Welcome, Makers!
Jericho Town Library's Makerspace opened in April 2022 with support from the Vermont Department of Libraries' ARPA Grants. The Makerspace is located on the second floor of the library and is open and completely free for all children aged 7-18. The Makerspace is exactly what it sounds like: an area for children and teens to create, tinker, build, code, design, and explore the world of STEM. Currently, the Makerspace includes: 3D pens, SPIKE Prime LEGO robotics, Cubelets, two Chromebooks, and a 3D printer.
After completing some initial training, the Makerspace is designed for completely self-directed learning. Library staff cannot monitor the area all the time, so a certain amount of parental supervision is necessary:
After completing some initial training, the Makerspace is designed for completely self-directed learning. Library staff cannot monitor the area all the time, so a certain amount of parental supervision is necessary:
- Patrons aged 7-12 may only use the Makerspace if supervised by an adult at all times.
- Patrons aged 13-18 can use the Makerspace with more mild parental supervision: parents/guardians will check in on their children regularly and be immediately available for help and guidance, but do not need to constantly monitor their children's activities.
Get Started
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The first time you/your child visits the Makerspace, you'll need to read and sign a summary of the Makerspace Policy, to make sure everyone has the same expectations for the space. That policy is also available here for you to read in advance, if you'd like.
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For each activity in the Makerspace, students must first complete a series of challenges in order to learn how to use the equipment correctly. After completing the challenges, students earn their Certificate for that activity and then are able to create whatever they would like. During your first visit, library staff will give a brief orientation to the Makerspace area and the Certification process, and then you'll be off to the races! Just ask about the Makerspace at the front desk the next time you come to the library and we'll get you started.
3D Printer
3D printers create three-dimensional plastic objects by extruding PLA filament using designs that are uploaded from digital computer files. Jericho Town Library's 3D printer is open for everyone aged 7+. Any Homecard patron whose account is in good standing can submit a design to be printed. Use of the 3D printer is completely free for all children under the age of 18 (or for 18-year-olds still in high school). Adult users will pay the library for the cost of the filament used in their print job: $0.20/gram of filament.
The first time you use the 3D printer, you'll need to read and sign a copy of the 3D Printer policy, which is also provided below for your convenience. Print jobs are subject to the approval of library staff and the library reserves the right to refuse any request.
The first time you use the 3D printer, you'll need to read and sign a copy of the 3D Printer policy, which is also provided below for your convenience. Print jobs are subject to the approval of library staff and the library reserves the right to refuse any request.
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3D Printer Procedure:
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A Note About Slicing:
By default, the Dremel Digilab slicer program will prepare your design for printing using the following settings: medium quality (0.2mm layer height) and 20% infill, which will produce an object of average strength and quality. It will also generate support structures for designs that have overhanging areas that make cause the print job to fail if not supported properly. These structures can be easily removed after printing. If you have special requests for adjusting these settings, please make a note at the end of the request form; talk to library staff if you have any questions.
Please Keep in Mind:
By default, the Dremel Digilab slicer program will prepare your design for printing using the following settings: medium quality (0.2mm layer height) and 20% infill, which will produce an object of average strength and quality. It will also generate support structures for designs that have overhanging areas that make cause the print job to fail if not supported properly. These structures can be easily removed after printing. If you have special requests for adjusting these settings, please make a note at the end of the request form; talk to library staff if you have any questions.
Please Keep in Mind:
- Refunds will not be issued for failed or incomplete print jobs.
- You can submit no more than one design per week.
- No design larger than the maximum build volume (10" x 6" x 6.7") or with an estimated print time of over 5 hours will be accepted: we will let you know if this happens so you can simplify or scale down your design.
- Sometimes, print jobs go wrong! If your design fails within the first 15 minutes, we'll try again; if it still fails, the job will be canceled and we'll let you know right away.
- While children are allowed (and encouraged!) to use the 3D printer, the library advises that parents and guardians work with their children while they are designing a project or searching for designs online.
Tinkercad
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If you're not sure where to get started with 3D printing, we recommend taking a look at Tinkercad! Tinkercad is the web program that kids use to create 3D printer designs in our Makerspace, as well as in TechEd classes at Browns River Middle School, but it's also a good starting point for adults who are interested in 3D printing. Tinkercad is free, user-friendly, and has a great collection of tutorials and sample designs.
The first time kids visit the Makerspace they'll be given a Tinkercad nickname to join the Jericho Town Library classroom. With a Tinkercad nickname, kids can log in and start creating designs from any computer, not just while they're physically at the library.
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Adults are welcome to create their own Tinkercad account; all you need is an email to log in. Tinkercad is web-based, so you can access it from your Internet browser and don't need to download anything. Once you're logged in, the "Learn" tab at the top right corner has a variety of tutorials and lessons to help you learn how to design; if you're looking for inspiration, the "Gallery" tab shows designs that other people have created. Please note that designs in the Gallery are created by other Tinkercad users around the world and are not vetted by library staff. If you have concerns about whether or not these designs are appropriate for a young person, we recommend you review the website yourself.