Makerspace
Our mission is to connect people with ideas.
Serving Bulverde / Spring Branch
& Surrounding Areas
We’re making stuff
Mammen Family Public Library’s (MFPL) makerspace mission is to connect people with ideas. Our Makerspace is a community resource meant to be shared by members of the community. It is designed to inspire personal growth through experimentation, creativity, and the application of knowledge. These state-of-the-art resources and technologies exist to support educational, professional and personal goals and endeavors.
Much of the MFPL Makerspace equipment was funded through generous grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the Texas State Library and Archives (TSLAC).
Come and make it!
We are constantly learning and exploring our own equipment and we want you to as well! We will teach you formally or informally everything we know and we’re thrilled to learn and tackle new things together–just sign up for classes or Open Maker hours and together we will make the most of our collective skills! You can also reach out to Maker@mfplibrary.org or stop by with any questions.
-
TEEN-MKS: Team Project (series)
06/25/25 @ 2:00pm - 06/25/25 @ 4:00pm Training Room Mammen Family Public Library Registration Required […]
-
TEEN-MKS: Team Project (series)
06/27/25 @ 2:00pm - 06/27/25 @ 4:00pm Training Room Mammen Family Public Library Registration Required […]
-
BYO Crafting
06/27/25 @ 3:00pm - 06/27/25 @ 5:00pm Reading Room Mammen Family Public Library Registration Encouraged […]
-
Open Fiber Arts Hours
06/28/25 @ 1:00pm - 06/28/25 @ 3:00pm Training Room Mammen Family Public Library Registration Required […]
Who can participate?
Makerspace Program Attendance Policy
Attendance for Makerspace programs is subject to the following age and supervision requirements:
-
Adults (18 and older): Eligible to attend independently.
-
Youth (16–17 years old): May attend with signed parental consent.
-
Youth (10–15 years old):
-
Must be accompanied by a parent or responsible adult.
-
The parent/adult must actively participate and work alongside the youth during the program.
-
Each parent/adult may supervise only one youth.
-
Please note: Additional siblings or children who are not registered participants may not attend, even as observers. This policy ensures a safe and focused environment for all attendees and instructors.
For younger children, please check our calendar for STEM activities which sometimes utilize makerspace equipment.
Thank you for your cooperation in helping us maintain a productive and enjoyable experience for everyone.
After completing in-person or online training on makerspace equipment, if you would like to be considered qualified to use the equipment on your own, or if you already have been qualified on equipment and would like to schedule time to use it, please contact us using the box below or email: maker@mfplibrary.org.
Does it cost?
While use of makerspace equipment is free, there is a cost for materials used (consumables). The library may not have all materials you need. You may bring your own materials if they are approved by the Makerspace staff. Materials for use in our Glowforge must be Proofgrade.
We are not an on demand print shop so please note that we cannot complete projects for you. Our goal is that you will become proficient on the equipment to run it yourself. There also may be times when certain equipment is out of order, being repaired or may be lent out to other libraries who participated in the grants.
- How to use the Makerspace
- Makerspace Equipment and Capabilities
- User Agreement and Liability Waivers
- Makerspace Use and Safety Policies
HOW TO: Use the Makerspace (ages 10+)
- Sign up for a library card or make sure yours is up to date and in good standing:
- Free for residents of: 78004, 78006, 78015, 78027, 78070, 78132, 78133, 78163, 78260, 78261, 78266, 78606, 78623
- Or just $50 per year for access to all the MFPLibrary has to offer!
- Read the MFPL Makerspace Use & Safety Policies and sign the MFPL Makerspace Agreement & Liability Form: The agreement covers our policies, basic safety information and availability of materials. Your agreement ensures no one gets hurt and the equipment stays in working order as the library will not be held liable in such an event. The waiver expires after one year at which time you can sign a new one. Makers ages 10 – 16 will need guardian permissions and/or attendance to Makerspace events with their guardians.
- Register online for classes to learn and create: We teach classes on a variety of equipment mostly using free design softwares. 101’s and accompanying labs–while not required–are great introductory classes. Drop-ins and select projects follow holiday and library themes, and summer camps are a great time to gain multidisciplinary or advanced skills. Materials are covered for classes.
- Register for Open Maker Hours for personal projects and one-on-one learning: Got a project in mind? Couldn’t make it to a 101? Want to use the equipment with a little extra guidance? Bring your ideas, materials (if we don’t have them on-hand) and interest–we will teach you what we know to bring your ideas to life. Check out our community projects binder for ideas or past curriculum and even add to it! We love to explore and learn new things together.
- Get DIY Certified to schedule Makerspace equipment appointments: Once you are comfortable with the equipment and managing your own projects, we will certify you to work independently by appointment. We will always be on site for questions and troubleshooting, but certification allows you to work without guidance.
- Stay tuned for opportunities to check out Makerspace crafting and electronics kits:
We are in the process of making small kits available for leatherworking, beading, knitting, weaving, stop-motion creation, stamp making, small electronics exploration, robotics, and more! Stop by the Library of Things today!
Makerspace Equipment & Capabilities
3D Printers: Prusa MK4 and CORE One. We use Prusa Slicer (a free software) and free online sources such as Tinkercad (3D model creation and more) and Thingiverse and Printables (free model downloads).
CNC Router: Makita router with a CNC table capable of cutting into roughly 15×30” materials such as wood and soft metal plates. We use Carbide Create (free version) to design and Carbide Motion (free) to control the table. Check out Cutrocket.com for ideas and project instructions.
Sublimation Station: Epson ecotank printer with sublimation ink and a number of heat press configurations to make hats, mugs, t-shirts and more!
Laser Engraving & Cutting: Glowforge Pro and Epilog Zing. We use a number of free design softwares like Canva, Inkscape and Google Drawings to create files for cutting and engraving select wood, acrylic, leather, ceramics and aluminum nameplates and pet tags.
Woodworking equipment: A variety of power tools and larger woodworking equipment. For a full list ask for the woodworking descriptions handout. *Offered during cooler months.
Kiln: We offer a regular free firing schedule for personal bisque (clay) and glaze projects as well as classes and opportunities for hand-building and glazing.
Sewing: Janome 8077 sewing machines, Brother Serger and Brother Embroidery
Crafting: Cricut Makers, Cricut Joy, Brother Scan-n-Cuts, Heidi Minc Swapp Foiling, Hand-press die cutting (Big Shot with thinlits or an Ellison), button makers, and a variety of hand-crafting tools. See the Library of Things for what you can take home!
Electronics: Digitizing for a variety of analog mediums, lightbox, photography, podcasting, robotics, Raspberry Pi and arduino, Korg recording and synthesizing, microscope and digital camera, CoDrones, and more.
Materials: While we only keep materials on hand for current classes, we may be able to accommodate requests for priced items such as leftover class materials, button packs, 3D filaments and more and we always have a handful of scrap material for learning and testing.
Please print and fill out these forms. You can either drop them off in person to the Makerspace Specialist or scan them and email to: maker@mfplibrary.org.
Please use this form to request a makerspace appointment or for any questions you might have of our makerspace personnel. Due to the limited number of staff available, it may be 48-72 hours before you receive a response. Thank you!
