A 3-D printer, laser cutter, green screen and activities designed to educate elementary school-aged children in the areas of math and science are just a few of the new features that have officially debuted at the Niles Public Library.
The library district’s Board of Trustees were treated to a sneak peek of the new facilities during their regular monthly meeting Wednesday night. The project was funded through a state grant.
Located on the lowest level of the library, the creative studio is comprised of two rooms, Studio A and Studio B.
Donna Block, teen librarian for the district and one of the staff members who will monitor the use of and train patrons on the equipment, highlighted the creative possibilities of both rooms. Studio A, which is dominated by large green screen, can be used for making videos, editing footage, recording podcasts and creating artwork, among other things, she said.
Studio B, just around the corner, includes a 3-D printer and a laser cutter Block said is capable of engraving steel, cutting and engraving wood, creating designs and stamps on glass bottles as well as cutting rubber, fabric and leather. Also included in the space is a vinyl cutter that can produce designs for stickers, card stock and other materials, Block said. She said patrons can submit their designs via email to the library’s staff to be produced on any one of the three machines. Once the designs receive staff approval, Block said patrons would be given a timeline of when they can expect to pick up their finished product.
Library officials said adults and teens age 13 and up are allowed to use the technology available in the creative studio as long as they are either a Niles Library cardholder or student attending a school in the library’s district.
Some board members expressed concern about what kind of supervision would be provided while patrons use the equipment.
Block said a significant amount of staff time would be required to operate the facility. The library’s director, Susan Lempke, said staff would provide basic training to patrons on the use of the equipment, and those interested in learning more would be steered toward online resources.
In any case, she said, there will be “a learning curve on that equipment.”
Patrons have already asked a number of questions about the yet to be unveiled creative studio, Lempke said. Though it’s hard to judge how much use the facility will receive before it’s actually opened, she said “I think it will be quite popular.”
For the library’s younger patrons, the Wonder Ground, a space focused on science, technology, engineering, arts and math learning for children in kindergarten through fourth grade will debut this weekend in the youth section of the library.
The educational theme will change each month, said Arianne Carey, director of youth and teen services. This month through next, she said, children will have the opportunity to learn about scientific tools, scientific reasoning and the human body. Future programming will include age-appropriate activities and lessons focused on botany, electricity and the world’s oceans.
Carey said homeschooled children and their parents are welcome to check out the facility during school days and on weekends. Open labs at the Wonder Ground will be held Tuesdays and Thursdays between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.
“That will be a little bit of a staffing challenge but we’ll rally,” she said.
Carey said the library is packed with young students every weekday after school and the new space will offer them an engaging educational environment.
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Lee V. Gaines is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.