WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW ) – Beginning in the month of March, the Wichita Public Library will add a new item to its long list of services available to cardholders.

“I expect a lot of people would be wanting to print a lot of figurines,” said Ben Ropp, a technology trainer with the Wichita Public Library.

Since the addition of the 3D printer in 2018, people weren’t allowed to use the printer for recreational use.

“So, once a customer is approved for 3D printing — they will have access to this room,” Ropp said.

People wanting to use the printer must be 14 years of age or older, have a library card, abide by the library’s code of conduct, and undertake a two-course seminar alongside a special supervised session with a librarian.

“The first class is a 3D printing demo, and it covers a lot of the basic information people need to know about printing,” said Ropp. “The second class primarily deals with how to prepare the files that are needed to create a print with the MakerBot printer.”

Ropp says people who would like to use the printer will need to get their ideas approved by a librarian before anything gets printed.

The cost of the prints will start at 20 cents per gram and will go up incrementally depending on the total weight of the item. The prints will also be capped at a weight limit of 75 grams.

Samples of the 3D prints displayed in the library include dragonflies, dragons, giraffes, and even yarn bowls.

“So, most of the files that people would be using will be downloaded from the MakerBot website, that’s called Thingiverse, they have a lot of files all ready to use,” Ropp added.

For more information, visit the Wichita Public Library website.

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