A year or so ago, the conversation about 3D printers was just beginning. And, at that point, there really wasn’t much consideration of putting 3D printers in libraries. Questions circulated about what the real purpose would be, and what the overall gain would be for the library to do so.

Now, a quick web search will return results showing numerous public and academic libraries that have at least one 3D printer if not more. That said, there is still a lot of discussion around the pros and cons of installing 3D printers in libraries.

One of the latest arguments in the “pro” camp is that libraries are more than collections; they are also a place of creativity, learning and growth. R. David Lankes, professor and Dean’s Scholar for the New Librarianship at Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies, defends that point in a blog post entitled “Beyond the Bullet Points: Missing the Point and 3D Printing.” In it, he argues that the 3D Printer is a tool for fostering innovation and creativity at the community level, which is the true point of a library. “Why in a library?” he asks. “Because that is the core of the library – not the collection – idea creation and knowledge generation.”

Tech companies such as Microsoft have had 3D printers for some time to assist engineers with their designs. Same at organizations such as NASA where a picture, or an actual object, is worth so much more than words, and can actually speed up the design process.

One issue that libraries have run into, however, is that the technology is so new that there isn’t much available in terms of tutorials, online classes or support. Many libraries are overcoming this hurdle by learning as they go, teaching their own staff, then their patrons, while they develop classes. NIH has them now as does the JPL Library which recently installed one this year. In fact, the NIH Library has an entire Technology Sandbox, which is comprised of a collaboration zone, information zone and storefront zone that houses a 3D printer.

Some libraries, like Martin Luther King Memorial Library in Washington DC, are putting the printers together as part of a maker space in their libraries along with offering tutorials and classes on how to use them. The Johnson County Public Library in Kansas City debuted a maker space along with a 3D printer last spring.

The cons of 3D printers seem to mostly be issues that time will resolve, as lessons about how to best use and integrate 3D printers into library spaces are learned. It will be interesting to watch this technology as it now makes its way into the lives and homes of everyday people. The prices have dropped to the point now that a consumer can purchase one for personal use if they so desired. For now, however, community engagement around 3D printers is an exciting development that is revitalizing the public’s view of libraries as centers for learning and sharing.

Written by: Barbara Maxwell and Tina Teree Baker

Image by: TomasMikula at Depositphotos.com