How fabulous would it be to work in such a forward thinking library as the Townsville Public Library, who have installed a 3D printer and scanner for the public to use?
ABC North Queensland's website reported on this innovative addition to the services offered at the library. This library believes that they need to offer and make accessible the latest technology for their community.
The printers work by building up a plastic or metal substance layer by layer. You can scan in a real object to be printed or it can be printed from your original digital files. Once exclusively expensive, these days a printer can be purchased for well under $1000.
3D printing does raise some legal issues - items can be scanned and recreated perfectly, which in a library or museum could mean a flawless way to preserve precious items, but it does raise copyright issues, and Lifehacker discusses on their blog the Wiki Weapon, a project working toward the printing of a working plastic gun, which has drawn much controversy, but recently scored funding to support the research.
I don't think public libraries here in Tasmania will be offering 3D printing anytime soon, so I can but dream of having the opportunity to play with one, but I look forward to the day when this technology is available to everyone in our communities.
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I really enjoyed exploring 3 D printing with lifehacker via your blog, Kim. Thank you
ReplyDeleteI wonder how this will impact lifestyles in the future? Can't wait!
ReplyDeleteI would have loved to be a fly on the wall at the meeting when the decision to purchase a 3D printer was made! Prioritising such a purchase in the budget, as well as the discussion on the ways the library clients would use the printer would be so interesting
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