Pumpkin Carving Oct. 22, and Fright Night Oct. 29 are next chances for Kutztonians to enjoy the KU library’s open-access makerspace.
Walk into Rohrbach Library’s new makerspace, STEAMworks, and you are likely to see a lot going on: students sewing and using an embroidery machine, costume fans making a sword, local children playing in virtual reality or with LEGO, and 3D printers churning out models and game pieces.
Tools hanging on the walls, such as hammers and screwdrivers, share space with high-tech CNC machinery. “Everything in our space is here for the community to use,” says Bruce Jensen, the STEAMworks librarian. “We’re a workshop that belongs to everyone.”
That includes local kids, community members, and KU students alike. Though the space does not loan out tools the way the library lends its books, visitors are free to come make use of all the resources they need to bring their projects to life.
As one of the few makerspaces in Berks county, STEAMworks aims to serve makers of many different interests. Activities ranging from hex sign painting, to iron-on vinyl cutting, to linocut printing, to creating and crafting a full-size sword from Game of Thrones using a 3D printer and a heat gun have brought all kinds of creative people to the library to learn and to teach.
STEAMworks offers a wide range of learning experiences, with a website at library.kutztown.edu/steamworks where learners can make appointments with expert “STEAMpunks” in some two dozen different skills and crafting activities.
Its Sunday evening programs this fall, from 5 to 7 p.m., have included tie-dyeing and even adult coloring. This Sunday, Oct. 22, visitors will be able to take part in pumpkin carving; the following Sunday, Fright Night at STEAMworks will feature Halloween-oriented fun, candy, and scary movies.
To find out more, email steamworks@kutztown.edu or call STEAMworks at 484-646-4175.
