Meredith Public Library awarded grants for new Maker Space

MEREDITH — Meredith Public Library, 91 Main Street, has been awarded grants to help equip their new Maker Space. Maker Spaces are collaborative work spaces where the community can use equipment as high tech as a 3D printer or as low tech as a paper cutter to create, design or invent. The Library’s Maker Space will focus on art and technology. Not only will equipment, tools and art supplies be available, but also training and teaching opportunities will be offered.

The library has been awarded $18,487 in funding through the Institute for Museum and Library Services’ “Grants to States” program. The grant program is part of the American Rescue Act Plan of 2021 and is being facilitated by the NH State Library.

In addition to equipment, these grant funds will be used to collaborate with the Lakes Center for the Arts to bring artists to the library to exhibit their work and to teach art classes. Grant money will also be used to collaborate with the Meredith Historical Society to digitize some of the society and library’s collections and to teach others how to digitize their home collections.

The Meredith Library Fund through a generous grant from Heart & Hands Thrift shop is also partnering with the library on this grant. They donated an additional $6,000 to purchase 10 iPads with Apple pens and keyboards that will be used in the Maker Space to teach digital art classes, among other uses. They also donated funds for a 3D printer and a 3D scanner.

Some of the equipment purchased will allow for digitization of home movies in various formats, slides, photos and historical books. Other equipment purchased will include a large scale color printer, an engraver, sewing machines, a Cricut machine and other items that will allow us to serve artists, personal historians and small business owners in our community.