Page references given in italics indicate captioned illustrations.
Abbey, Edward, 98
access, ease of, 168
accident prevention, 180
adaptive maintenance, 85
African Americans, 126, 141–42
agency: personal, 55, 92; shared, 92–93
Agency by Design, 134
air pollution, 67
Albert Wisner Public Library (Warwick, NY), 188
Aldrich, Rebekkah Smith, 127
Alexander, Paul, 157–58
Allende, Isabel, 145
Ambassador in Training program (Earth to Autism), 154
American Bankers Association, 48
American Education Association, 48
American Home Economics Association, 131
American Library Association Sustainability Roundtable, 127
American Sustainable Business Council, 157
Amna Suraka Prison (Sulaymaniyah, Iraq), 91
Amsterdam (Netherlands), 4–5, 91, 98, 115, 225
Anstiftung Foundation, 115
“Anthem” (song; Cohen), 88
Anthropocene, Age of the, 57–58, 92
antique repair, 30–31
Apollo 13 spacecraft, 134–35
Apollo 17 spacecraft, 135
Apple, 113
Appliance Parts, 232
appliance repair, 114–17, 232, 233
Arbor Day, 191
Arditi, Stephanie, 115–16
Aristotle, 2
arpilleras (Chilean folk art), 138
ARRL Amateur Radio Handbook, 54
Arroyo S.E.C.O. Network of Time Banks, 124
articulation, 77
artisinal economy, 68
Association of Global Automakers, 101
Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, 108–9
attention economy, 68
Austin (TX), 194
Austin Branch Public Library (Chicago, IL), 126
automobile junkyards, 52
auto repair shops, 108
baby stroller repair, 150–51, 151
Banovic, Katy, 37
Bard College (Annandale-on-Hudson, NY), 159
Barrington, Linda, 190
Barron, Barb, 24
Bastanza, Larry, 24
BBC, 115–16
Beacon Repair Cafe (Beacon, NY), 146
beauty, 86
Belgium, 225
Benedict of Nursia, 145
Bengaluru (India), 16
Benjamin, Vernon, 183
Bennett Community School (Buffalo, NY), 241
Bergman, Roger, 24, 30–31, 218–21
Berkeley (CA), 14, 64, 133–34, 188, 193
Berkeley Public Library (Berkeley, CA), 129, 133, 188
Berkeley Repair Cafe (Berkeley, CA), 194
Berkowitz, Bob (“Fixit”), 24, 26–27, 173, 198–201
Berlin (Germany), 91
Berry, Jennifer, 145
Best Buy, 113
bicycle repair: for donations, 148–50; how-to advice about, 218–21; parts required for, 173; at Repair Cafes, 8, 21, 23, 24; repair coaches capable of, 170; safety issues, 177; Tool Libraries and, 128
bicycle repair videos, 219–20
bicycle safety demos, 188
bicycle technicians, professional, 220–21
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, 155
Blake, Noah, 86–87
blitz gardens, 124
Bloomington (IL), 128
Blumenthal, Micah, 142
boat repair/maintenance, 139–41
Bolivia, 16
Bolton Repair Cafe (Bolton, MA), 21, 195
Bono, Joan, 23–24, 37, 39, 210–12
Boomerang Bags Cape Cod (Wellfleet, MA), 20, 188
boro textiles, 136
Boscher, Ken Fix It, 206–7
Boston University, 61
Botsman, Rachel, 71–72
“Bought and Sold” (song; Williams), 121
Boy Scouts, 48
Brand, Stewart, 55
Braungart, Michael, 68
Brave New World (Huxley), 51–52
British Health Ministry, 88
“Broken? Fix It!” exhibition (Long Island Children’s Museum), 138–39
broken items: number allowed, at Repair Cafes, 178–79; outcomes possible for, 8–9; remedy options (“hierarchy of remedies”), 102–3; unfixable, 179–80
Brother to Brother Foundation, 150
Brummel, Therese, 124
burial ground protection, 141–42
Butterick, Ebenezer, 53–54
Butterick, Ellen, 53–54
cafe table, 175–76
calendar listings, 165
California Polytechnic State University, 98
Cape Cod (MA), 221
Caradonna, Jeremy, 58
carbon dioxide emissions, 11, 61–62, 92
cardboard recycling, 61
career pathway programs, 132
car makers, 101
Carras, Steve, 36
Carson, Rachel, 58
Carter, Jackie, 30
Cary (NC), 192
Cary Senior Center (Cary, NC), 22
Cary Teen Council (Cary, NC), 22
“Case for Collaborative Consumption, The” (TED Talk; Botsman), 71–72
Casey, Felicia, 8
Catskill Mountain Railroad, 36
ceramics repair, 166
chair repair, 215–18
Charlottesville (VA), 121
Cheney, Scott, 34
Chicago (IL), 39, 126, 127–28, 187
Chicago Public Library (Chicago, IL), 130
Chicago Tool Library (Chicago, IL), 130
children’s involvement, 32–34, 82, 177, 182, 251–52
Christiansburg (VA), 193
churches. See faith communities; religious institutions
circular craft centers, 64, 227–28
circular economy, 68–70, 71, 87–88, 227–28
civic clubs, 189
Clackamas County (OR), 187
Clearwater (sloop), 59–60, 139–41
Cleveland (OH), 61
Climate Action Coalitions, 191, 192
climate activism, 3
climate crisis, 15, 65; social costs of, 66–67
Climate Smart Communities (CSCs), 191
Clinton Avenue United Methodist Church (Kingston, NY), 184
clock repair, 26
Closing Circle, The (Commoner), 58
clothing repairs: brand activism and, 159–60; demos about, 188; hemming, 179; how-to advice about, 207–10, 212–14; need for, 124; relationships preserved through, 79, 146; at Repair Cafes, 8, 23–24, 37–39, 124, 166, 188; repair coaches capable of, 23–24, 170; visible mending, 88–90
clothing swaps, 156–57, 212–13
Coalition of Gresham Neighborhood Associations, 189
