We live in a time when throwing things away has become almost second nature. Consumer goods are often designed to be replaced rather than repaired, and planned obsolescence has become a disheartening but widely accepted feature of modern life. When a zipper breaks, a computer slows down, or a favorite piece of jewelry loses its clasp, replacing the item can seem easier than finding someone who knows how to fix it. Yet our planet has a finite supply of resources, and every product we manufacture and every service we provide requires energy and materials. At Fairfield Public Library, we believe that we have a responsibility to challenge this throwaway culture and raise the banner for sustainability.
That belief inspired Fix-It Friday, a series of repair workshops developed in 2026 in collaboration with Marg Dwyer, the Southeast Iowa Sierra Club’s library liaison. Together, we’ve brought local repair specialists and community members together to share practical skills and explore alternatives to simply throwing things away. Throughout the year, we’ve hosted workshops focused on jewelry, textiles, and consumer electronics, each offering opportunities to learn from people who understand the value of keeping useful things in service. These gatherings have reminded us that sometimes sustainability starts with a needle and thread, a small tool, or a willingness to find out how to fix something.
On Friday, November 13, from 2–4 p.m., Fairfield Public Library will host the fourth and final Fix-It Friday of 2026. We’re welcoming back the repair specialists who have helped make our earlier workshops a success, while inviting new friends and volunteers to join us. The library’s Meeting Room will become a gathering place for informal presentations, practical advice, and hands-on assistance with textile repair, computer repair, jewelry repair, and general household repairs. If you have something at home that needs fixing, bring it along, and our volunteer repair specialists will do their best to help.
You don’t necessarily need to bring something broken. Perhaps you’ve been curious about how to mend a torn garment or approach a household fix you’ve been putting off. Fix-It Friday is an opportunity to learn by watching, asking questions, and working alongside people who are willing to share what they know. Light refreshments will be served, and the event is free and open to everyone.
For me, one of the most valuable things about these workshops is that they bring together two essential parts of a sustainable community: practical knowledge and human connection. When we learn to repair the things we own, we can conserve resources, reduce waste, and become less dependent on a supply chain that often stretches around the world. And when we share those skills with our neighbors, we also strengthen our capacity to meet everyday needs with the resources already available to us. Public libraries are natural places for this kind of exchange because our mission has always been to make knowledge accessible to everyone, regardless of income or experience.
I hope Fix-It Friday will encourage us to look at the things around us a little differently. A worn garment, a malfunctioning computer, or a broken household item doesn’t always have to be at the end of its useful life; sometimes, it is simply an invitation to learn something new. By making repair a shared community practice, we can take small but meaningful steps toward a more resourceful, resilient, and sustainable future.