Find Resources to Fuel Your Creative Projects at Twin Cities Public Libraries Posted in Domestic Geekdom By K. N. Hamann On September 10, 2022 I’m sure I don’t need to try very hard to convince any of our readers how awesome the library is—geeks and books are a combination as perfect as peanut butter and jelly. But I might need to nudge some of you to explore beyond your usual go-to section. I have certainly been guilty in the past of bee-lining toward the sci-fi stacks, blazing right past any number of really awesome resources that I probably would’ve been hyped to know about had I taken the time to look. When I did finally break free of my tunnel vision, I discovered a book of patterns and techniques for a specific style of embroidery, checked it out, and am still practicing the craft eight years later. And libraries aren’t just for books! Many also have a whole host of other resources, including maker spaces with specialized technology and materials available to patrons as well as virtual and in-person classes on various creative pursuits. In the interest of proselytizing the awesomeness of libraries and fostering the creativity present in our communities, I put together this general overview of the creative resources available from the library systems of the seven main Twin Cities counties, highlighting some resources that sound particularly geeky and cool. This is by no means a complete list, so make sure to investigate what neat stuff your local library might have to offer! Many libraries around the Twin Cities offer classes, events, and equipment to help you get creative. Check out your county’s library system to see what they have! McGhiever/Wikimedia CommonsAnoka County In addition to stocking fun nerdy craft books such as The Star Wars Craft Book, Make Manga!, Literary Knits, and Knits for Nerds, Anoka County libraries also have Discovery Kits. Each of these sets contains some form of educational lesson (book, video, etc.) and some of the basic tools necessary for a specific activity—such as knitting or small-loom weaving. Also available for checkout is a wide array of specialized kitchen equipment. On the virtual side, your Anoka library card gets you access to art and craft educational videos on Creativebug (and these are searchable in the library catalog). The Centennial Library in Anoka County also has the IQ Kitchen, which boasts a classroom kitchen, 3D printer, sewing machines, and Silhouette Cameo cutting machine. Check out the calendar for classes to help you get started or advance in various creative skills! These are usually free thanks to funding from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund but require registration due to limited space.Carver County Libraries in Carver County offer a wide array of classes for a range of age groups, including watercolor classes, sewing classes, and more. Check the calendar to see what’s coming up! As in Anoka County, these classes are funded by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Carver County also has “take and make” kits on special days, allowing you to grab materials and instructions for kids’ projects to take home. If you are a gardening geek, you may be able to grab some free seeds at a Carver County library, depending on the season. And exploration of the system’s Facebook page will net you some cooking videos from the Chaska Library branch manager! If you prefer to be self-guided, Carver County libraries of course have a selection of craft books and cookbooks, with highlights such as The Geek’s Cookbook, Geek Chic Crochet, and World of Geekcraft.Dakota County Dakota County has an extensive list of creative resources available at various locations in its system. Check out the info page on iLABs for a full list, but some highlights are serger and sewing machines, 3D printers, and soundbooths and microphones for audio production. You’ll need to reserve the equipment, but it is all available during library hours, and some of it does not require a library card to reserve. You can also make a reservation for one-on-one help with any of the equipment. As with the previous counties’ systems, Dakota libraries offer many different classes, which you can find on the relevant events pages. Also be sure to trawl the library catalog for physical and digital crafty resources!Hennepin County Computers at Hennepin County libraries have a selection of software to help artists create, including ArtRage (a realistic painting and drawing app) and Blender (3D creation software). On top of fun books available for checkout—including Geek Knits, Geek Sweets Baking Wizardry, and Star Trek Cross-Stitch—Hennepin County libraries also host crafting circles where you can bring your current work-in-progress and sit and chat with other crafty folks, as well as workshops and classes on a lot of different creative skills and techniques. There is even a series of workshops on their calendar addressing different topics related to making art your career.Ramsey County Roseville Library in Ramsey County holds regular Adult Maker events on weekends, which are special times when much of the library’s maker equipment is available for patron use on a first-come basis (some is available upon reservation). This equipment includes computers and software for designing 3D prints, a 3D printer, a sewing machine, and a Silhouette Cameo cutting machine. You can also submit your 3D print file online, and they will print it for you to pick up at a later time. Meanwhile, the George Latimer Central Library in the St. Paul Public Library system has the Innovation Lab, which was upgraded in 2022 and similarly features 3D printing, a recording studio pod, photography and videography equipment, sewing resources, and more. In addition to these maker spaces, various libraries in Ramsey