At the D.C. Public Library, You Can Laser Cut, 3-D Print, and Record Music for Free

[mahatmakanejeeves]

At the D.C. Public Library, You Can Laser Cut, 3-D Print, and Record Music for Free

Arts Desk
Posted by Lisa Rowan on July 24, 2015 at 9:00 am
@Lisatella

The staircases at the D.C. Public Library’s main branch, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, are winding and dark. You’re likely to hear an unfamiliar patron say, “Am I supposed to be in here?” as she wanders between floors, double checking that she’s not pushing open an alarmed fire exit door. ... But on a second-floor landing, behind an unmarked door and a badge reader, lies a bright, open room filled with long, high worktables. This is DCPL’s Fabrication Lab.

What started as a lone 3-D printer in 2013 has expanded to a row of eight, and a host of other software-equipped tools fill the room’s perimeter. A laser cutter, computer numerical control machine, and 3-D scanner have been added; librarygoers can use them to make objects that range from tiny household gadgets to large works of art. The space and time are free, and materials like 3-D printer filament are available through the library at cost. Sample projects on display in the Fab Lab include a 3-D printed cup holder that could snap onto a bicycle handle and a wooden trinket box embellished with a laser-cut image of kittens.

As the DIY-meets–tech maker movement grows, DCPL is positioning its labs as an experiment for the library’s future. DCPL Digital Commons Manager Nick Kerelchuk spoke at SXSW this spring on a panel about the role of libraries as coworking spaces. In early June, two DCPL Digital Commons librarians hosted a Reddit Ask Me Anything session, in which they discussed applications of 3-D printing alongside concerns about meeting the needs of all of MLK Library’s visitors, including the homeless.

The Fab Lab and the Studio Lab, a space for audio recording, offer high-tech equipment in a collaborative environment. In the Fab Lab, anyone with a library card can get free software training to design projects that can be completed with the help of 3-D scanners and other equipment—stuff that’s typically too expensive or space-hogging to invest in for a home or small art studio.

[Lindsay]

1. That is awesome.

Makes me so happy to see these kinds of opportunities for arts and creativity.

[haikugal]

2. Wow...we'll have to check this out next time we get to DC! Thanks! nt

[Enthusiast]

3. Meh. The private sector could do it better.

[Chathamization]

4. They also have a lot of interesting classes, some created by the community

I used to go to the Saturday Python class quite often (still happening; Sats from 2-4). It was put together by the python meetup community; MLK gave us a big room with a display to help out. They were also happy to give us a meeting room for a machine learning meetup we did. Every I've spoken to there has seemed excited about people using the space.