Innovation Starts Here
Explore and develop new ideas at our Makerspace Lab, located on the second floor of the Library. A place for artists, tinkerers, techies, innovators and entrepreneurs alike, the Makerspace features technology that is sure to help you grow your creative ideas. Equipment such as 3D Printers, Virtual Reality technology and CAD software opens up opportunities like never imagined. Check out a partial list of software and equipment below!
While most of the equipment is only available for use during Makerspace Lab hours, some devices (marked with an * symbol) can be checked out for home use or field recordings.
Makerspace Lab Hours
Monday-Thursday 12:00pm – 9:00pm
Saturday 9:00am – 5pm
Some of the equipment in the lab is available for circulation, and can be checked out for up to 5 days with a valid library card. A patron must be over 18 years of age, and may check out no more than one piece of equipment and its accompanying accessories at a time. A patron must be certified to borrow Makerspace equipment. Requests to reserve Makerspace equipment can be made through our online form. The patron is required to sign an agreement and present it to the Technology Assistant Librarian before the equipment will be released.
There are no renewals on loans for equipment from the Makerspace Lab. Equipment loaned from the Makerspace Lab must be returned to the Makerspace or Reference Desk during regular hours of operation. Equipment may not be returned in the book drop. Patrons returning damaged or incomplete equipment will be charged the entire replacement cost for that item. Late, damaged, or missing materials will be billed to the patron by the City of Council Bluffs.
While an appointment is not necessary, we encourage you to contact the Makerspace to inquire about services and to schedule a visit. Call us at 712-323-7553 (ext. 4008) or email us at makerspace@councilbluffslibrary.org.
Design and create 3 dimensional objects with our 3D printing and scanning technology. Download and print models from the internet, scan a digital copy of a physical object or start from scratch with user-friendly CAD software. Some of our technology includes:
- LulzBot Mini Desktop 3D Printer
- MakerBot Digitizer Desktop 3-D Scanner
- iSense Portable 3-D Scanner for iPad mini
- Makerware, SketchUp, and other modeling software
3D Printers and copiers will be operated by staff only. Patrons can submit a project to the Technology Support Librarian, and will be informed when their project is completed. Patrons will be charged for the cost of the printing filament, at a rate of $1.00 per hour of printing, rounded to the nearest hour. See approved materials list.
Recording Studio reservations are limited to 2 hours. Call us at 712-323-7553 (ext. 4008) to inquire about a reservation or submit a request form and we will do everything we can to accommodate your needs. Click here to view availability.
Record and edit audio using professional production tools. Record voice over and dialog, oral histories, music, podcasts or any other project for work OR fun! A few of the tools we offer are:
- 6′ by 6′ VOCALBOOTH recording studio
- Blue Yeti Pro Microphones & Sennheiser HD 280 PRO Headphones
- Native Instruments Maschine MK2 Groove Production Studio
- Fender Passport Venue Portable PA System with Mic/optional sub-woofer*
- Yamaha YPG-235 76-key Portable Grand Graded-Action USB Keyboard
- Marantz Professional PMD661MKII Professional Handheld Broadcast Recorder*
- Avid Pro Tools, Logic Pro X, and other music editing software
The Makerspace Lab has microphones, software, digital recorders, and a sound-booth for audio recording. Patrons may record and edit sound, but must be respectful of others using the library. Patrons wishing to record music can do so only with the approval of the Technology Support Librarian. In addition to the stationary mics, the Makerspace Lab houses a professional recorder for field recordings which can be checked out (see the section on loaning equipment).
Putting the fabric in fabrication, the Makerspace has equipment dedicated to the fiber arts. Whether your wanting to work on your cosplay or add business branding to apparel, the Makerspace can help. Equipment includes:
- Brother Stellaire XE1 Embroidery Machine
- Janome Jem Gold 660 Sewing Machine*
Makerspace Lab hours of operation are M-Th 12:00PM-9:00PM and Saturday 9:00AM-5:00PM. The Makerspace Lab may only be used during these normal hours of operation. If the Council Bluffs Public Library is closed in observance of a holiday, the Makerspace Lab will also be closed. A patron wishing to use the Makerspace Lab is encouraged to contact the Technology Support Library to make an appointment and to discuss the availability of resources for their project. See approved materials list.
No matter what your old stuff is stored on, we can help you bring it into the digital age (yes, even 8-track). VHS, DVDs, vinyl records, cassettes, photographs, slides, negatives, 8mm film, floppy discs… you name it, we’ve got it handled!
