The Omaha Public Library starts a new chapter with Do Space

WELCOME BACK. DO SPACE IS NOW PART OF THE OMAHA PUBLIC LIBRARY. AND HERE TO TELL US WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IS ASSISTANT BRANCH MANAGER GRACE TREMBATH. GRACE, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME. ABSOLUTELY. SO FOR THOSE WHO MIGHT NOT KNOW, WHAT DO SPACES TELL US ABOUT IT? WHAT IS IT? YEAH. SO DO SPACE IS PART OF OMAHA PUBLIC LIBRARY RIGHT NOW, AND IT IS A COLLECTION OF CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY THAT PEOPLE CAN BOOK TECH KITS THAT PEOPLE CAN COME INSIDE AND USE, AS WELL AS EVENTS AND FREE PROGRAMS FOR THE COMMUNITY. YEAH. AND IT BEING A PART OF OMAHA PUBLIC LIBRARY IS A NEW THING. TELL US WHAT THIS TRANSITION HAS LOOKED LIKE. YES. SO DO SPACE HAS BEEN PART OF THE ABRAHAMS BRANCH. IT’S BEEN LOCATED THERE FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS. BUT NOW ALL OF SPACE, EQUIPMENT, PROGRAMS AND OPERATIONS ARE MANAGED BY OMAHA PUBLIC LIBRARY AND OUR STAFF, AS OPPOSED TO BEING AN INDEPENDENT NONPROFIT. SO WHAT LEVEL OF TECH EXPERIENCE IS REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE? VERY ENTRY LEVEL. WE REALLY WANT ANYONE TO COME IN AND EXPERIMENT WITH US AND LEARN HOW TO USE THE EQUIPMENT. YOU ACTUALLY DON’T EVEN HAVE TO HAVE A LIBRARY CARD TO BOOK THE EQUIPMENT AND COME IN AND USE IT, OR TO USE OUR TECH KITS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. ANYONE CAN COME IN AND USE IT. SO YOU JUST MENTIONED THAT DO SPACE IS CURRENTLY AT THE ABRAHAMS BRANCH OF OPL, BUT MORE IS COMING WHEN THE NEW CENTRAL LIBRARY OPENS. WHAT CAN WE EXPECT? YES. SO ALL OF OUR STUFF IS STILL GOING TO BE STAYING AT ABRAHAMS BRANCH. WE’RE STILL OFFERING EQUIPMENT AND SERVICES THERE, AS WELL AS PROGRAMING, BUT WE ARE PURCHASING A LOT OF NEW EQUIPMENT FOR THE CENTRAL LIBRARY, AND WE’LL BE OFFERING A LOT OF EVENTS THERE AS WELL. WE’LL STILL BE OFFERING EVENTS AND PROGRAMING AT ABRAHAMS, BUT ALSO AT CENTRAL. HOW DOES THE INTEGRATION OF DO SPACE SUPPORT OMAHA PUBLIC LIBRARY’S MISSION? YEAH, SO THE BIG MISSION OF PUBLIC LIBRARIES IS TO CONNECT PEOPLE WITH INFORMATION AND RESOURCES, AND THAT INCLUDES TECHNOLOGY AND CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY. SO REALLY, THIS IS JUST A NATURAL EXTENSION OF OUR MISSION. IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE’S SO MANY DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO TAKE. TELL ME ABOUT THAT. YEAH. SO WE HAVE EQUIPMENT THAT YOU CAN BOOK AT THE ABRAHAMS BRANCH. THAT’S GOING TO BE THE 3D PRINTERS AND THE LASER CUTTER TO START WITH. MORE EQUIPMENT COMING ONLINE LATER THIS MONTH. AND ACTUALLY THAT EQUIPMENT IS AVAILABLE TO BOOK STARTING RIGHT NOW, WITH THE FIRST AVAILABLE DATE BEING FEBRUARY 17TH. IN ADDITION, WE HAVE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT PEOPLE CAN ATTEND, SO FOR YOUNG ONES, THAT’S GOING TO BE KID CODERS AND CURIOSITY CREW. AND FOR ALL AGES WE HAVE PROGRAMS LIKE DESIGNERS DEN WHERE PEOPLE CAN COME IN, SPEND 60 MINUTES WITH THE EQUIPMENT AND LEAVE HAVING MADE SOMETHING YOU TALK ABOUT THIS BEING FOR PEOPLE OF ALL AGES. TALK TO ME ABOUT THE BENEFITS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE, FOR CHILDREN ESPECIALLY. YEAH, WE REALLY WANT TO EXPOSE EVERYONE TO ALL THE DIFFERENT TECHNOLOGY. AND, YOU KNOW, STEM EQUIPMENT AND OFFERINGS THAT WE OFFER. SO FOR KIDS, THAT’S GOING TO BE LEARNING BASIC STEM CONCEPTS FOR SENIORS. THAT’S MAYBE GOING TO BE LOOK AT ACCESSING DIFFERENT TECHNOLOGY, BUT ALSO TEACHING YOUNGER FOLKS ABOUT THINGS THAT THEY HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH, LIKE A SEWING MACHINE OR A LONGARM QUILTING MACHINE, WHICH I’M REALLY EXCITED FOR. WHERE CAN PEOPLE FIND THE MOST UP TO DATE INFORMATION ABOUT NEW SPACE? YES, THAT’S GOING TO