Cohen, Leonard, 88
collaborative economy, 68
college students, 3, 19–20, 65, 159
Colorado, 5
Columbia (MD), 244
Commoner, Barry, 58
community centers, 168
community land trusts, 142
community repair: benefits of, 173; libraries and, 125–27; local businesses and, 172–73; Repair Cafes and, 123, 177–78, 226; self-sufficiency and, 146–48; social ecosystem of, 155; Tool Libraries and, 127–30; Transition Towns and, 124. See also community repair events
community repair events, 174; authors’ experience, 7–8; benefits of, 2–3, 32, 154–55; coaches involved in, 10–11; “core” repair categories, 8; examples of, 19–22 (see also New Paltz Repair Cafe; Warwick Repair Cafe; specific Repair Cafe); expenses involved in, 24; frequency of, 185; as global, 73; inclusiveness of, 152–55; as interpersonal transactions, 2, 177–78; items repaired during, 3, 8–9, 26–31, 84–85, 89; local organization of, 3, 73; media coverage of, 3; partners/sponsors of, 186–94; projects similar to, 155–57; reasons for, 4, 33, 116–17; repair diagnosis at, 26–27; as shared prosperity, 72; in USA, 5–6; waste reduction through, 73. See also Fixit Clinics; Repair Cafes
community repair events, starting/managing, 160; creative educational possibilities, 181–85; equipment organization, 172–76; event frequency, 185; event visit preceding, 161; follow-up reports/activities, 185–86; hospitality, 175–76; information resources, 194; location search, 168–69; monetary donations and, 173–74; partner/sponsor search, 186–94; promotional materials, 172, 174, 239–44; rules, 176–81; tools/equipment for, 172–76; volunteer organization, 169–72; volunteer search, 163–68, 242, 247–49
community resilience, 4, 12, 63, 98
Community2gether, 245
Confucius, 35
connections, lost, 76–77
Conrad Sulzer Regional Library (Chicago, IL), 187
Constitutional Convention (Philadelphia; 1787), 12–13
consumer advocacy, 104–6
consumer economy: circular economy vs., 69, 71, 227; history of, 46–47, 50–53; Repair Cafes as challenge to, 12, 33; throwaway culture and, 1–2, 69; use of term, 66
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, 105
Consumer Reports, 101
consumers, 103
convenience, 120
Cornell University, 77
corporate anti-repair policies, 14
corrective maintenance, 85
cost/benefit analysis, 83–84
Council of Economic Advisors, 53
counterculture, 55
county waste management agencies, 3
Cradle to Cradle (McDonough and Braungart), 12, 68
craeft, 87–88
Craeft (Langlands), 87
Crawford, Matthew, 92, 97–98, 132
Creative Commons, 112
credit unions, 48
Creed or Chaos (Sayers), 58
Crilly, Lauren, 151
Cuba, 84
Culture of Repair Project, 14, 133–34, 193, 194
curiosity, 4
Dare to Repair Cafe (Buffalo, NY), 241
Data for Progress, 106
Dawes, Jon, 151
decommodification, 156
degrowth, 156
deindustrialization, 120–21
Delineator, The (magazine), 54
Democracy in America (de Tocqueville), 61
Democratic Party, 106
Denver Tool Library (Denver, CO), 129
DePauw, Damian, 34
depression, 88
Desmond-Fish Public Library Repair Cafe (Garrison, NY), 122
diagnosis, 26–27, 202–4, 223–24
Diary of an Early American Boy (Sloane), 86–87
digital device repair, 24, 33, 108, 113, 166, 221–24. See also electronics
digital locks, 102
digital multimeter (DMM), 197–98, 200, 203
Digital Right to Repair Coalition, 104
digital starter kits, 194
Dirt magazine, 207–8
displaced people, 151
DIY activism, 14
DIY Network, 232
doll repair, 39
donations, monetary, 37, 42, 173–74
Dopesick (Macy), 123
Drake, Edwin, 46
Drawdown (ed. Hawken), 92–93
Dryzek, John, 58
DuckDuckGo, 232
duct tape, 135
Dutchess County (NY) Soil and Water Conservation District, 192
Earth to Autism (E2A), 154
Eastern Bank, 157
E. Butterick & Company, 54
Ecodesign Directive (EU), 114–15
economic models, 66–67. See also circular economy; consumer economy; sharing economy
Economist, The, 85
eco-tribalism, 15
Edgerton, David, 84
education: community repair and, 142; intergenerational, 125; libraries and, 125; repair as opportunity for, 14–15; Repair Cafes and, 3, 193; repair in the classroom and, 130–34, 229–30
“Effort to Bury a Throwaway Culture One Repair at a Time, An” (interview), 5
egalitarianism, 12
Ehrlich, Anne, 58
Ehrlich, Paul, 58
Eisenhower, Dwight D., 53
Eldridge, Barry, 29
electrical repair, 23, 24, 28–30, 166, 170, 196–98, 236–37. See also lamp repair
electrical supplies, 236–37
electronics: complexity of, 102; recycling of, 61; repair coaches knowledgeable in, 170; repairing of, at Repair Cafes, 23, 24, 33, 113, 124, 146, 166; repair tips/advice, 221–24; right to repair, 100–102, 104–5, 106; as waste, 57, 109, 112
Elks Clubs, 189
Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 68–69
Ellensburg (WA), 5, 20, 178, 185
embedded software, 100–101
Emerson, Ralph Waldo, 47–48
Empire State Railroad Museum, 36
“Ending the Depression through Planned Obsolescence” (pamphlet), 51
end user agreements, 102
environmentalism, 4–5, 15, 57, 60
