Archinect - News 2024-12-24T21:59:15-05:00 https://archinect.com/news/article/150142725/the-la-library-s-new-octavia-lab-brings-creative-possibilities-for-the-public-to-experience The LA Library's new Octavia Lab brings creative possibilities for the public to experience Katherine Guimapang 2019-06-22T12:23:00-04:00 >2024-03-15T01:45:58-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/4f/4f6ed36848ca447e06f43423c7be753d.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><em><p>The Los Angeles Public Library wants to make it easier for you to make stuff. The new Octavia Lab maker space/audiovisual studio at the L.A. Central Library is 3,000 square feet designed to help you make your thing. It lets you do everything from 3D printing and using a laser cutter to filming on a green screen and using fancy sewing machines.</p></em><br /><br /><p>The Los Angeles Public <a href="https://archinect.com/news/tag/7562/library" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Library</a> launches a new creators studio that brings creative tools to the people of LA. The Octavia lab is named after the pioneering science fiction author Octavia Butler. City Librarian John Szabo told LAist, "she was a dedicated bibliophile and a great user of the Los Angeles Public Library, and specifically the Central Library."</p> <figure><p><a href="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/1a/1ae995b27010ce6c8a84ccb8e835b0ce.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=1028" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/1a/1ae995b27010ce6c8a84ccb8e835b0ce.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=514"></a></p><figcaption>Octavia Lab ribbon cutting ceremony. Image courtesy of LA Public Library</figcaption></figure><p>The space provides a variety of creative equipment ranging from <a href="https://archinect.com/news/tag/560280/3d-printer" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">3D printers</a>, laser cutters, green screen and lighting equipment, even sewing machines. The public library has always been a place where residents from any background can come in to learn and explore. With the creation of the Octavia Lab, the library is providing a space for people to use equipment that is often out of reach to many Angelenos. Szabo shares with LAist, "There will be young people who will become engineers because of some experiences that they've had in the space, or will pursue a soun...</p>