Makerspace to be unveiled Dec. 5

Sidney Public Library's MakerSpace will be unveiled Dec. 5 with a Cheyenne County Chamber of Commerce "Business After Hours" event.

"We'll have drinks and h'ors d'oeuvres," Andrew Sherman, library director, said. "We'll have the MakerSpace open, all the equipment up and running, producing different stuff so everybody can wonder through the space and see everything in operation."

The MakerSpace is being funded by a $300,000 grant from the National Science Foundation and will establish a telepresence with University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Innovation Studio.

Remodeling on the library space is expected to be completed this week, with equipment arriving around Thanksgiving.

Denise Wilkinson, Chamber president, lauded the new MakerSpace studio.

"The Chamber is really excited for the MakerSpace," Wilkinson said. "We support the youth aspect but we also hope it will position some budding adult inventors and entrepreneurs to create a product or business, and eventually open a brick and mortar building."

Because the "after hours" event will take place during the library's regular hours, it will be restricted to the library's Smith Room and restricted to adults only.

An event for families and children is being planned for Dec. 9.

For the new MakerSpace studio, the library remodeled boiler room and storage space adjacent to its Bookmobile bay.

"It was pretty beat up," Sherman said. "Part of the space was carpeted, part of it wasn't. It just wasn't very inviting or very nice. There was a diving wall that separated the boiler from the other part of the room. We've pulled that down, opened the whole room up. We had an epoxy chip finish put down on the floor. It gives it a very durable surface and it's easy to clean."

The remodel came with challenges, Sherman said.

"When they had to grind the floors down we had the dust from that, and when they put the epoxy down we had the fumes from that," he said. "Fortunately we had nice weather when that work was being done so we were able to open the windows and vent a lot of that outside."

He added, "It's like living in your house and remodeling at the same time."

Sherman said he was excited for the public unveiling of the new MakerSpace.

"We're having some tough times in town right now, so it's nice to be able to put a bit of good news out there," he said. "This is an area where library are striving and progressing in. It's wonderful that the Innovation Studio in Lincoln and the extension office here thought our location was a great place to set this up."