The Place for Making!
by Melanie Nichol
If you’re a DIY-er of any kind, Midland Public Library really is THE place!
With a background in theatrical production and a strong desire to create, I am thrilled to join the MPL staff as the new MakerPlace Coordinator. Whether painting, baking, building, or digitizing, I am always excited to get involved and learn something new. And trust me, there is nowhere better than the library’s MakerPlace for learning new things.
The MakerLab has a wide variety of tools and equipment to help you discover a new hobby or take it to the next level. Our 3D printers and laser cutter are currently only available to those who were trained prior to COVID-19, but we have so much more to explore that can be used by anyone with a valid library card or Maker card! Cricut Makers, sewing and embroidery machines, leather working tools, a button maker, and more are all available for you to enjoy.
The other half of our space is the MediaLab, dedicated to all your digital needs. Want to record a song? We’ve got microphones, a piano, a drumbox and more. Photo editing? For sure! And if you’ve got any old media you want to preserve to enjoy in the digital age, we have the ability to digitize cassettes, VHS, vinyl, 8mm, film negatives and slides. Email [email protected] or call 705-526-4216 ext. 3321 to learn more about our spaces or book some making time.
Let’s not forget the equipment you can take home, either. Ukuleles, Makey Makey, Ozobots, stop motion animation, and virtual reality are all things you can borrow from the library to explore and enjoy at home!
My vision for the MakerPlace is a community hub where people of all ages and backgrounds can come together to share their hobbies with one another and try new things with no fear of failure. The MakerPlace is a space for experimenting, for “what if” and “I wonder.” My goal is to take you from “I never thought of doing that at the library” to “Let’s do that again!”
Melanie Nichol is the MakerPlace Coordinator at the Midland Public Library.