With the first day of school looming on the horizon (say it ain’t so!) we on the 3D printing team are looking forward to a new adventure.
If you’ve been curious about 3D printers but never had a chance to see one in action, or saw one from a distance once but still have questions, you’ll be excited to hear that we are expanding our computer class offerings to include 3D printing demos.
We are particularly enthusiastic because, while holding demos in the library lobby is fun because of the number of people walking by and dropping in, offering a demo in more of a classroom setting means we can really dig into everyone’s questions—and there’s nothing a 3D printing-obsessed librarian likes better than talking about it with similarly excitable folk.
In each class we will work on covering the basics of 3D printing and design (How does it know what to print? Does it work like the printer I have at home? What does it print with? What makes a good 3D design?), the story of our printers here at the library (Gute and Ada just love meeting new people), and we’ll talk about how to get started finding prints or designing your own, and the impact 3D printing is having on design, manufacturing and day-to-day life. Definitely a lot of ground to cover, but that’s another advantage of the class: we can fly through the basics and dig into the nitty-gritty.
Our next class will be in September, and you can sign up at the Reference Desk on the second floor of the library, or by calling (603) 766-1720.
Want to dig further into 3D printing now? Our website is always a good place to start, but if you need even more info right now, here are a few resources to get you started:
- A brief history of 3D printers and printing from 3D Hubs
- Tony Stark delivering a bionic/3D printed arm (we’re not crying, you are)
- Speaking of, if you’re interested in 3D printed prosthetics (for kids and adults!), two great places to check out are E-Nabling the Future and Limbitless Solutions
- You can access about a dozen online video courses on 3D printing and design through lynda.com by creating an account and logging in with your library card
- Looking for your own printer? Check out the 2016 3D Printer Guide from 3D Hubs—a great place to start preliminary research
Keep an eye out later this winter for more 3D design classes here at the library, the perfect next step in world domination your 3D education.
Check our events calendar and computer class schedule for updates!
Gutenberg enjoys humming, getting crafty, and causing mischief around the library. Ada enjoys reading up on the latest 3D printing technology and researching tips and tricks to make life easier. Gute and Ada’s people enjoy tinkering, making, and discovering ingenious solutions to everyday problems. If you have questions or suggestions for future Practical Magic posts, please feel free to email us at libtech@cityofportsmouth.com.
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