CPL MakerSpace: Creativity Tools at Region’s Fingertips

News and Events, OneSource Center News

Large ​vinyl banners are a creative way to artistically display important information, but often production costs can be high. When OneSource Center staff learned a high quality 5’ x 30” vinyl banner could be produced for under $12 at the Cincinnati Public Library’s MakerSpace lab, this knowledge was too good to ignore! COVID-inspired cost savings research led the OneSource Center team to plan a field trip and investigate the vinyl printer/cutter option.

MakerSpace, an artistic treasure-trove of creativity tools located conveniently at the library’s downtown Cincinnati location, has a large number of free-to-use options including 3D printers, software, laser cutters, vinyl banner printers and more.  Library card holders can truly create almost anything they can imagine.  (Small fees assessed for materials used in production of items.)

 “We wanted to create a large banner for our office that highlighted the corporate sponsors supporting our work,” said Alyson Best, OneSource Center Marketing Manager.  “Creating the banner through commercial vendors was costly, but we heard we could make the same banner at the library at minimal cost just by creating the PDF and doing the printing ourselves.  We would much rather use those extra funds to support our mission of strengthening nonprofits in our region!”

According to Best, the process to create the banner was extremely easy once the banner was designed.  The most planning involved was the lead time needed for the reservation on the MakerSpace website, as wait times can be a couple weeks for a 2-hour reservation window.  Yet, once at the MakerSpace lab, the process hardly took any time at all.  Staff members walk newbies through the process every step of the way from program set-up through printing, cutting and even installing the metal grommets.  The end-result is a high-quality, professionally printed banner that is now proudly displayed at the OneSource Center office. 

MakerSpace follows physical distancing guidelines, which is really very easy in the spacious lab.  Tools are dispersed throughout the lab and staff is trained in all aspects of production.  Want to learn more about equipment available?  Just visit the Cincinnati Public Library MakerSpace website or call MakerSpace staff at 513-369-6900.