Repair Cafe Chat Questions & Answers
Chat Q&A
Q: How long do these typically last? Do you ever pay the coaches?
A: We typically designate three hours for the event. Not including a one-hour set up and one-hour clean-up.
A: We feed our coaches - typically pizza and homemade baked goods
Q: Have you found that a particular day of the week or time of day is more popular than others for turn-out?
A: Depends on the type of event - but I would recommend doing this program in winter, if you live in a cold area - people are looking for something to do and the turnout will be bigger.
A: Weekends during the afternoon are also often better for working families.
A: We host ours on Saturdays since we have volunteer coaches that have FT jobs
A: Gardiner's Cafes are on Sundays from 1-4 PM.
Q: Do you need to stock up on basic needs for the café? [Do] Repair Cafes accept $ donations for their services? Donations go to support the café - maybe getting extra switches or wires, batteries - whatever the café would find helpful for the repairers to have a supply of on hand so it's not out of their pocket?
A: Here are some venue criteria for Community Repair Events: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qGs2SIMUKHgToFd4d_DIcuQBdCcPjgAJVBNg9at7ID0/edit?usp=sharing
A: The Saratoga Springs Public Library pays for the "stock" of supplies out of our programming budget. I buy lots of switches and wires. I typically spend $80 per Café - sometimes that includes the pizza
A: Our library bought an iFixit Protech toolkit, a sewing machine, and a basic handtool set for our Fixit Clinic.
A: Paying Fixit Coaches creates a moral hazard but treating them royally in other ways is highly encouraged e.g. food.
Q: What venues do you use to recruit the coaches?
A: Here is an example of a coach recruitment flyer. To recruit coaches we use our library newsletter, website, and social media platforms (FB, IG, TikTok, Twitter), we also send out radio PSAS, local TV PSAs, and newspaper announcements - our local conservation trust and makerspace also send out our flyers for both recruitment of coaches and the actual event
A: The physical flyers are also very effective and we send them out to our neighboring libraries
For those on Long Island, Starflower offers a range of environmental programming
Q: How is the waiver used? Why is it needed?
A: The waiver is used to let participants know that fixes are not guaranteed and that sometimes items are not fixable, could be further damaged, or won't be fixed at the event.
A: We ask participants (who are bringing items to fix) to sign it
A: Here is the Fixit Clinic standard waiver/release form: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tjm095gxfkp2_dUiJZ_vfC9ICKizevKdg6YzxhS9DrU/edit?usp=sharing
Q: Has anyone used a 3-D printer to make missing parts?
Q: Do you limit the quantity of stuff that can be repaired per patron?
A: We haven't had a problem with the quantity of items participants have brought.
A: Sometimes our coaches are so skilled they run out of stuff to repair!
A: But it does depend on how many people come, so it's not a bad idea to have something in place to keep coaches from being tied up if you have a lot of participants.
A: We have not had an issue with that although a line can form, especially around electricians.
A: Fixit Clinic empowers participants to effect repairs rather than fix it for them: that scales better. If the participant is low maintenance, i.e. not taking too much of the repairers' time they can bring as many items as they want.
Q: Do you require registration?
A: I've organized repair events where registration was required and ones where it wasn't. If you use registration software, it can be useful to ask folks what items they intend to bring so that you can have the tools necessary to fix their things.
A: Here is the Fixit Clinic Registration Form: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/14lNfR1scJ53z3UUWgPSR8V4fdN063md6QfBsyM0ZHQ4/edit?usp=sharing
A: Once we know which coaches are coming we will publicize those "specialties".