Cranston Public Library receives MakerLab Club 3D printer award

Posted 4/15/15

The Cranston Public Library has been named a recipient of a MakerLab Club 3D printer award.

The grant, sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), in partnership with 3D …

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Cranston Public Library receives MakerLab Club 3D printer award

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The Cranston Public Library has been named a recipient of a MakerLab Club 3D printer award.

The grant, sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), in partnership with 3D Systems, provides Cranston Public Library with four Cube 3D printers to support teen workshops and programming.

3D printing is the process of creating a physical, three-dimensional object from a digital file. The Cranston library’s new Cube 3D printers are considered “desktop printers” and are smaller and more portable than previous generations of 3D printing technology. For the library, this also means they offer a greater opportunity for citywide programming.

“These new printers will allow us to, not simply provide teens with access to new technology, but actually bring technology to them,” said Cranston Public Library Director, Edward Garcia. “With four printers, we will be able to host programs at multiple branches, and provide workshops and programs across Cranston.”

With recent programs like Teens Make Movies, There’s An App for That!, and Minecraft Club, the Cranston library is familiar with providing technology programming for Cranston youth, and they are wasting no time getting new 3D printing programs underway.

“In March, we offered three 3D printing workshops for teens, thanks to a grant from Sen. Hanna Gallo,” said Youth Services Coordinator Emily Brown. “Once teens know how to use this technology to design and print their own creations, we hope they will think about using the 3D printers for school assignments and personal projects. We also hope they will volunteer to train other kids and teens, so we can make the 3D printers accessible to as many young people as possible.”

Currently, one of the four Cube 3D printers is housed in the Cranston Public Library Central Branch’s new C-Lab, where it joins the library’s other 3D printer, a Makerbot Replicator 2X. The additional printers will make programming and branch appearances later this spring.

The MakerLab Club 3D printer awards were distributed to 100 libraries and museums across the country. Cranston Public Library was the only Rhode Island organization selected to receive the award. Recipients join the MakerLab Club community of organizations committed to the democratization and advancement of 3D printing literacy.

The Cranston Public Library’s C-Lab is located at the Central Library at 140 Sockanosset Cross Road.

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