We’ve been hearing feedback from our Delaware County District Library patrons over the last several weeks, and we know that you love the DCDL Maker Studios. These do-it-yourself design spaces, located at the Delaware and Liberty branches, are the home to specialized equipment like 3D printers, vinyl cutters, laser engravers, sewing machines, wide format printers, and more.
The Maker Studio’s current hours at both locations are Monday & Friday, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.; and Tuesday & Thursday, 1 p.m. – 7 p.m. On Wednesdays, at both the Delaware Main Library and Liberty Branch Library, the Maker Studio staff make time for educational classes, equipment demonstrations, one-on-one tutorials, and hands-on learning.
This amazing service has been available to the public up to this point thanks to the work of two primary staff members, under the direction of the library’s IT Department. I’m excited to announce that, thanks to the public embracing and using this service, we have more staff joining the DCDL Maker Studio team later this month! To train our new Maker Studio staff members, both studios will be closed to the public the week of March 18-22. Classes scheduled for Wednesday, March 20 will still take place as planned, and regular operations and equipment bookings will open again on Monday, March 25.
More than a dozen classes are currently scheduled for March in the Maker Studio, and seats are still available to claim at many of them. As we enter graduation and outdoor party season, you may be interested in learning “How to Design an Outdoor Banner” either today or on March 13. As you prepare for Mother’s Day, you may want to embroider a gift, in which case “How to Embroider a Design” would come in handy today or March 20. If you have a more specific question based on a project you’re designing, reserve one of our times on the last Wednesday of the month for a “Maker Studio Deep Dive.” This one-on-one session is led by you and your questions.
This Saturday, the Great GeekFest will take over the entire Delaware Main Library. The Maker Studio will transform into a Dungeons & Dragons lair for two mighty quests! The comic-con covers the whole branch from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. So on the chance that you’re looking for a quiet place to study on Saturday, the Delaware Main Library would not be the best option. With things happening like a magic duel, a Bluey party, trivia, the Central Ohio Symphony playing movie themes, and more, it won’t be a quiet library.
Of course, we encourage our patrons to check out the other Delaware County District Library branches in Powell, Ostrander, and Lewis Center if the Great GeekFest won’t be your top pick on Saturday. While you’re out and about, see if one of these fantasy or science fiction titles should go in your check-out pile.
• “Faebound” by Saara El-arifi. Exiled from the Elven Lands, warrior Yeeran and her diviner sister Lettle must navigate the intrigue of the fae court in this opening installment of a new trilogy by the author of The Final Strife series.
• “The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years” by Shubnum Khan. Soon after 15-year-old Sana and her father move into Akbar Manzil, an apartment building created by subdividing an abandoned manor house, Sana discovers a hidden room and, as she explores, uncovers the tragic history of the house’s original occupants. Set in Durban, South Africa, this genre-blending debut is infused with gothic atmosphere and contains elements of magical realism.
• “Mislaid in Parts Half-Known” by Seanan McGuire. At Eleanor West’s School for Wayward Children, student Antsy discovers her talent for finding things — an ability soon exploited by mean girl Seraphina. While this 9th installment of the beloved Wayward Children series stands on its own, familiarity with previous installments enriches the reading experience.
• “The Tusks of Extinction” by Ray Nayler. The late Dr. Damira Khismatullina becomes the matriarch of a mammoth herd when her consciousness is uploaded into an animal’s body as part of a “de-extinction” project. Will her expertise on elephant behavior be enough to ensure the survival of the herd and the species?
• “The Parliament” by Aimee Pokwatka. When chemist Madigan Purdy agreed to lead a STEM program for tweens at her local library, she did not expect to be confronted with a murderous swarm of owls. As Madigan and her students shelter in place, she reads to them from The Silent Queen, the book that once got her through a difficult situation and may help them all survive. This gripping novel “tucks a Maurice Sendak fairy tale into a nature-attacks horror novel” (Library Journal).
• “Womb City” by Tlotlo Tsamaase. In a near-future Botswana where consciousness transfers are routine and implanted microchips keep people under constant surveillance, successful architect Nelah Bogosi-Ntsu occupies a body that used to belong to someone else. When she rebels against her controlling husband, she threatens both her own future and that of her unborn child.
If you have a question that you would like to see answered in this column, mail it to Nicole Fowles, Delaware County District Library, 84 E. Winter St., Delaware, OH 43015, or call us at 740-362-3861. You can also email your questions by visiting the library’s web site at www.delawarelibrary.org or directly to Nicole at [email protected]. No matter how you contact us, we’re always glad you asked!
