The Brunswick Tool Library has reopened after being forced from its previous premises by an apartment development.

Late last month volunteers moved the library's hundreds of tools to a small room in a warehouse by the Upfield train line.

Library president Karleng Lim said the non-profit space operated just like a normal lending library, but with users borrowing tools rather than books.

"It's better to borrow a tool than to have to buy one for a single job," she said.

The library operated for nearly three years at the community-run Norm Warehouse in Breese Street before having to move in what Ms Ling described as "a very sad gentrification story".

"The building got sold to developers," she said.

Volunteers Morgan Saletta and Phil Scanlon during the Brunswick Tool Library's move. ( Supplied: Jeff Lawson )

Membership of the library is open to residents of Moreland and surrounding suburbs and was "growing, slowly but surely".

"We'd like to get more members, because our rent has increased quite significantly," Ms Lim said.

Membership 'a good investment'

The library has tools to fix anything from a toaster to a toilet, as well as tools for gardening, woodworking, masonry and metalworking.

Volunteer Per Staurup said the library's $75 membership fee was a good investment for the occasional handyperson.

"If you're looking for a $75 whipper snipper you're probably not going to get very far," he said.

"If you wanted a decent sander that's $200 straight up, so you're already saving a fair bit of money."

He said unlike a book library, most users of the tool library knew exactly what they wanted before walking in the door.

"Mostly they have a project in mind — they need to do some maintenance in the garden, or they want to build some shelves," he said.

Ms Lim said the library had been contacted by groups in other suburbs and interstate looking to replicate the concept in their local area.