Sep. 5—Along with checking out books, patrons can embroider a T-shirt, personalize a coffee mug or record their own podcast at Albright Memorial Library in Scranton.

It's all part of the library's Makerspace in the second floor's Henkelman Room, which gives the community access to equipment for a variety of creative projects.

"It's something that we've been talking about for a long time, because we want people to engage with the library," Scranton Public Library CEO Scott Thomas said. "It's not just a place where you come and borrow books."

The Makerspace includes Cricut Maker and Explore cutting machines, a Silhouette Cameo cutter, a sublimation printer, a mug press, a heat press, an embroidery machine, podcasting, filming and video editing equipment, and a 3D printer. A $23,000 grant from the Scranton Area Community Foundation funded the project.

The library introduced the Makerspace last spring with a soft launch, and the staff learned how to use the machines to assist patrons, Thomas said. "This summer, we started really making it available to the public," he added.

It's taken off since then, bringing in people who haven't used the library before, or in a long time.

It's in line with the library's goal to provide opportunities to everyone, regardless of their economic circumstances. Not everyone can afford to buy these machines, he said.

"What the library seeks to do is make sure that everyone can enrich themselves and fulfill their aspirations," he said.

Debbie Hannon of Jenkins Twp. discovered crafting classes at the library after retiring from the banking industry and heard about all the new equipment coming down the pike.

"I don't know of another library that has such equipment," she said.

Hannon said the library staff guides patrons who don't know how to use the machines and helped her and some friends from the Maker Monday classes make T-shirts that say "Monday Makers."

She said the library offers a well-rounded set of services, from the Makerspace to Wednesday movie matinees.

"They're trying to reach out to their community, and I've got to give them all the credit in the world," she said. "They offer so much, and not just reading."

Officials hope to expand the Makerspace in the future while staying up-to-date on the newest equipment. Thomas said it would be ideal to offer a space in the library where patrons can shoot video.

"There's more we'd like to do, so we're going to keep adding to it," he said.

For information and Makerspace reservations, visit lclshome.org.

Contact the writer: bwilliams@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5365; @BWilliamsTT on Twitter.

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