environmental organizations, 192
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 60, 109
environmental repair, 58–61
equipment, 172–76
Erie people, 46
Estés, Clarissa Pinkola, 16
Eugene (OR), 63–64
European Commission, 115
European Environment Bureau, 115–16
European Union, 114–15
extraction, 46–47. See also consumer economy
fablabs, 192–93
Factory Man (Macy), 123
failure-finding maintenance, 85
Fairbanks (AK), 5
faith communities, 3, 168, 188–89
family, 195–96
Family Handyman, 232
family involvement, 32–34
farm equipment, right to repair, 102, 105–6
farmers’ markets, 168
fast fashion, 90, 156, 158–59, 160
FCS (family and consumer sciences) classes, 131
Federalist Papers, 139
Federal Trade Commission (FTC), 106–9
felting, 89
Fernandez, Mario, 31
Ferris, Jennifer, 196
Festival of Maintenance, 84
Fick, Don, 192
Finger Lakes ReUse, 194
Finlay, Ryan, 102
First Congregational Church (Willimantic, CT), 166
Fischetti, Jerry, 24
Fisher, Eileen, 158
501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, 192
Fixers Collective (Brooklyn, NY), 14, 91
Fixit Clinic (Berkeley, CA), 14, 194
Fixit Clinic (Wellfleet, MA), 20–21, 221, 242
Fixit Clinics, 110; founding of, 11, 14; libraries and, 127; as Open Repair Alliance cofounder, 115; partners/sponsors of, 191–92; promotional materials of, 242; repair coaches at, 81–82; Right to Repair movement lobbying efforts of, 105; starter kit available from, 194; STEM-oriented, 188; volunteer searches, 164, 242
Fix-it Clubs, 133
Fix It Sisters Sheds, 88
Fixometer, 116
Fixup (New York, NY), 113–14
Florence Sawyer School (Bolton, MA), 21
Florida, 153–54
Foley, Jed, 20
follow-up reports/activities, 185–86
food networks, 124
Ford, Ed, 142
Forman, Emily, 42–43
Forrestal Heights public housing complex (Beacon, NY), 146
47th Ward Repair Cafe (Chicago, IL), 187
fossil fuel industry, 158
Francis College of Engineering (Lowell, MA), 190
Franke, Katherine, 142
Franklin (MA), 125
Franklin, Benjamin, 1, 47, 48, 125
Free to Take tables, 184
Furneau, Nanette, 25
Gallup polls, 57
game repair, 8
Gangemi, Jo, 183
garbage, 57, 61, 63–64. See also waste
Garthwaite, Betsy, 59
Genesis, Book of, 93–94
gentrification, 141
Gila National Forest (NM), 50
Gilded Age, 46–47
Girl Scouts, 48
Glasgow Repair Cafe (Glasgow, Scotland), 150–51, 151
global warming, 93. See also climate crisis
glue stations, 184
Gochal, Teresa, 25
Goldberg, Brian, 136, 137–38, 143
Goldmark, Sandra, 113
GoodSearch, 232
“Good Stuff” (NYC retail initiative), 113–14
Google, 232
Goshen (NY), 31
Green Business Partnership Certification programs, 187
Greene, Manna Jo, 11
GreenFaith coalition, 189
Green Fence rules (China), 62
green living tips/services, 184
Green Muslims of New Jersey, 189
Green Ossining Repair Cafe (Ossining, NY), 32, 184
GreenWaste (Palo Alto, CA), 187
greeters, 170
gross domestic product (GDP), 66
Guldenbrein, Sarah, 156–57
H&M Group, 158–59
Habitat for Humanity ReStores, 15, 148–49, 193–94
hackerspaces, 192–93
Haise, Fred, 135
Hamilton, Alexander, 139
Harambee (Kingston, NY), 142
hardware stores, 172–73
Hargett, Noah, 146
Harnick, Misha, 169
Harper, Raheli, 23–24, 32, 89, 207–10
Hart, Jay, 32
Hausa people, 75
Hawken, Paul, 92–93
Heathkit, 54
Herman Badillo Bilingual Academy (Buffalo, NY), 241
Hidden Persuaders (Packard), 57–58
high school students, 3
historical societies, 190–91
HNL Tool Library (Honolulu, HI), 129
Holdner, Joe, 42–43
hole patching, 207–10
home, repair centered in, 119–20, 195–96
home appliances, 109–10
home economics classes, 131
home economy, 53–54
home electronics kits, 54–55
homeownership, 120
honesty, 13
Honesty Room, The (album; Williams), 120
Honolulu (HI), 5
Hoover, Erik, 82
Hopkins, Rob, 123–24
hospitality: radical, 14, 144–45, 151; at Repair Cafes, 143–44, 171, 175–76; simple, 143; traditions of, 144
housing, affordable, 141
Houston (TX), 5
How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive (Muir), 56, 57
HP, 113
HRH Care — Alamo Farmworkers Community Center (Goshen, NY), 31
Hudson River, 59–60, 61, 139–40
Hudson River Fisherman’s Association, 60
Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, 139–40
Hudson River Sloop Singers, 59–60
Hudson Valley Repair Cafes (NY), 30; founding of, 76; items repaired at, 86; logo of, 23, 167; number of, 181; partners/sponsors of, 192; positive proximity and, 122–23; promotional materials of, 239; rules at, 239. See also New Paltz Repair Cafe (New Paltz, NY); Warwick Repair Cafe (Warwick, NY); specific Repair Cafe
Huebner, Elizabeth, 165–66
Humane Society, 155
Hunza Valley (Pakistan), 123–24
Hussein, Saddam, 91
Huxley, Aldous, 51–52
Huxley, T.H., 77
iceberg model, 83–84
iFixit, 110; open-source repair culture and, 114, 115; partnerships of, 113; Repair Guides, 111, 232; Repair Manifesto, 98, 99; Tech Writing Project, 112
IKEA, 159
imperfection, beauty in (wabi-sabi), 14, 86
incineration, 63
Independent Order of Odd Fellows, 189
