Library Make-It Lab Opens Aug. 1

Reference Clerk JD Smithson, left, and

Young Adult Coordinator Talley Gaskins

are the primary planners for the new Make-It Lab.

The much-anticipated Coeur d’Alene Public Library Make-It Lab is open as of Aug. 1 in the library’s former computer lab on the main level.
The Make-It Lab is designed to be a place for people with similar interests, including computing and technology, to gather to work on projects while sharing ideas, equipment, and knowledge.
“The Make-It Lab enhances library resources by giving our patrons materials and tools to create items and to experiment with tools they may not be able afford at home,” said Library Director Bette Ammon.
She said the lab is a work in progress and resources, tools, and programs will be added based on user comments and interests.
“Like everything else in the library,” she said, “we count on user feedback so we can improve the services we provide.”
Make-It Lab users will be asked to sign a waiver for the use of some tools in the space. The waiver will need to be signed by a parent or guardian for users under 18, and unaccompanied young children will not be allowed in the space.
Tools in the lab include such items as a sewing machine, Cricut, a button maker, hand tools, and a die cutter. Tech will include Makey-Makey, Edison bots, Easy Circuits, and a stop-motion lab. The space will also have a dedicated computer.
The space will be open during regular library hours, but projects will need to be completed a half-hour before the library closes. Completed projects can be taken home, but all tools and materials will need to remain in the lab.
The lab is supported by the Make It At the Library Project through the Idaho Commission for Library with additional support from the Coeur d’Alene Public Library Foundation.