- Audio-Technica AT-LP-USB Direct-Drive Professional Turntable
- Ion Tape 2 PC (audio cassettes)
- Toshiba VHS/DVD 2 PC & Mini VHS adapter
- Fujitsu Scan Scan SV600 professional book scanner
- Roxio Pro and other conversion software
- Epson Perfection V600 Photo/Negative Scanner
- TaoTronics Mono Handheld Scanner
- BestDuplicator 5-in-one DVD/CD Duplicator
- Pioneer 8-track Stereo Deck
- Jumbl 22MP All-In-1 Film & Slide Scanner for 35mm Negative & Slides, 110, 126, &
- Super 8 Films
- Chinon GAF 3000S Super 8 Variable Speed Sound Film Projector
The Makerspace Lab houses devices for capturing and converting various forms of media. These devices and software are intended for use with home media, not commercial media protected by copyright. Copyright law is posted inside lab. The Technology Support Librarian can help patrons use media capture and conversion technologies, but patrons are responsible and accountable for observing copyright. Blank DVDs and CDs are available for sale in the Library Makerspace. CDs are $.50 ea and DVDs are $1.00 ea. Flash Drives are available for $3.00 ea. See approved materials list.
Sometime you just don’t have the tools you need to fix things yourself. The Library can help with that! With the Park Tool Professional Tool Kit & Repair Stand, you’ll be able to get your bicycle working good as new. Or check out the iFixit Essential Electronics Toolkit for those times you need to fix a cracked screen on your phone or swap out a battery for your device – or even just tighten your glasses.
- Park Tool Professional Tool Kit & Repair Stand *
- iFixit Essential Electronics Toolkit*
- X-Tronic 3020-PRO 75W Soldering Iron Station
The Makerspace Lab houses a variety of tool kits that can aid in repair though the Makerspace does not offer repair services. Please be aware that self-repair may void the manufacturer or provider warranties. The Council Bluffs Public Library is not responsible for any damage caused by self-repair.
Using littleBits Pro Library, small components snap together for prototyping and learning. Select from an assortment of motors, switches and sensors, then link to a control module to create small devices that teach basics of coding, electronics and robotics.
- littleBits Pro Library*
- Raspberry Pi kits
The Makerspace Lab houses a variety of kits for purposes of prototyping and STEM learning. littleBits Pro Library, RaspberryPi, and other kits may be used by patrons in the Makerspace Lab.
Take your creativity out of the library by checking out one of our cameras or camcorders, insert yourself into an action scene with our portable green screen or take your YouTube channel to the next level using professional editing software.
- GoPro HERO10 Black camcorders*
- Canon EOS Rebel T5 cameras*
- Canon XA20 Professional Camcorder*
- Ricoh Theta S 360 Camera*
- Logitech HD Pro Webcam
- Celluon PicoPro HD Projector & Projection Screen*
- ViewSonic PA503 Projector*
- Chromakey Green Screen and Video Lighting Kit
- Chromakey Body Suit
- Final Cut Pro X, Adobe Creative Cloud,PhotoKey 6 Pro, and other video/image software
- Poser Pro, Anime Studio Pro, and other animation software
- Wacom Bamboo touch tablet and pen
- Telmax TSP2-19 Presidential Teleprompter
The Makerspace Lab houses devices for capturing and converting various forms of media. These devices and software are intended for use with home media, not commercial media protected by copyright. Copyright law is posted inside lab. The Technology Support Librarian can help patrons use media capture and conversion technologies, but patrons are responsible and accountable for observing copyright. Blank DVDs and CDs are available for sale in the Library Makerspace. CDs are $.50 ea and DVDs are $1.00 ea. Flash Drives are available for $3.00 ea.
Create a banner, print a CAD design or design displays for school with our large-format printer. It uses 24″ wide, spooled paper for all your printing needs. You can even turn a font or image into a cut design using our Silhouette Cameo Cutter. This crafting cutter works with paper, vinyl, cloth, magnet paper and more, making it perfect for scrapbooks and decals.
- Silhouette Cameo Pro
- HP Designjet T120
- GBH Thermal Laminator
- Tru-Bind Coil-Binding Machine
- Epson EcoTank ET-2800 Sublimation Printer
- HPN Signature PRO 15″ x 15″ 8-in-1 Multifunction Heat Press with SurePressure
The Makerspace Lab has a large format (plotter) printer capable of printing on paper up to 24” wide. This copier will be operated by staff only. Patrons can submit a project to the Technology Support Librarian. Patrons will be charged $.75/ft. Specialized materials such as card stock and vinyl are also available – cost for these materials will be determined by the Technology Support Librarian. See approved materials list.
Gadgets are fun, but it’s the software that brings a project together. Here are a few of the software programs available on our Tech Lab computers:
- Adobe Creative Cloud
- Anime Studio Pro 11
- Cheetah 3D
- Final Cut Pro X
- Final Draft 9
- GarageBand
- Logic Pro X
- Maschine 2.0 Software
- PhotoKey 6
- Poser Pro
- Pro Tools
- Roxio Creator Pro
- SketchUp
The Makerspace Lab houses several PCs, laptops, and two specialized Mac Pro Computers. A list of software on each machine is posted in the lab. These machines are intended to be used for the purposes of creative digital production (not for gaming, word processing, etc.). Computers in the Makerspace Lab are first-come-first-serve. The Technology Support Librarian reserves the right to end a computing session as is necessary to accommodate others. Patrons wishing to schedule a time to use a computer can contact the Technology Support Librarian to inquire about availability.