Independent Order of Odd Fellows Cemetery (Ellensburg, WA), 20
independent voters, 106
Indigenous peoples, 14
“Ink Cartridges Are a Scam” (YouTube video), 102
Institute for Local Self-Reliance, 62
Institute for the Future, 81
Institute of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, 66
intergenerational education, 3, 125
International Resource Panel (UN), 69–70
interpersonal skills, 10, 121–22, 164
inventions, 47
iPad Rehab, 102
Irvin, Kate, 136
Islam, 189
Ithaca Fixers Collective, 194
James, Ellen, 8
James, Larry, 25
jewelry repair: relationships preserved through, 146; at Repair Cafes, 8, 23, 24, 40–41, 166, 179–80; repair coaches capable of, 24, 143, 170, 179–80
Jobs, Steve, 55
job tickets, 246
job training, 63
Johansen, Peggy, 125–26
John Deere, 102
Johnson, Lucy, 45
Johnston, Colleen M., 34
Jones, Jessa, 102
Jones-D’Agostino, Steve, 231
Joscelyn, Tom, 82
Jump, Gordon, 110
Kabbalah, 94
Karlin, Cheryl, 24–25
“Keeping Cool in the Age of Climate Change” conference, 61–62
Kenya, 84
Kids Take It Apart tables, 182, 251–52
Kingston (NY), 140, 141–42, 148–50, 184
Kingston Land Trust, 142
Kingston Midtown Rising, 146
Kingston Repair Cafe (Kingston, NY), 184
Kinsey, Ray, 126
KitchenAid, 110
kitchen appliance repair, 8, 28–29, 109–10, 233
Kiwanis Clubs, 189
Kline, David, 42–43
Klinenberg, Eric, 125
knife/tool sharpening: demos about, 188; history of, 79; at Repair Cafes, 8, 23, 24, 35–36, 41–42, 166, 188
Knight, Elizabeth, 7–8, 144, 152, 166–67, 195–96
Knights of Columbus, 188–89
Koren, Leonard, 86
Kotler, Philip, 157
Kricker, Jim, 140
Kula, Irwin, 95–96
Kurdistan, 91
Lady Lions, 125
Lambert, Kelly, 88
lamp repair: how-to advice about, 198–201; multimeters and troubleshooting for, 196, 197, 198; parts required for, 173, 235–36; at Repair Cafes, 8, 26–27, 35, 40, 166; rules concerning, 178
land trusts, 192
Lane, Barbara, 40–41, 143, 179
La Paz (Bolivia), 16
Ledgerwood, Anne, 151
Legeay, Vallerie, 183
Lego repairs, 91
liability waivers, 25, 180–81, 248–49
libraries, 3, 125–27, 168, 187–88
Library Journal, 188
library tables, 184
life skills classes, 131–32
Lifting Depression (Lambert), 88
Lilkas-Rain, Dan, 62
Lincoln Repair Cafe (Lincoln, NE), 145
linear economy. See consumer economy Link, Kimiko, 8
listening corners, 183
Liu, Mark, 158
lobbies, 105
local food systems, 124
local government, 187
Locust Lawn House and Farm, 87, 191
London (England), 144
London Fog, 67
London School of Economics, 71
Long Beach Time Exchange, 193
Long Island Children’s Museum, 138–39, 139
Los Angeles (CA), 124
Lovell, Jim, 135
Lowe, Aaron, 101
Lowell (MA), 190
Luria, Isaac, 93–94
Ma, Fiona, 62
MacGyver (TV show), 106–8
Macy, Beth, 123
Made to Break (Slade), 51
Magic Quartz Cookers, 8
Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (1975), 106
Maintainers, 84
maintenance, 83–85, 86, 113, 137–38, 140–41
Maker education, 134
makerspaces, 192–93
Mali, 137
Malki!, David, 80
malls, 121
Mamakating Library (Mamakating, NY), 125
Manchester Declaration, 115
Manhattan Solid Waste Advisory Board, 72
Manual of Mending and Repairing (1896), 48
manufacturers, 103
manufacturers’ service manuals, 228, 231–32
Maplewood Repair Cafe (Maplewood, NJ), 178
Marcario, Rose, 159–60
marketing, 172
Marketing Journal, 157
Massachusetts, 21, 73, 101, 104
Massachusetts Memorandum of Understanding (2012), 108
massage therapy, 183
Mass Green Network, 192
materials economy. See consumer economy
mattress recycling, 64
Maxwell, Joan, 25
Maytag Corporation, 109–10
McCloud, Kevin, 45
McConnell, Austin, 102
McKinsey & Company, 68–69
Meadowcroft Rockshelter (PA), 45–46
media coverage, 3, 4, 60, 106, 115–16, 165
mendfulness, 89
Mendfulness and the Long Journey to Repair (Rodabaugh), 89, 119
mending, visible, 88–90
Mend It Better (Roach), 208
Men’s Sheds movement, 88
Ment, Jonathan, 40
mercury, 61
Merriam-Webster, 75
Méry, Panda, 152–53
Mexico, 16
Michigan, 104
Mickens, Teryl, 146
Microsoft, 232
Middletown Repair Cafe (Middletown, NY), 29
millennial generation, 157
mindfulness, 89
mining, 46–47
monastic practices, 14
Monkey Wrench Gang, The (Abbey), 98
morality: economic progress as, 46–47; thrift movement and, 65
Morelle, Joe, 105
Moscow Repair Cafe (Moscow, ID), 30
mosques. See religious institutions
Motorola, 113
Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair Act (MA; 2012), 101
movie theaters, local business promotion at, 167–68
Movius, Hal, 121–22
Mt. Hood Community College, 189
Muir, John (conservationist), 49–50
Muir, John (manual author), 56, 57
Museum of Early American Tools, A (Sloane), 47
museums, 136–39, 139, 140, 168, 190–91
music, 185
musical instrument repair, 34, 185
“My Dirty Stream” (song; Seeger), 59–60
Nakada, Jeanette, 145
National Audubon Society, 192
National Geographic, 59
National Register of Historic Places, 140
National Reuse Day, 191
National Sword policy (China), 62
National Thrift Week, 48
Native Americans, 45–46
