What do 3D printers, knitting needles, and pinhole cameras have in common? Area residents will be able to learn how to put all of them to use at the Northbrook Public Library in June.
In response to the ever-growing DIY movement, the Library is announcing Make It! Month, a full month of innovative low- and high-tech programming to inspire makers of all molds. From computer deconstruction to homebrewing, the Library’s Make It! Month programs are anything but ordinary.
“While the Library has always offered wonderful interactive programming, Make It! Month really focuses on learning through doing,” said Digital Services Manager Cathleen Doyle, who spearheaded the event. “Make It! Month opens up new avenues of programming for the library and its users, and positions us to be a new resource for those in the community who may not have discovered all we have to offer.”
On Saturday, June 6, Make It! Month officially begins with a Bike Safety Kick-Off. Area residents can come to the Library for free bike inspections from Northbrook’s Performance Bicycle, bike safety tips from the Northbrook Police Department, and a tutorial for making turn signal gloves. The first 30 visitors to attend the kick off can receive a free EL Wire Kit and glow in the dark spoke beads, both of which are used to make bikes more visible at night.
There’s a Make It! Month program for people of all ages, abilities, and interests. Anyone with a crafty side will enjoy the Library’s classes on making T-shirt totes, DIY etched glasses, and LED greeting cards. For the technology-inclined, the Library is offering a class on RetroPie, a fun gaming console to be used with the Raspberry Pi, as well as an Open Tinker Lab, where visitors can experiment with the Library’s educational and entertaining tech devices like Cubelets, Sphero, Ozobots, MaKey MaKey, and more. Other Make It! Month programs include:
• 3D Printing for Kids, Teens, and Beginners
• Summer Paper Quilling
• Appetite for Deconstruction: Electronics Take Apart
• Composting: Getting Started
• Arm Knitting and Intro to Knitting Classes
• The LEGO Movie screening
While registration is required for most Make It! Month programs, registration is not limited to library cardholders or Northbrook residents, which means anyone is welcome to register for Make It! Month events.
Make It! Month is the Library’s first step towards promoting maker culture in Northbrook and the surrounding area. With the growing availability of technological tools, DIY culture has smoothly evolved to include technological creative outlets among traditional arts and crafts. Now bigger than ever, the maker movement encourages learning through like-minded peers. This shared learning is exactly what the Library seeks to emulate with Make It! Month.
“At the heart of Make It! Month is a dedication to fostering creativity, invention, and STEAM learning at any age; after all, “making” isn’t just for kids,” said Doyle. “The Library can provide instruction or guidance in discovering new skills, as well as offer access to tools and equipment. We hope to inspire people to grow and share their talents with their neighbors and the world.”
The Library welcomes all area residents to be a part of Make It! Month and experience the shared innovation that occurs when people come together to create
