The Studio

The Studio

Corner angle of The Studio workspace

The Studio at the Winnetka Library is a do-it-yourself makerspace for hands-on experiential learning and creativity.

Hours

Monday-Thursday 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Friday-Saturday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.


The final projects of the day must begin an hour or more before the library closes and must be finished at least 15 minutes before closing time.

The Studio is not open for walk-in patrons when it has a makerspace program in session.

Reservations

Reservations are recommended, but drop-ins are welcome. Those who have reservations will have priority access to the equipment and staff help. You can also request a tech help appointment for using The Studio.

Guidelines

  • Studio staff are available to help you troubleshoot and answer questions. You are responsible for preparing your designs and completing your projects.
  • Reservations for time slots up to two hours are recommended, but drop-ins are welcome. Reservations are limited to two per person, per week.
  • The creative process often involves a lot of trial-and-error, so we suggest patrons bring in spare materials if they are attempting to realize a specific vision. 
  • The tools and the space are not intended for mass production. The Studio is your community space to learn, experiment, and create items that are uniquely yours. 
  • We offer materials for patrons to use with the equipment, though restrictions may apply due to supply issues. Patrons are encouraged to bring in their own materials for use on the machinery.

Restrictions

The makerspace equipment cannot be used to create anything that:

  • Violates local, state, or federal law.
  • Could be used as or simulates weaponry.
  • Is not appropriate in a library environment.
  • Violates copyright or trademark protections.

Equipment

Desktop Mac computer

The Studio also has a Mac mini loaded with the full Adobe Creative Cloud, and is connected to a scanner to digitize slides, photos, and film. The Mac is also able to convert VHS tapes to MP4 files to load onto a thumb drive or blank DVD.

Reserve Equipment
Person working at embroidery machine

Embroidery machines have many fonts and designs pre-programmed into them for easy use. The Studio also has software that can help patrons convert their own designs to a file for embroidery.

Reserve Equipment
Embroidery Machine needle

Embroidery machines have many fonts and designs pre-programmed into them for easy use. The Studio also has software that can help patrons convert their own designs to a file for embroidery.

Reserve Equipment
People working at laser engraver station

Our Epilog laser engraver is 30 watts and has a flatbed that can accommodate materials up to 24” x 12.” There is also a rotary attachment that allows you to engrave a cylinder such as a glass or coated travel mug.

Reserve Equipment
vinyl cutter machine

The Silhouette is a vinyl cutter that can cut intricate designs into sticker vinyl, heat-pressed vinyl, or cardstock.

Reserve Equipment

3D Printing

The Studio has a Lulzbot Mini II 3d printer.

  • If you have a file that you would like to be printed, please submit it to studio@wnpld.org as an STL file. Please include your name, contact information, and if you would like the print to be a specific color.
  • The Lulzbot has a print area that is 6.3” x 6.3” x 7.09”
  • Each patron is limited to two different 3D prints per week.
  • We can only accept print jobs that take six hours or less. If your job is too large for the print bed or goes over time, we will contact you about possibly scaling your 3d model down to better fit requirements.
  • The print cost is 10 cents for every gram of filament used. We would be happy to provide a cost estimate before printing. A typical six-hour print uses about 50 grams of filament.
  • We will contact you when your 3D print is complete.