NBC Nightly News, 3
neighborhood associations, 189
Neil, Denise, 159
Netherlands, 4–5, 64, 132–33, 225, 229–30. See also Amsterdam (Netherlands)
neurodivergents (NDs), 152–53, 169
Newburgh Repair Cafe (Newburgh, NY), 34, 243
Newburyport (MA), 32
Newburyport Repair Cafe (Newburyport, MA), 34, 36
Newcomers Clubs, 189
New Hampshire, 104
Newman, Joel, 72
New Morning (TV series), 95
New Paltz (NY), 189–90
New Paltz Repair Cafe (New Paltz, NY): benefits of, 3; coaches involved in, 191, 215; creative educational opportunities at, 182–83; history of, 5; hospitality at, 145; hosts/sponsors of, 145; items repaired at, 27–28, 41, 176; media coverage of, 3; safety at, 176
new product releases, 111
New River Valley TimeBank (Christiansburg, VA), 193
New York (NY), 113–14
New York State, 5–6, 61–62, 72–73, 104, 140–41
New York State Assembly, 105
New York State Department, of Environmental Conservation 72–73
New York Times, 4, 62, 102, 106
“Nixing the Fix: A Workshop on Repair Restrictions” symposium (Washington, DC; 2019), 106–9
nonprofit organizations, 192
Northeast Recycling Council, 2
nutritional tips/services, 184
obsolescence: perceived, 57–58; planned, 51, 57, 102, 109–10, 114–17, 228
Ohio, 5
oil spills, 60
oil wells, 46
Omega Institute (Rhinebeck, NY), 92–93
“on call” status, 177
online repair resources, 111–12, 219–20, 231–33
Open Repair Alliance, 115, 116
Oracle, 104
organic fabrics, 158
organizing committees, 172
Ossining (NY), 191
overconsumption, 65
Oxford English Dictionary, 75
packaging, plastic, 62
Packard, Vance, 57–58
Paintner, Christine Valters, 145
Pakistan, 123–24
Palaces for the People (Klinenberg), 125
Paleo-Indians, 45–46
Palo Alto (CA), 5
Palo Alto Repair Cafe (Palo Alto, CA), 19–20, 187
Pamuk, Orhan, 138
Pang, Alex, 81
Panico, Dave, 148–49
paper recycling, 61
parking, 168
parties, 186
partnerships, 186–94
patching, 207–10
Pawar, Ameya, 187
PCBs, 61
Pennysaver, 149
perfective maintenance, 85
Pescovitz, David, 81
Pfau, Catherine, 21
Pfau, Ray, 21
Pfitzner, Jim, 24
Philadelphia (PA), 5
Phoenixville Repair Cafe (Phoenixville, PA), 21, 192–93
photographers, 171
photo restoration, 182–83
Picard, Joe, 166
picnics, 186
Pine Street African Burial Ground, 141–42
Pinochet, Augusto, 138
Pirsig, Robert, 97
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 106
Pittsfield (MA), 5
Pittsfield Repair Cafe (Pittsfield, MA), 178
placemaking, 122
plastics: alternatives to, 188; recycling of, 61; as single-use packaging, 62, 188; as waste, 57
Platform21 artist collective, 91, 98
Politics of the Earth, The (Dryzek), 58
Polman, Paul, 70
polystyrene foam recycling, 64
Poor Richard’s Almanac (Franklin), 1, 47
Popular Electronics (magazine), 54
Popular Mechanics (magazine), 54
Population Bomb, The (Ehrlich and Ehrlich), 58
Portland (OR), 146, 156–57, 178, 186, 240
Portland Repair Finder (Portland, OR), 72, 113
postcarbon economy, 116
Post Landfill Action Network (PLAN), 65
Postma, Martine, 4–5, 85, 91, 93, 98, 181, 225–30
potlucks, 186
PowerPoint presentations, 164
Pramageddon (Glasgow, Scotland), 150–51, 151
presentations, 164
preservation alliances, 192
press releases, 165
preventative maintenance, 85
“printer conversation,” 100
Proctor, Nathan, 104
Project Drawdown, 92–93
promotional materials, 172, 174, 239–44
Proteus Gowanus, 91
Putnam County (NY), 192
Putzfrau (boat), 59
Pym, Celia, 79
Quaker Earthcare Witness, 189
Quiet Crisis, The (Udall), 58
radical hospitality, 14, 144–45, 151
railroads, 46–47
recycling: brand activism and, 158–59; community repair events and, 156; conferences promoting, 61–62; economy of, vs. circular economy, 69, 87–88; exporting of, 61, 62; recyclability and, 62–63; repair vs., 87–88; resource recovery and, 63–64, 72–73
“Re-defining Value: The Manufacturing Revolution” (UN report; 2018), 69–70
Reduce-Reuse-Recycle, 72
Reduce-Reuse-Recycle Conference (New York State; 2017), 61–62
refreshment captains, 171
refugees, 151
Refuweegee, 151
regenerative economy, 68
registration team, 170
religious institutions, 188–89
remanufacturing technologies, 69–70, 158–59
Renew (Eileen Fisher clothing brand), 158
repair: as agency, 92–93; broken world thinking and, 78; connection and, 76–77; corporate restrictions on, 14, 100–102, 106–9 (see also Right to Repair movement); as cultural/political expression, 91; demos, 188; etymology of, 75; home as center of, 119–20, 195–96; inclusive, 152–55; maintenance and, 83–85, 86, 137–38, 140–41; in museums, 136–39, 139; open-source, 114–17; parts required for, 76, 172, 173, 228, 232–33, 235–36, 251–52; as political act, 91, 100–102; recycling vs., 87–88; relativity and, 79; repare vs., 75–76; safety issues, 109; in space, 134–35; supply boxes for, 237; as tinkering, 79–82; visible, 88–90; waste reduction through, 72–73; wisdom of, 14, 86–88, 93–96. See also repair culture; repair tips/advice
Repair and Design Futures exhibition (RISD Museum; 2018), 136–38
