Rebecca Trevalyan & Emma Shaw, 2009

Rebecca read Modern & Medieval Languages, and Emma read Natural Sciences at Clare. They are both Co-Founders at the Library of Things.

Who was your greatest Clare influence and why?

Perhaps it’s cheesy, but the person who’s had the greatest ongoing influence on each of our lives is…each other! We’ve lived together, we’ve now worked together for 8 years, we hang out as friends…As business partners, it can sometimes feel like we’re co-parents too, looking after a growing company together.

Rebecca's Story

My time at Clare gave me a deep appreciation for community. Looking back now, it seems so special to have been able to live in such close proximity to over 100 friends and peers in a gorgeous setting – and to have many joyful ‘watering holes’ to bump into each other – the bar, Buttery, the library and all sorts of events. For me, it set the foundation for many lasting adult friendships. 

This delight in community is a strong part of my motivation for starting and growing our social enterprise Library of Things (as well as similar projects I’ve worked on like community workspaces and housing cooperatives). On the face of it, Library of Things helps people save money and reduce waste, by affordably renting out useful items like drills, sound systems and sewing machines. People come through the door because they need a tool for their DIY project or adventure. But the result is a ‘watering hole’ effect – a place and a reason for neighbours to bump into each other and share practical skills. All 11 of our London locations are located in high street hubs like libraries, climate action hubs, arts venues and reuse shops, who tell us ‘we now see new faces coming in – a wide range of people and skills’. We’re now working on replicating this model in neighbourhoods around the country.    

Emma's Story

My love for the natural world brought me to Clare to study Natural Sciences. Specialising in Plant and Microbial science, I became increasingly involved in environmental action and was elected as the Environmental & Ethical Affairs Officer for the Union of Clare Students (UCS). As much as I loved my subject, I spent at least as much time throwing myself into this role, which gave me access to the inner workings of college life. I remember the hours spent designing a new student recycling system, working with the Catering, Housekeeper and Estates teams to overhaul the college bins and rewarding students with Buttery vouchers. Or working with the Bursar and the newly appointed Environmental Fellow to implement a carbon offset scheme for student travel grants. It taught me to use the power of my role as a platform to bring diverse stakeholders together to influence real positive change. 

This power has stayed with me ever since. With Library of Things, I’ve been creating the company’s governance model that prioritises people and planet over profit. In practice, this means that we have people representing our key stakeholders (including our community of borrowers, partners and even the planet!) involved in our strategic decision-making – not just investors.