Te Kūiti Library is to offer a 3d printer for young borrowers.
Te Kūiti library staff are grappling with a new 3d printer before making it available to the public.
Replying to a question from acting mayor Alan Goddard, community services general manager Helen Beever said at last week’s council meeting library staff were still having training sessions to learn how it worked, before making it available for kids activities.
In her report she said the library has registered to attend the Te Kūiti Tech Step Careers Expo this month – which would be a great opportunity to showcase some of the technologies available at the library.
Staff planned to take a few items from the creation station and have them set up on the day for students to interact with. Library staff were looking forward to engaging with local youth – a demographic rarely seen in the public library, she said.
Staff are looking into options to enhance access for children to borrow materials at the library.
Currently parents/guardians over children under 18 were required to complete an online form and assume responsibility for the membership.
Library staff were hoping to provide a restricted membership in future that children could use without parental assistance.
By allowing children to use the library but limiting the collections they could borrow from, and only allowing them to borrow one or two items at a time, it was the staff belief under 18s would feel more included and that it would help begin their future relationship with the library.