“Repair Cafe: Creating Agency through Fixing Stuff and Strengthening Communities” (presentation; Postma), 93
Repair Café International Foundation: data collected by, 11, 116; digital starter kit available from, 194; founding of, 5; future scenarios of, 227; motto of, 4; as Open Repair Alliance member, 115; registrations with, 187; Repair Café house rules and, 181; RepairMonitor created by, 116; repair primary school curriculum created by, 132–33, 229–30
Repair Cafe NC (Research Triangle, NC), 21–22, 178, 192
Repair Cafes: age concerns, 229; agency at, 93; attendance rates, 11; authors’ experience, 7–8, 61–62; benefits of, 93, 123, 225–26; as community-building events, 177–78; equipment for, 172–76; examples of, 19–22 (see also New Paltz Repair Cafe; Warwick Repair Cafe; specific Repair Cafe); future scenarios for, 229–30; as global, 15–16, 225; as grassroots efforts, 161; history of, 225; hospitality at, 143–44, 175–76; impact of, 11–12, 15, 226–27; items repaired at, 84–85, 89–90, 100, 178–80; libraries and, 127; monetary donations to, 174; motto of, 12–13; partners/sponsors of, 186–94; promotional materials, 239–44; right-to-repair lobbying efforts of, 105; rules at, 176–81, 239; starting, 16–17, 125 (see also community repair events, starting/managing); success rate, 11; tinkering and, 81–82; Transition Town–sponsored, 124; use of term, 144; wisdom of, 95–96. See also individual Repair Cafe under place name
Repair Cafes (Chicago, IL), 39, 187
Repair Clinic, 233
repair coaches: career backgrounds of, 10, 77; categories of, 170; as classroom teachers, 132, 229–30; curiosity of, 14–15; expenses of, 174; finding, 20, 163–68, 242, 247–49; first-time, 173; how-to advice from (see repair tips/advice); NDs as, 152–53, 169; online resources recommended by, 231–33; preparatory meeting of, 20–21; responsibilities of, 77, 170; skills required of, 10–11; as tinkerers, 81–82; tipping of, 173–74; tools of, 173, 176; trial-and-error approach of, 28; at Warwick Repair Cafe, 23–24
repair culture: American, 5–6; authors’ experience, 7–8; benefits of, 2–3, 6; circular economy and, 69–70; collaborative, 113–14; education about, 139; as educational, 14–15; future scenario, 227–30; as global, 13, 15–16, 84; history of, 1, 4–5, 13–14, 45–46, 52; impact of, 11–12; media coverage of, 3, 4; social context of, 14; throwaway culture vs., 2, 4, 33, 229; Transition Towns and, 124; wisdom of, 87–88. See also community repair events
repair economy: building, 113–14; information access for, 110–12
Repair Fair (Milwaukie, OR), 34, 187
Repair in the Classroom curriculum, 132–33, 229–30
repair literacy, 131
repair manuals, 228
RepairMonitor, 116
RepairPartsPlus, 233
Repair PDX (Portland, OR), 146, 156, 186, 240
Repair: Redeeming the Promise of Abolition (Franke), 142
Repair: The Impulse to Restore in a Fragile World (Spelman), 119–20
repair tips/advice: bicycles, 218–21; clothing, 207–10, 212–14; digital devices, 221–24; electrical appliances, 196–98; lamps, 198–201; multimeter use, 196–98; sewing machines, 206–7; teddy bears, 210–12; vacuums, 201–6; wooden chairs, 215–18; zippers, 212–14
Research Triangle (NC), 5, 21–22, 178
“Resident Opportunity and Self-Sufficiency” program (HUD), 146
resource recovery agencies, 3
resource recovery parks, 63–64
Restart (UK repair movement), 84, 115, 116, 144, 152
Restart Party Kit, 194
restoration, 140
Restoring the Clearwater (film; 2017), 140
“Rethinking Repair” (Jackson), 77–78, 79
retirees, 190
reuse: agency through, 92; brand activism and, 15, 158; circular craft centers and, 227–28; circular economy and, 68; 69–70, 87, 115; conferences, 61–62; creative, 4, 21–22, 192; repairability and, 220; Repair Cafes and, 4, 192; repair economy and 113–14; resource recovery and, 72; Right to Repair movement and, 104; in “seven Rs,” 16, 17; waste as source of, 63–64
reuse centers/stores, 165, 186, 193–94
Revolutionary War, 141
Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), 90, 136, 143. See also RISD Museum (Providence, RI)
Richards, Ellen H., 131
Right to Repair legislation, 101, 104–5
Right to Repair movement, 14; appliance life expectancies and, 109–10, 114–17; corporate repair restrictions and, 100–102, 106–9; European legislation/activism, 114–17; future scenarios for, 228–29; information access and, 110–12; legal principle behind, 100, 101; legislative efforts, 101, 104–5; philosophy behind, 100; recycling and, 72
Rippens, Marty, 112
RISD Museum (Providence, RI), 13, 136–38
Riverkeeper, 192
rivers, repairing, 58–61
Roach, Kristin M., 208
Rockland County (NY), 192
Rodeo City Repair Cafe (Ellensburg, WA), 20, 178, 185
Romeo, Robin, 30
Rosenberg, Renee Lee, 179
Rosewood Repair Café (Portland, OR), 240
Rouleau, Jim, 195
Rule of St. Benedict, 144–45
rural lands foundations, 192
Russian speakers, 240
Rutgers University, 66
Salatino, Micaela, 193
Salvation Army, 155
