair Café is where we gather a group of skilled volunteers, and we invite people to bring their broken items to that single location where those volunteers are gathered, and we'll attempt a free fix for them,” explains Leslie Scott, founder and program manager of Re.Use.Full.
Thanks to a Mid-America Regional Council grant, Re.Use.Full, a sustainability nonprofit, hosts a series of Repair Cafés at five Library locations, starting with the Plaza Branch on Saturday, January 10, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
More than 3,000 Repair Cafés are active worldwide, and, in 2024, Re.Use.Full launched them in Kansas City.
People bring in clothing, computers, electronics, jewelry, lamps, and small appliances, but, Scott says, lamps and clothing are the most common. Sometimes, these are family heirlooms that no longer work.
“There's a lot of sentimental value in some of our things,” she says, “and the fact that we have volunteers who can fix them and get them back into use is very meaningful.”
Community Engagement Librarian Haley Lips first heard about Repair Cafés from her mom, who’s volunteered at events in Lawrence. So, she reached out to ReUseFull about partnering to bring them to the Library.
Lips says the events resonate with “the spirit of sustainability” and with the Library’s interest in presenting economically viable programming.
The Repair Café at the Plaza Branch offers mending and bike repair stations, as well as a clothing swap for all ages. Patrons can bring their clean, gently used clothes to trade with others – or simply show up.
“I think, especially in the winter months, this could have some real impact on folks,” Lips says. “Especially because they don't require you to bring anything to take anything. Anyone is more than welcome to come and look through the donations.”
At the Plaza location, organizations such as Magpie Creative Reuse Collective, SOAP Refill Station, and Compost Collective KC will be on-site with activities and resources.
Because these events are growing in popularity, usually drawing 60 to 100 participants, there’s a limit of three items per person. No lawn mowers, space heaters, or engines. And you’re required to keep your stuff with you (no drop-offs allowed).
“I think that a lot of people are kind of looking at more alternative ways to shop or to save, or, you know, to just kind of use the things that we have,” Lips says. “And I think as a library, it's nice to just be able to show that we're committed to being resourceful and being responsible stewards of not only our money but community resources.”
More Repair Cafés are planned for other Library locations in 2026: Trails West Branch in April, Waldo Branch in July, Bluford Branch in October, and North-East Branch in December.
Lips says she hopes these events will create a “ripple effect into the broader world.”