Staff photo by Fritz Busch April Ide, director of the New Ulm City Library, stands next to a Dremel Digilab 3D printer in the library. The fee for using the printer is $2 for the first hour and $1 per hour. thereafter.
NEW ULM – 3D printing, a process that creates a three-dimensional (3D) printed object using thin layers of plastic, is among the many services available to Brown County residents at the New Ulm Public Library (NUPL).
Brown County commissioners learned Tuesday about 3D printing services and other offerings from Brown County Public Libraries.
April Ide, director of the New Ulm Public Library, thanked commissioners for a $5,000 increase for the Brown County library system in the 2024 Brown County budget.
“The increase has helped us maintain services, collections and resources.” said Ide.
“We are seeing more and more people using the library for many different purposes, including digitally recording old DHS tapes and slides. Thanks for your support. We are also applying for grants,” said Ide.
Libraries offer services including, but not limited to, access to tax forms and Mango Languages, a web- or app-based digital language learning tool.
Residents who would like to use 3D printing services at the New Ulm City Library should submit a request on the library’s website.
“It’s a great service” LeRoy Harris, new librarian for programming and technology services in Ulm, said of 3D printing.
“People have printed a variety of things, including flower pots, scale models and parts of machining tools.” Harris said.
Other NUPL services include delivery of materials to local senior living facilities, basic computer classes and locating Wi-Fi hotspots.
The New Ulm, Sleepy Eye and Springfield public libraries provide materials to local schools. The Dyckman Free Library in Sleepy Eye supplies materials to local daycare centers.
The library’s accomplishments in the past year include replacing the roof in Sleepy Eye and a 38-member book club in Springfield.
The NUPL offered two free art exhibitions. It wrote its 2024-2028 strategic plan and began implementing it.
Brown County Libraries partner with a number of local agencies to provide programs, services and resources. Partners include the Brown County Historical Society, United Way of the Brown County Area, Community and Seniors Together (CAST), K-12 schools, Mankato Area Basic Education, the Minnesota DNR and more.
Total library visits in Brown County continue to increase with 131,301 in 2023, 124,760 in 2022 and 122,011 in 2021.
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