Samsel, Frank, 59
Sand County Almanac, A (Leopold), 50
Santa Barbara (CA), 60
Santiago (Chile), 16
Saratoga Springs Public Library (Saratoga Springs, NY), 133, 187
Saratoga Springs Repair Cafe (Saratoga Springs, NY), 39, 196
Sarkar, Christian, 157
Sarkar, Purnar, 16
sashiko embroidery, 89–90
Saulnier, Raymond, 53
savings and loan associations, 48
Sayers, Dorothy L., 58
Scalli, Leanne, 153–54
scavenger hunts, 155–56
Scenic Hudson (preservation nonprofit), 142
Schenectady (NY), 62
Schenectady Repair Cafe (Schenectady, NY), 39
Schilling, Jo, 147–48
schools, 3, 130–34, 189–90, 193
school-to-work programs, 152
Schor, Juliet, 158
Schumacher, E.F., 58
Schwartz, Steve, 140
Scrap Exchange (Durham, NC), 21–22, 192
scrap yards, 52
Scruggs, Jordan, 146
seamstresses, 89
Sears Parts Direct, 233
Second Chance (Baltimore, MD), 64
Seeger, Toshi, 60
self-reliance, 47–48
self-sufficiency, 146–48
senior associations, 190
service clubs, 189
sewing blogs, 233
sewing machine repair, 30, 206–7
sewing patterns, 53–54
sewing teams, 23–24, 37–39, 40, 89
Shader, Bill, 149–50
sharing economy: community events involving, 155–57; libraries as institutional paradigm for, 125; skill sharing, 124, 147–48, 193, 244; sustainability and, 68; TimeBanks and, 193; Tool Libraries and, 71, 127–30; tool sharing, 70–71, 173; trust as essential to, 71–72; use of term, 68
sharpening. See knife/tool sharpening
Shaw, Nathaniel, 33
Shaw, Raven, 33
Shaw, Zachary, 33
shoe repair, 137–38
Shop Class as Soulcraft (Crawford), 92, 97–98, 132
Sierra Club, 192
Silent Spring (Carson), 58
Singer, Deanne, 23–24, 37, 210, 212–14
Singer, Isaac, 53
skill preservation, 140
skill sharing, 124, 147–48, 193, 244
Skinner, Peter, 19–20
Slade, Giles, 51
slavery reparations, 142
Small Is Beautiful (Schumacher), 58
Smith, Harry, 3
Society of Women Engineers, 190
software, embedded, 100–101
Sommer, John, 193–94
Soparawala, Shradda, 134
So Sew Easy, 233
Soules, Luke, 98
“soul repair,” 184
South Bristol (ME), 139
Southside Elementary School (Buffalo, NY), 241
spacecraft repairs, 134–35
Spelman, Elizabeth V., 79, 119–20
Spinella, Heidi, 36
sponsorships, 186–94
spring cleanup events, 155–56
Springsteen, Bruce, 76
Stanford University (Palo Alto, CA), 19–20, 55
starter kits, 194
Station North Tool Library (Baltimore, MD), 129
St. Enoch Centre (Glasgow, Scotland), 151, 151
Stevens, Brooks, 57–58
Stokes, Carl, 60
storage, 176
St. Petersburg (FL), 5, 153–54
St. Petersburg College (St. Petersburg, FL), 154
St. Petersburg Repair Cafe (St. Petersburg, FL), 154
Strasser, Susan, 16
St. Regis Hotel (New York, NY), 144
Stukes, Leah, 183
St. Vincent de Paul Society of Lane County (Eugene, OR), 63–64
Sullivan County (NY) Human Rights Commission, 125
Sun Microsystems, 104
SUNY (State University of New York), 189–90
supply boxes, 237
Susquehannock people, 46
sustainability: brand activism and, 157–60; clothing swaps and, 156–57; consumer economy vs., 50–53, 57–58; defined, 68; economic models for, 68–72; historical roots of, 47–50, 52, 53–57, 58–61; libraries and, 127; life skills classes and, 131–32; maintenance and, 84; organics vs., 158; recycling and, 61–64; through repair, 72–73; repair culture and, 4–5, 12; repair literacy needed for, 131; resource recovery and, 72–73; rethinking of, 64–67; urban, and tinkering, 81
sustainability clubs, 192
Sustainability Expositions, 193–94
Sustainable Saratoga, 187
Sustainable Warwick, 24, 192, 245
Swap Positive, 156–57
Swigert, Jack, 135
synagogues. See religious institutions
Syracuse (NY), 62
systems thinking, 50
Taylor, Ann Katherine Kittredge, 137
tea, 144
tech culture, 98
TechNet, 233
Technical College High School (Phoenixville, PA), 21, 193
technical skills, 10, 83, 132, 164
technology industry, 104, 105, 112
tech schools, 132
teddy bear repair, 210–12
Temuco (Chile), 16
tenants’ unions, 141
10 Stories of Transition in the U.S. (ed. Hall), 124
Textile Exchange Sustainability Conference, 159
textiles, 8, 53–54, 136–37, 166. See also clothing repairs
Thrift, the History of an American Cultural Movement (Yarrow), 48
thrift movement, 48, 53, 64–65
throwaway culture: consequences of, 100; economic explanation for, 1–2, 69; environmental impact of, 11, 114–15, 228–29; local resistance to, 172–73; public debate about, 228–29; repair culture vs., 2, 4, 33, 229
tikkun olam (repair of the world), 14, 93–96
Time Bank Project Tables, 244
TimeBanks, 34, 119, 124, 193, 244
Time Bank Skill Share Fair, 244
“Timeless Art of Repair” events, 87
Tinkerer’s Handbook (Malki!), 80
tinkering, 79–82
Tinkering (Wilson), 80–81
“Tinker Week with Mr. Whitney” (class activity), 133
tipping, 173–74
Titusville (PA), 46
tobacco industry, 158
Tocqueville, Alexis de, 61
Together We Can Timebank, 34
Tonkens, Evelien H., 12
“Too Good to Toss”, 155–56, 212–13
Tool Libraries, 71, 119, 127–30, 241
