We’ve finally reached December 1, and that means members of the “it’s too early for Christmas stuff” crowd now officially have no tree stand to..stand on (they have to get off and put their tree on it). Bring on the music, the lights, the movies, the elves, and, in the case of the library, the … Continue reading
Tag Archives: Maker Space
We Don’t Care Too Much For Money, Money Can’t Buy Our Books
The other day, a library patron called to let us know she really liked a particular book she had checked out from us (that’s good), and she wanted to know how she could go about buying the book from us (that’s…less good. And kind of strange). We make it a point to be as accommodating … Continue reading
The Best Knife for Pumpkins is a Laser
Whenever I think about carving Halloween pumpkins nowadays, my mind naturally goes to Crocodile Dundee. It’s not much of a scary movie, despite its moments of croc-related suspense, but it does have the quintessential knife quote, and pumpkin carving is all about knife size/skill. At least, it used to be. If you’ve been to the … Continue reading
Make Studio Magic at the Library
If you’ve walked through or around the Teen Room in the library, you’ve probably seen the instruments hanging on the wall. While they sure are nice to look at, you’ll find that your enjoyment of them will skyrocket if you take them down and actually, like, play them. Feel free to plug one into our … Continue reading
3D Printing Goes Flexible
3D printing is undoubtedly great. From ukuleles to phone cases to cat armor, we’ve printed some pretty cool stuff at the library. Cool, yes, but like my stiff legs and this guy’s rules, the plastic with which they are printed is terribly inflexible. What if you want to create something with a little give? Something … Continue reading
You Gotta Make Noise to Reduce Noise
If you find the library to be a little noisier than normal (as you may know, our “normal” noise level is actually pretty high by conventional library standards, what with the whizzing and whirring of our 3D printers and laser engraver) over the next few weeks, as counterintuitive as it sounds, we’re making a bunch … Continue reading
See (and Print) Double at the Library
The next time you visit the library, you might find you have a hankering for some Doublemint Gum. In a move that is sure to double the pleasure and fun of our community’s makers, we’ve added a second PolyPrinter to our stable of three-dimensional printing contraptions. While I’d like to tell you we 3D printed … Continue reading
TLA 2016 Highlights
Last week, my colleagues and I hit up the 2016 Texas Library Association Annual Conference, also known (by no one) as Li-Li-Palooza, in Houston. These were the highlights, as I saw them: -This year, getting to the conference was an adventure all in itself, as heavy rains prompted Houston to do its best Atlantis impression. … Continue reading
A Zany Day in the (Shelf) Life
The shelf life offers great variety, as the library is many things to many people. Staff members at BPL, including moi, wear a bunch of different hats on a daily basis, but never has that been quite so literally the case for me as it was this past Wednesday. On that day, which will surely … Continue reading
Get Licensed to Laser at Tinker Tuesday
You can learn a lot at the library. The most conventional way to do so is through books, and while book learnin’ is all well and good, more hands-on learning opportunities like programs and classes can often be more effective at cramming knowledge into your noggin. We’ve had and continue to have plenty of instructive … Continue reading