The group hopes it will get the tools back if the thieves try to take them to pawn shops.

SEATTLE — The West Seattle Tool Library serves thousands of people in the greater Seattle area. But now it's dealing with the loss of many tools, due to a burglary.

“It started with a small group of people borrowing tools from each other and then somebody said maybe we should put these all in one place where we can access them,” Volunteer Steve Itano explained.

The tool library is run by volunteers and funded by donations. That's why the burglary is so disappointing. “They got it open and they took a look, closed the door and came back with a shopping cart,” Itano said.

The thieves helped themselves to several Makita drills, a Makita reciprocating saw, a Craftsman 165-piece mechanics tool set, a custom electronics repair kit, and several other items.

Some come to the tool library for necessary home projects. Others, like Thomas Kroyer, are working on something different.

Kroyer uses a laser cutter on a model he's building in hopes of getting a grant to help with orca research. “When we lose tools, it's not just about the exact tool but about how it impacts the whole community and I feel very sad about it,” he explained.

“It's demoralizing to have somebody steal stuff that their neighbors are going to need,” Itano said.