ACPL expands Maker Labs after a successful decade of serving Allen County | Community

Digital Content Producer

Allen County Public Library Maker Labs

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WFFT) - The Allen County Public Library (ACPL) is celebrating a decade of providing hands-on learning opportunities to the residents in the area, creating movement for future expansion.

Through the ACPL Maker Labs, the Library said it has created a space for those in Allen County to use public machines like 3D printers, audio/video recording equipment, craft machines, and more through innovative spaces at the Main and Georgetown branches.

The ACPL said in the spring of 2014, the first flagship Maker lab was opened, where it began serving 950 to 1350 patrons monthly, providing STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) to the community within Allen County for free.

“We are proud to have been an early Maker space in Allen County where artists, entrepreneurs, and innovators could gather to explore and tinker,” said ACPL Maker Lab Manager Norm Compton. “We’ve been instrumental in connecting people to equipment they couldn’t otherwise afford and inspiring people to try something new.”

The ACPL said it began offering more programs as interest and visitor attendance to the Maker Labs increased with patrons, gaining a 42% increase since 2021.

In 2022, the ACPL received grant funding for the Maker Labs through the City of Fort Wayne to aid in purchasing new equipment and begin expanding the programs to more locations in Allen County.

In 2023, the ACPL began the expansion by offering mini-Maker Labs to its patrons at the Hessen Cassel, Pontiac, and Shawnee branches. The locations now service those patrons with multiple STEAM items, like 3D printers, laminators, Cricut viny machine cutters, heat press machines, sewing machines, badge makers, and more.

The ACPL shared a four-year plan for the program, where the library included the goal of designing the "Allen County Window to Lifelong Learning and Discovery."

The ACPL includes expanding the Main branches of Maker Lab and services while designing a functional and family-friendly space as its primary goal with an extra investment in staffing.

The ACPL also said it plans to hire a full-time Maker Lab Guide and a systemwide Programs and Partnerships Specialist to focus on the Maker programming and services beyond the Main branch.

“We are so excited to see a renewed focus on all things Maker and to see resources extend across the system. It has already generated excitement among our staff and patrons,” said Kerstin Glaess, Programs and Partnerships Specialist. “The Maker spirit is one of innovation, exploration, and evolution. It makes sense that our services, spaces, and staffing of our Maker Labs would reflect this spirit. The current vision will allow us to grow with the community and remain nimble as technology and demands changes over the years.”

To learn more about the Maker Labs program and what the decade of STEAM learning has provided to Allen County, more information is on the ACPL website located here.

ACPL expands Maker Labs after a successful decade of serving Allen County | Community | wfft.com