Using in-house 3D printing to support creative solutions to library facilities work
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/LHTN-08-2019-0056 |
| Published date | 04 November 2019 |
| Pages | 1-5 |
| Date | 04 November 2019 |
| Author | Kymberly Goodson |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science |
Using in-house 3D printing to
support creative solutions to
library facilities work
Kymberly Goodson
Introduction
The UC San Diego Library’s Spaces,
Lending, & Access (SLA) program is
responsible for a range of activities
associated with user spaces, furnishings,
technology and equipment. As such, in
collaboration with the library facilities
services team, its related staff are
assigned to monitor and address facilities-
related issues in the Library’s public
spaces. The SLA program also manages
the Library’s Digital Media Lab (DML),
which operates a popular 3D printing
service for the campus community.
3D printingstarted to be introduced in
public and academic libraries over the
past decade and continues to be popular,
even as decreasing costs have enabled
many to purchase this equipment for
personal/home use. The UC San Diego
Library installed 3D printers in its new
DML in 2015. While this free service is
perpetually in demand by library users,
staff have also considered how it could
be used for operational purposes within
the library. As one example, we
previously considered whether name
tags for service desk staff could be 3D
printed in the Lab, in part, as a unique
way to spark conversations with users
and informally promote the facility and
its 3D printing capabilities. Another
suggestion was to 3D print unique
signage for various library spaces such
as group study rooms. While these ideas
ultimately proved too cumbersome and
time-consuming to implement, staff
continued to brainstorm ways for the
library to take advantage of its 3D
printers to supportinternal needs or uses.
With over two and a half million
visitors annually, wear and tear,
unexpected breakage or damage and
theft or other loss of furniture,
equipment and infrastructure is frequent
and heavy. Some problems can be
addressed with existing or available
tools and supplies. In other cases, cost,
the unavailability of parts, the need for a
custom solution or problematic delivery
times from vendors can create barriers
or delays to resolving issues. It was in
one of these instances that an SLA staff
member initially proposed using the
library’s 3D printers to develop a
unique solution to a facilities-related
problem.
3D-Printed examples
The first circumstances for which 3D
printing proved to be an effective
intervention had plagued us for several
months. A total of 50 flush-mounted,
tabletop electrical outlet inserts on a
series of tables across the library were
no longer functional. Our desire was to
replace the inserts rather than leave non-
working outlets or large open holes in
the tables or to spend limited library
VOLUME 36 NUMBER 9 2019
OCTOBER
AN EMERALD PUBLICATION
LIBRARY HI TECH NEWS NUMBER 9 2019
CONTENTS
Column
Using in-house 3D printing to support
creative solutions to library
facilities work ..............1
Feature article
A comparative study of the use of
electronic resources by LIS and
computer science students in two
Nigerian universities . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Columns
Getting acquainted with social
networks and apps: figuring out
Fortnite in (hopefully) less than a
fortnight . . . ..............11
What’s trending in blockchain
technology and its potential uses in
libraries ..................17
Library Link
www.emeraldinsight.com/librarylink
LIBRARY HITECH NEWS Number 9 2019, pp. 1-5, V
CEmerald Publishing Limited, 0741-9058, DOI 10.1108/LHTN-08-2019-0056 1
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