Area residents will soon have the technology to do 3D printing and laser engraving thanks to a grant awarded to the Briggs Lawrence County Public Library.

Gretchen Claypool, director of the library, said the technology purchased with the more than $20,500 Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant will provide a 3D printer lab at the Chesapeake location — 11054 County Road 1.

The Grants to States program is the largest source of federal funding support for library services in the United States. The LSTA grant — administered by the state of Ohio — falls under that. 

Claypool said when the library system started its “Beyond Books” initiative, library patrons saw new formats, materials and experiences at their local branches. 

“At that time, we said it would be best if we had a maker space — or place for people to craft, learn and make new things,” she said. “We’ve done smaller pop-up versions of it already.”

The library offers a maker space room for students who are working on science and book fair projects. 

“We would provide materials to make their poster boards — all in a big space where they could come in on their own time, use our materials at no cost and do part of that project,” Claypool said. “We wanted to expand that full-time. At that point, I began looking for grant opportunities.”

Library staff members decided a 3D print lab would benefit many related activities and institutions in the community that could use it. Claypool even made contact with the STEM+M school in South Point, with the understanding that the library would host small, specific classes involving 3D printing for the school’s students.

“We also want the lab available to everyday citizens and young adults who have a project in mind or want to learn about these types of printing — for commercial benefit, for fun, for artistic reasons,” she said.

With that in mind, the library is purchasing a Fusion 360 professional-grade, industrial-sized 3D printer. It is set for “realistic projects.”

“The thing I’ve seen most recently is someone made a now no-longer-available car part,” Claypool said. “People make tools with this technology, too, such as sockets and wrenches from available blueprints.”

The library will also add a laptop for the lab so people who have the skills or want to learn them can design their own blueprints.

“We’re also getting a four-filament artistic printer from a company called Bambu,” Claypool said.

This technology can run four distinct types or colors of filament at the same time to create one 3D print. In addition, the library is getting a Glowforge laser engraver. 

“It makes a variety of things,” Claypool said. “It can make signs for businesses. It can make decorative hair pins. It can make branded ornaments.” 

She said someone could even engrave a family recipe onto a cutting board. All of this technology will go in the lab in the central room in Chesapeake. The library will use the conference room next door to that space as a classroom. 

“The lab is going to come with a lot of tools,” Claypool said. “Software, laptop, tools to modify, perfect and change your 3D prints once you’ve printed them…”

Claypool said the new library technology will allow patrons to cut vinyl, design t-shirts and produce “almost anything” as long as the material fits in the boundaries of the laser engraver.

“We are hoping to have it open in April,” she said.