I have to something to admit: I had very little interest in 3D printing one month ago. Then, I tried it shortly after I arrived at the Chattanooga Public Library.
Now it’s all I can think about.
I made these Pac Man cookie cutters on the 3D printer and gave them to my wife Haley for Mother’s Day. Earlier today, she used them to make cookies with our sons Finn and Aero.
Libraries can do some awesome stuff.
You can find the 3D files for the Pac Man cookie cutters here
Here’s a link to stuff I like on Thingaverse
Justin The Librarian 
I love 3d printing. I got excited about it as a concept and now my retired father has one and I’ve enjoying designing stuff to print on it. My question for you is: why do they belong in libraries? “Because they are cool.” doesn’t seem to be an argument that resonates. What is it about libraries and 3D printers that make a partnership between the two something to invest in? Is it worth taking time and funding away from traditional book-based programming in order to set up 3d printers?
For me and my work with teens, it comes down to this:
1. It lets the teens create something. If they haven’t monkeyed around with how to make 3D models before, now they can.
2. My Dad always told me that to get ahead in life, you’ve gotta learn a skill. I learned to make eyeglasses when I was about 8 years old. It has stuck with me for all these years. I hope I can do that with a teen or two with 3D printing.
3. Because it really is super cool 🙂
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