The Central Public Library offers more than books

These days, books aren’t the only thing you can find at your local library. Emily Ruffell is the Labs Librarian at the London Public Library and she says they have tons of technology available too.

“We have two design stations and our creativity lab. We have a PC and Mac running Adobe Creative Cloud, Final Cut Pro, and GarageBand. We have a vinyl cutter, which is a Cricut; so it is a digital cutting machine that can cut different kinds of materials. Vinyl or card stock are quite popular.

But that’s not all the library has to offer. Inside the creative lab you will also find the memory lab. Ruffell says this is where you can digitize analog media. “If you have a VHS tape, photographs, negatives, photographic files, you can digitize them. You can save them on a USB key and this must then be compatible with current technology. »

For your more practical creative needs, the Central Public Library offers a sewing machine and 3D printers. “We have a sewing machine available to the public, it is available by appointment. It’s a Singer sewing machine that can be reserved for up to two hours. As for the 3D printer, Ruffell says it’s a machine you can do just about anything with. “Everything from a door stopper to a frame for a drone project. Currently, I make small flowerpots. You would submit your file to the library, files are printed from an STL or G code format. It’s done on a first come, first served basis with a flat rate of one dollar, then it will be ten cents per gram of filament.

You can even find a button maker at the library that you can use to make your own pins and magnets. And all you need to have all this technology at your fingertips is your London Public Library card.