Makerspace - rules and procedures

All CCPL behavior policies (PDF) apply to the Exploration Commons space. Additionally, Exploration Commons customers should be aware of the following:

• All customers must check in with staff when they arrive at the makerspace.
• Customers interested in independent use of laser cutters, CNC machines, sewing machines, and 3D printers must be trained/certified prior to using the equipment.
• Any equipment damage or personal injury must be reported to a staff member immediately.
• The following age restrictions are in place for the use of equipment (Note: users must be certified to use select equipment):
  • Children ages 8 – 11 may work with an equipment certified adult in the use of some machines in the space but may not operate equipment themselves.
  • Children ages 12 – 15 may operate machinery once equipment certified and with the assistance of an equipment certified adult.
  • Persons aged 16 and older may operate any of the available equipment.
• Food is limited to light snacks and drinks are limited to those in resealable containers. Food and drink will not be permitted in the fabrication lab, AR/VR lab, and AV lab.
• Unsafe use of makerspace equipment or violations of the library behavior policy will result in loss of access to the space.
• Laser cutters, CNC machine, AR/VR lab, and Audio/Visual lab are reservable. Walk-in use may be available but is not guaranteed.
• Safety glasses may be required in the fabrication lab dependent on use.
• Ear protection is recommended in the fabrication lab when the CNC machine is in use.
• Exploration Commons is a digital design and fabrication center that focuses on education and idea incubation. As such, we do not offer manufacturing or large-scale production services.
• Painting, staining, power tools, and woodworking are not permitted in the makerspace.
• Software and equipment may only be used for lawful purposes. The public will not be permitted to use the library's software and equipment to create material that is:
  • Prohibited by local, state or federal law.
  • Unsafe, harmful, dangerous, or poses an immediate threat to the wellbeing of others.
  • Obscene or otherwise inappropriate for the Library/Makerspace environment.
  • In violation of another's intellectual property rights. For example, 3D printers may not be used to mass reproduce material that is subject to copyright, patent or trademark protection.
• Please be respectful of other customer's appointments and remember to account for setup and cleanup time when planning a project that uses the laser, CNC router, 3D printer, or other makerspace equipment.
• Equipment/lab reservations are forfeited if a requestor does not arrive within 15 minutes after the start of the reserved time.
• Customer laser and 3D print jobs must be finished prior to closing time. Any jobs still running at closing time will be stopped.