This issue of Library Technology Reports explains both the practicalities of 3-D printing and also its promise and potential in library services. A better understanding of the basics and the theory behind the hardware can help you determine the best ways to integrate 3-D printers into your library. Author Jason Griffey concentrates on the areas where much has changed in the last several years, starting with the variety of materials that are now available for printing. Then he discusses the types of 3-D printing software, including a relatively new set of tools that are designed to make 3-D printing much easier from a management standpoint. Next, he looks at the brands of printers that are available and how best to consider them when making purchasing decisions. And finally, he presents recommendations on library 3-D printing setups. This report will help you better understand the technology involved and will also provide you with a set of recommendations and best practices that will enable you to put together the very best 3-D printing setup for your library community.
This report is an updated version of the 2014 issue of Library Technology Reports 50, no. 5 "3-D Printers for Libraries."
This report will help you better understand the technology involved and will also provide you with a set of recommendations and best practices that will enable you to put together the very best 3-D printing setup for your library community.
Chapter 1: Introduction
What is 3-D Printing?
What are the Types of 3-D Printing?
Chapter 2: Types of Filaments for FDM Printing
ABS
PLA
Other Filaments
Specialty Filaments
Chapter 3: Software
Beginner 3-D Design Software
Intermediate 3-D Design Software
Advanced 3-D Design Software
Host Software
3-D Printer Management Software
Chapter 4: Hardware
Printer Companies and Models
Unusual Printers
Chapter 5: Recommendations
First Printer
Fully Featured Setup
The Case for 3-D Printers in Libraries
Conclusion
Notes
Jason Griffey is a librarian and technologist, and the founder and principal at Evenly Distributed, a technology consulting and creation firm for libraries, museums, educational institutions, and other nonprofits. Griffey is a fellow at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University and was formerly an associate professor and Head of Library Information Technology at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Named a Library Journal Mover & Shaker in 2009, Griffey has written and spoken internationally on topics such as the future of technology and libraries, personal electronics in the library, privacy, copyright, and intellectual property. He was a winner of the Knight Foundation News Challenge for Libraries in 2014 for the Measure the Future project, an open hardware project designed to provide actionable use metrics for library spaces. Griffey is also the creator and director of the LibraryBox Project, an open-source portable digital file distribution system.
