Used Clothing Gets New Life At San Francisco Public Libraries Through Free Fix-It Clinics

CBS Bay Area

June 12, 2026

Used clothing is getting a new makeover inside San Francisco public libraries and avoiding the landfill as part of a unique collaboration between city departments and a local nonprofit.

On a recent Saturday there was a long line of people inside the Parkside branch of the San Francisco Public Library. However, the main activity was not checking out or returning books. With five experts manning sewing machines, crimping scissors, and needles, the focus is on restoring old clothes and bringing them back to life - completely free of charge.

The Clothing Repair Clinics began in 2023, and they circulate in many different branches. The San Francisco Public Library says the program is a partnership with the city's Environment Department and SCRAP, a nonprofit that repuposes surplus art materials for creative use. The program also provides free bike repair clinics at libraries in conjunction with Bay Area Bike Mobile.

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