Skip to main content

Idaho Enterprise

Glowforge Class to be held at Library next week

As part of its After Hours Adult education class schedule, the Oneida County Library will be hosting a class instructing those interested on the use of the Glowforge mini cutting and engraving machine. The class will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday September 21, and taught by Laura and Jeremy DeJong.  The machine is somewhat similar to a 3-D printer, although it is primarily used for engraving and cutting designs into provided materials, rather than creating the materials themselves from internal components.  

The machine can work with wood, leather, paper, felt, fabric, acrylic, and other materials to create more complex art projects.

“It’s sort of like a giant Cricket, mixed with a laser cutter and printer,” Kathy Kent explained.  Whereas a 3-D printed builds objects from designs by building up the layers of plastics, liquids, or powder grains, the Glowforge uses laser cutting and etching to create objects from hundreds of different kinds of base materials that can be used in the machine.

The class will focus on the basics of the machine—how it works and what its uses are.  While the machine will be free to use for library patrons, they will be required to be trained to use it in order to create projects on it.  Patrons who complete training on it will have a notation made in their library records stating that they are authorized to use it.  

The machine was purchased with a grant received before the outbreak of COVID; however, as a result of COVID restrictions it has not been possible for the public to use until recently.  So far, the machine has been tried out by youth groups and staff, but now the library is ready to take it public and add it to its impressive list of public resources.

The class itself is part of the library’s After Hours Adult Education series, which has several events remaining this year.  On Tuesday, the first session of the Personal History writing class was held.  An Open House is scheduled for later in the fall to celebrate the library’s designation as the Library of the Year.  Later, author Carla Kelly will be visiting the library virtually to speak with those interested on the craft of writing.  A Halloween event is also scheduled featuring discussions and stories of folklore with Stranger Bridgerland author John Olsen, who visited last year to discuss local legends.  

Pre-school story hour will also be beginning soon, with events at 12:30 p.m. for those either age 0-2, or 3-Kindergarten.

The library has also received a large number of new books as the result of a grant written by Sandy Evans.  The Pilcrow grant secured $1,500 for a variety of new books for ages 0-18, including a number of popular series and award winning books from a wide variety of genres.  If you or your kids haven’t been by the library lately, come see what’s new at the award winning local treasure.