tools: for community repair events, 172–73, 176, 248; human history of making/using, 45–46, 47; mechanical advantage of using, 130–31; repair of, 170; sharing, 70–71, 173. See also knife/tool sharpening
Toronto Repair Cafe (Toronto, ON, Canada), 170
Towards the Circular Economy (report; 2014), 68–69, 70
toxicity, 90
toy repair, 23, 39, 96, 138–39, 166, 210–12
Tragedy of the Commons, The (Hardin), 58, 67
Transition Berkeley Repair Cafe (Berkeley, CA), 133
Transition Catskills, 40
Transition Howard County (MD), 244
Transition Towns, 124, 191–92, 244
Treat, Tom, 34
troubleshooting, 2, 223–24, 232
True Wealth (Schor), 158
trust, 72
Udall, Stewart, 58
Unete (Mexico), 16
United Kingdom, 73, 84, 88, 115, 116, 144
United Methodist Church (New Paltz, NY), 145, 182–83
United Nations Environment Program, 69–70
United Nations World Commission on Environment, 68
United States: climate change social costs in, 66; deindustrialization of, 120–21; Fixit Clinics in, 11, 14; homeownership and gender in, 120; “malling” of, 121; power grid in, 83; repair as classroom activity in, 133; Repair Cafes in, 5–6, 225
United States Agriculture Department, 52
United States Copyright Office, 101
United States Housing and Urban Development Department, 146
United States Military Academy (West Point, NY), 183
United States Office of War Information, 52
United States Public Interest Research Group, 104
University of Amsterdam (Netherlands), 12
University of New Hampshire, 65
University of Wisconsin, 49, 50
upcycling, 64
Urban Ore, 64
used bicycle economy, 149
Valauri, Ugo, 84
Vancouver Repair Cafe (Vancouver, BC, Canada), 182
variegating, 122
Velveteen Rabbit, The (Williams), 96
Victory Gardens, 52
Vierk, Tessa, 127–30
Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, VA), 193–94
visible mending, 88–90
vocational high schools, 132
volunteer coordinators, 171
volunteers: appreciating, 185–86; finding, 163–68, 242, 247–49; organizing, 169–72. See also repair coaches
VOM (multimeter type), 197
Vormann, Jan, 91
wabi-sabi (Japanese aesthetic philosophy), 14, 86
Wackman, John, 7–8, 49, 62, 70–71, 83, 95, 130
wage economy, 48
waiting lists, 170
Waldorf School (Saratoga Springs, NY), 133
Wall Street Journal, 157–58, 232
warranty disclaimers, 106, 115
Warren, Elizabeth, 105–6
Warwick (NY), 155–56, 188, 192, 212–13. See also Warwick Repair Cafe (Warwick, NY)
Warwick Chamber of Commerce (Warwick, NY), 167
Warwick Friendly Visitor Program (Warwick, NY), 212
Warwick Repair Cafe (Warwick, NY): attendance at, 23; coaches involved in, 23–24, 89, 207, 210–11, 212–13, 218; expenses at, 24; frequency of, 185; further volunteerism by, 31, 36; history of, 22; house rules at, 24–25; inclusiveness of, 152; items repaired at, 26–31, 34–42, 89, 96; Kids Take It Apart table at, 24, 32–33, 251–52; launching of, 166–68; monetary donations to, 37, 42; opening/closing times at, 22–23, 41–43; partners/sponsors of, 24; rules at, 245–46; welcome/check-in at, 24–26
Warwick Senior Center (Warwick, NY), 245
Warwick United Methodist Church (Warwick, NY), 24
Warwick Valley Gardeners Club (Warwick, NY), 212
Washington (DC), 5
waste: environmental impact of, 11; fashion industry and, 90; post-WWII increase in, 57–58; recycling of, 61–64, 72; reduction of, through repair, 72–73; rethinking (“seven Rs”), 17; thrift movement vs., 48, 64–65; throwaway culture and, 228–29
Waste and Want (Strasser), 16
Waste Makers, The (Packard), 57
waste management, 63
waste management agencies, 3
waste management consultants, 171
water pollution, 58–61
WD-40, 207
welcome table, 175
Wellfleet Public Library (Wellfleet, MA), 20–21, 187–88, 221, 242
Wellfleet Recycling Committee (Wellfleet, MA), 20–21, 187–88, 242
Wembley (Australia), 16
Westchester County (NY), 192
What I Found in a Thousand Towns (Williams), 121–22
Whirlpool Corporation, 110
White, Jesse, 109
Whitman, Walt, 98
Whitney, Michael, 133
Whole Earth Catalog, The, 55, 56
“Why We Must Fight for the Right to Repair Our Electronics” (Wiens and Gordon-Byrne), 100
Wickham Works (Warwick, NY), 245
Wiens, Kyle, 98, 100, 104, 110, 111
Wilderness Areas, 50
Williams, Dar, 120–23
Williams, Margery, 96
Willimantic Downtown Country Fair (Willimantic, CT), 165–66
Willimantic Repair Cafe (Willimantic, CT), 166
Willner, Andrew, 56–57
Wilson, Christine, 106–8
Winterling, Ken, 24, 26, 29, 196–98, 201–6
Wisconsin State Historical Society Museum (Madison, WI), 49
wisdom, 13
women: Chilean, folk art by, 138; as homeowners, 120; home seamstresses, 53–54; magazines for, 54
Women Who Run with the Wolves (Estés), 16
Wondermark website, 80
wooden item repair, 8, 23, 36–37, 166, 215–18
wordsmithing, 183
World Commission on Environment (UN), 68
World Economic Forum, 68–69
Yearnings (Kula), 95
YMCA, 48
Young, Marie, 86
Youth Against Plastic Pollution, 192
Youth Soft Skills Empowerment, 152
YouTube, 102, 111–12, 113, 120, 198, 208, 231, 232
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (Pirsig), 97
zipper repairs, 212–14