Library Roundup

One of the exciting new things to happen in the past year in the library was the opening of The Libratory, our very own maker space. We have lots of equipment to fuel your creative pursuits, including a Cricut Maker, inkjet printer, flatbed scanner, sewing machines, and a 3D printer.

The 3D printer is something with a vast array of potential uses and if you have a Goshen library card, you can make an appointment to use ours through the “Libratory” page at goshenpubliclibrary.org. From there, you can upload a file you’d want printed and include a message. Our technology librarian is here to help you turn that file into a printed object. Hours are limited, but we try our best to accommodate the needs of our patrons.

One of the things we’ve seen people make in our 3D printer is miniature figures for tabletop role playing games like Dungeons & Dragons. It’s easy to make a custom figure using Hero Forge, a web-based program designed for just such a thing. Instead of relying on mass-produced figures, you can make the figure look specifically like your own character, print it, and paint it to look however you want it to.

TinkerCAD by Autodesk, is another great, completely free, web-based program for 3D design. Autodesk, whose signature software is AutoCAD (CAD is short for “computer aided design”) is considered one of the top companies in the world of design software. TinkerCAD is their entry-level platform designed primarily for students and beginners, which makes it quite approachable, while also being very capable software in which the biggest limitation is your imagination!

There are also 3D printing repositories online where you can find designs made by other people. Sites like Thingiverse and Makerworld are probably the biggest, but there are also collections on the Internet Archive and elsewhere on the web. You can find designs ranging from fidget toys to safety whistles to replacement parts to custom accessories. If there’s something you can think of that could be made of plastic, checking these sites is a great first step! Usually, the process is as simple as downloading a design, selecting the filament color, and hitting “print”.

We’d also like to include a brief word about the types of materials that are out there to turn into the final printed product. We have available a selection of different colors of PLA filament, the most common type of plastic used with 3D printing. The charge is $0.05 per gram of this. However, an advanced creator may find themself needing to work with different types of plastic such as PETG or ABS. If you want to supply your own filament, that can be arranged in coordination with our technology librarian (and we wouldn’t charge any fee if you’re supplying the materials). Let us know what you need before your appointment and we can help you with any needs you may have.

The Goshen Public Library and Historical Society is located at 366 Main St. in Goshen. For information, call 845-294-6606.