Troy-Miami County Public Library is making a nearly $1 million investment in the community by opening a Maker Lab on the second floor at the Hobart Government Center in Troy. The space will include a 5,000 square foot makerspace and classroom as well as multiple public meeting rooms and the administrative offices for the library.
Construction is expected to end in late February with the space opening in late spring. The space will be open six days/week with a staff of five.
Makerspaces are places where people with shared interests, especially in computing and technology, can gather to work on projects while sharing ideas, equipment, and knowledge. It’s a place for hands-on learning and creating with tools that may not otherwise be accessible to the general public.
The Maker Lab will house 3D printers and a 3D scanner, a laser cutter, vinyl printer, CNC milling and routing machines, soldering stations, a sublimation print station and press, embroidery and sewing machines, an electronic cutter, an engraver, a UV printer, an audio recording studio, hand tools, safety gear, and more. Additional equipment will be added as there is demand and if the budget allows.
Project ideas include event banners, photo/logo mugs, cutting boards and wood signs, wall decorations, etched glass projects, 3D models, stickers, and more.
The classroom will house a computer lab with Mac and Windows laptops offering specialized software and printers (including a large format printer). In addition to Microsoft Office, there will Autodesk Fusion 360 (CAD) and Tinkercad, Canva, Adobe Creative Cloud, iMovie, Blender, Garage Band, and resume software.
Admin offices will include the Director, Finance (2), IT (2), Marketing and PR, Manager, and Maker Lab manager and staff (4). There is also a board room.