Comments on: Could 3D Printing Save the Public Library System? Mixed Opinions

By: 3D Printing Question of the Week: Should libraries provide 3D printing?

3D Printing Question of the Week: Should libraries provide 3D printing? — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 12:00:17 +0000

[...] On 3D Printing is covering a seemingly heated debate among librarians over whether to bring 3D printing to the masses through libraries. The University of Nevada's DeLaMare Library Director Tod Colegrove is one strong advocate: "Printers remain largely inaccessible to students and faculty outside of a select few. We've changed that," he told KTVN in a July report about the library's new 3D printer. "With technology and a supportive environment, it becomes possible to breathe life into ideas – in the library." [...]

By: on3dprinting

on3dprinting — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 20:39:52 +0000

Great comment. Thanks Mike!

By: Mike Groenendyk

Mike Groenendyk — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 16:42:51 +0000

The purpose of libraries–especially public libraries–has always been to provide equal access to knowledge and information. 3D printing is a technology that has the potential to drastically effect how the world operates. Most 3D printers are extremely expensive, however, as is 3D modelling software, and the knowledge needed to use these technologies is not easily available.

Libraries can no longer think of themselves as places to store books. As eBooks become more and more popular, people will no longer need physical copies of them. Librarians need to shift their focus on how to democratize new, emerging forms of knowledge and electronic information, such as 3D printing, and worry less about collecting physical books that will be gathering dust in a storage locker in another ten years’ time.

By: on3dprinting

on3dprinting — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 04:46:33 +0000

Hi Saul, great question. 3D printing is not about creating more plastic, it’s about moving the manufacturing to a local source and enabling more customization. It will also likely lead to reduced plastic because specialized materials can be used. There are 3D printers that can print in ceramic, rubber, stainless steel, other metals, and even organic materials like bone or soft tissue.

Here’s an example of a 3D printed titanium jaw that saved an 83-year-old woman. http://on3dprinting.com/2012/05/01/futuristic-medicine-3d-printed-jaw-implant-rescues-83-year-old-woman/

By: Saul McGinn

Saul McGinn — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 20:55:05 +0000

Is it just me, or does this seem like a really bad idea? Do we really want people creating more plastic now that we have reports of the garbage patch blossoming to the size of North America? When the American Council of Plastics says we have a problem, you had better pay attention. These are the guys you would normally expect to say: “full-speed ahead.”