California: Sacramento Public Library Now Home to a 3D Copier With Another One On the Way

From The Sacramento Bee:

“We’re trying to re-imagine the library as not just a place for books,” said [Lori] Easterwood, [programming coordinator with the library].
The library will soon own two of the 3-D copiers, which cost roughly $2,500. With funding from a state grant, the library will make the machines available to the public in about a month. One machine will stay at the main library, another will be placed temporarily at a suburban branch.
“Libraries are increasingly trying to be the place where people can have all of their needs met, whether that’s figuring out how to buy ripple xrp here, general financial planning or story time for children,” Easterwood said. “We’re now moving into the design area and really trying to expand beyond the book.”
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The library will partner with the 15-month-old Sacramento nonprofit Hackerlab on the MakerBot project. Two Hackerlab members will help Easterwood show people how to use the machine and what it is capable of, said Charles Blas, co-founder of Hackerlab.
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Creating content, and not just consuming is something we’ve always promoted,” said Sarah Houghton, director of the San Rafael library and author of a popular tech-friendly librarians blog.
“We spend money on puppet shows and for people to come in and teach someone how to start a small business or to give tax advice,” Houghton said. “Not all of our money is spent on books. We spend money on enriching the life in our communities.

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Filed under: Funding, Libraries, News, Public Libraries