Norfolk Public Library hosting high tech arts and crafts

The Norfolk Public Library is taking arts and crafts not just to the next level, but to the next dimension.

“The MakerSpace is a place for the community to come and use high tech and low tech pieces of equipment that they wouldn’t normally have access to in a regular setting,’” said Library Director Jessica Chamberlain.

In that space is an embroidery machine, a laser cutter, and most recently, a 3D printer - items donated from the local community.

“You load whatever it is that you want to print, and the printer melts plastic and then lays it down layer upon layer and builds the model that you’re printing in 3D.”

“Some people have built parts for lego robots that they’re using, some people have built collectible chess sets."

And its latest project - a Samoyed dog figure. Just a handful of polygons, but over a thousand layers of plastic to complete the final product.

It's just a few centimeters tall, but it will take about 3 hours to finish printing.

Classes for the MakerSpace tools took off when they were first announced in 2019. But things came to a halt at the start of the pandemic.

“All huddled around the equipment and like, ‘look at this,’ and, ‘look at that,’” Chamberlain said. “It just didn’t seem like that was the right thing to do.”

While they were able to open the program back up in Fall, the library did so with a revised concept.

The current concept is a video put together by trained instructors that can be viewed online. After taking a 5-question test, prospective students can schedule a free 1-on-1 session for some hands-on experience with the tools.

It’s a slow return to form, but library staff hope they can get back to injecting some interest in STEM and computer literacy into the community.

“We have almost 100 people trained in the community to use that,” Chamberlain said. “It sounds a little intimidating sometimes to use this high-tech equipment, but it’s really not as hard as some people think.”

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To view the class, take the test, and make an appointment to learn about the class, click here: https://norfolkne.gov/government/departments/library/makerspace/3d-printer.html