Latest addition to the library is new Maker Lounge
Dover Public Library is often a site of innovation, from the items to be checked out to the changing community displays and new uses for old spaces. The latest addition to the library is a new Maker Lounge, where patrons can create all manner of things using some of the latest equipment and technology. The space will be formally unveiled beginning Jan. 20 with a special open house at 10 a.m. and lasting until 4 p.m.
“We’ve been working on getting everything set up since we started bringing the idea to life in the summer,” said Liz Strauss, outreach services manager. “We’ve had a 3-D printer for a few years, but now we have a new resin printer. It works differently, using resin and UV light to build something and cure it layer by layer. So now we have two 3-D printers.”
There also is a sublimation printer, which uses heat to bring ink and things like fabric together for creating custom shirts or mugs.
“It prints with special ink on special paper,” Strauss said, “then it transfers using pressure and heat onto mugs, ornaments, T-shirts and bags.”
The Maker Lounge, set up in a small room next to the community room, is already displaying many objects created using equipment in the new space.
“We also have a laser engraver,” she said, “and a Cricit, a button maker, CNC router, 3-D pens and robots. There are a lot of new things to try out and learn.”
There also are a lot of crafting and scrapbooking supplies available. Strauss, a crafter herself, has been digging into all the new pieces of equipment and learning all she can about their operation. With recording equipment, virtual reality headsets and more, the staff has been busy preparing for public use.
The Cricit machine can be used to create custom-crafted shirts, greeting cards and scrapbooking elements.
“We have free 3-D printing kits you can check out,” Strauss said. “People can really make all kinds of things in this room.”
The initial schedule for opening the Maker Lounge is experimental, Strauss explained. “We’re going to try Mondays 1:30-5 p.m. and Tuesdays 2:30-6:30 p.m. We’re going to see how that goes, and if the hours don’t work for you, you can set up an appointment,” she said.
Some of the objects require staff assistance. “The heat press, for example, gets up to 330 degrees,” she said. “You really have to have some kind of training first before using it. And we’ll be able to help with designing your stuff and things like that.”
The first regular date for opening is Monday, Jan. 22.
“We’re very grateful to the Romich Foundation for enabling us to get the equipment,” Strauss said. “We also have a long-term partnership with the high school and 20th Century Grant, so some of the things have come from that as well.”
Visitors to the Jan. 20 open house will have the chance to see objects created in the Maker Lounge and try their hand at the equipment. Door prizes created in the space will be given away. Supplies for getting started are provided, so there is no need to bring anything.
Learn more by visiting www.doverlibrary.org or pick up a copy of the library’s in-house publication “Footnotes” on your next visit. Dover Public Library is at 525 N. Walnut St. in Dover.
