DC Public Library Opens 11,000 Sq. Ft. Digital Commons With 3D Printer, Espresso Book Machine, and Much More

Very Impressive! Congrats to our friends at the District of Columbia Public Library.
The 11,000 sq. ft. DCPL Digital Commons formally opened at 10:30 a.m. today.
Here’s Some Basic Info/Fast Facts about the Digital Commons Direct From the Library:

The Digital Commons features include 48 public access PCs, 12 express computers; 12 iMacs; 4 iMacs with high-end design software; 3 computers for individual assistance; a 3-D printer; an Espresso Book Machine for self-publishing; an eReader device bar with several types of readers to show Library users how to download eBooks and other digital content; a Skype station; and a videophone for customers who communicate using American Sign Language.
The Digital Commons features the Dream Lab a membership-based collaborative space for small organizations, start-ups, non-profits, groups and individuals who will use technology to develop and sustain new ventures. Members will have access to flexible workspace equipped with tables, chairs, WiFi, SMART boards and conference rooms. In exchange for using the space, each Dream Lab member will be required to provide a minimum of one hour of public programming each month related to technology or digital literacy.
Spaces like Digital Commons represent a growing trend in public libraries. While libraries in Chicago, Cleveland and Chattanooga, Tenn., have opened spaces with this type of technology, the District is the first to feature a space of this size and scope.
The Digital Commons replaced the Business, Science and Technology room. It was part of a $3.4 million in improvements to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library that included refurbishing information and circulation desks and adding a new sound system in the Great Hall. MCN Build, a CBE firm, performed the renovation work.

Read the Complete Announcement

Learn More

Digital Commons FAQ, Event Listings, Policies, Etc. 

Coverage

D.C. Library Digital Commons Opens Today With 3-D Printing, Book Pressing, and Lots of Computers (via DCist)
Includes pictures along with comments from DCPL’s Ginnie Cooper and Nick Kerelchuck.

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