County offer classes, take-and-make kits for both adults and children, spotlights for local artists, and crafting meetups. Like many other library programs, most of these are funded through the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, and some by the Friends of the Library. And of course, don’t forget to check out the materials in the catalog, including Creative Cosplay, Vampire Knits, and Draw 50 Monsters.Scott County The catalog for Scott County libraries includes a good number of crafty and creative materials, including a whole kid-oriented Once Upon a … series of craft books (notable titles: Once Upon a Medieval Craft, Once Upon a Fairy Tale Craft, and Once Upon a Dinosaur Craft). There is also Craft Projects for Minecraft and Pixel Art Fans, Knitting the Galaxy: The Official Star Wars Knitting Pattern Book, Casual Cosplay: Character Inspired-Fashion You Can Wear Anywhere, and several Halloween craft books. Libraries in Scott County also have events like writer meetups, quilting bees, and themed family story times and craft events hosted by a local knitting group.Washington County In addition to their usual catalog offerings of various crafty books, there are a lot of creative events on the calendar for Washington County libraries. There are lessons available in a variety of media, from crochet to watercolor, and for different age groups. You can also get your mental juices flowing by attending one of the craft meetups hosted at one of the libraries for quilting, needlework, knitting, and more. Or you can pop by a location for one of their “Let’s Make Stuff” events and create something to take home with you (and maybe kick-start a new hobby). Specific events on the schedule also provide access to Cricut cutting, 3D printing, laser cutting, and computerized embroidery. I hope this encourages you to explore the array of offerings available for library patrons here in the Twin Cities and has you feeling creative! Have you already made use of your library’s services? Is there a resource I didn’t list here? Don’t hesitate to share in the comments below! Follow @TwinCitiesGeeks on Twitter or Like Twin Cities Geek on Facebook for more great stuff from Minnesota geeks in your feed! Share This Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)
I’m sure I don’t need to try very hard to convince any of our readers how awesome the library is—geeks and books are a combination as perfect as peanut butter and jelly. But I might need to nudge some of you to explore beyond your usual go-to section. I have certainly been guilty in the past of bee-lining toward the sci-fi stacks, blazing right past any number of really awesome resources that I probably would’ve been hyped to know about had I taken the time to look. When I did finally break free of my tunnel vision, I discovered a book of patterns and techniques for a specific style of embroidery, checked it out, and am still practicing the craft eight years later. And libraries aren’t just for books! Many also have a whole host of other resources, including maker spaces with specialized technology and materials available to patrons as well as virtual and in-person classes on various creative pursuits.
In the interest of proselytizing the awesomeness of libraries and fostering the creativity present in our communities, I put together this general overview of the creative resources available from the library systems of the seven main Twin Cities counties, highlighting some resources that sound particularly geeky and cool. This is by no means a complete list, so make sure to investigate what neat stuff your local library might have to offer!
Many libraries around the Twin Cities offer classes, events, and equipment to help you get creative. Check out your county’s library system to see what they have! McGhiever/Wikimedia Commons
In addition to stocking fun nerdy craft books such as The Star Wars Craft Book, Make Manga!, Literary Knits, and Knits for Nerds, Anoka County libraries also have Discovery Kits. Each of these sets contains some form of educational lesson (book, video, etc.) and some of the basic tools necessary for a specific activity—such as knitting or small-loom weaving. Also available for checkout is a wide array of specialized kitchen equipment. On the virtual side, your Anoka library card gets you access to art and craft educational videos on Creativebug (and these are searchable in the library catalog).
The Centennial Library in Anoka County also has the IQ Kitchen, which boasts a classroom kitchen, 3D printer, sewing machines, and Silhouette Cameo cutting machine. Check out the calendar for classes to help you get started or advance in various creative skills! These are usually free thanks to funding from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund but require registration due to limited space.
Libraries in Carver County offer a wide array of classes for a range of age groups, including watercolor classes, sewing classes, and more. Check the calendar to see what’s coming up! As in Anoka County, these classes are funded by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Carver County also has “take and make” kits on special days, allowing you to grab materials and instructions for kids’ projects to take home. If you are a gardening geek, you may be able to grab some free seeds at a Carver County library, depending on the season. And exploration of the system’s Facebook page will net you some cooking videos from the Chaska Library branch manager! If you prefer to be self-guided, Carver County libraries of course have a selection of craft books and cookbooks, with highlights such as The Geek’s Cookbook, Geek Chic Crochet, and World of Geekcraft.
Dakota County has an extensive list of creative resources available at various locations in its system. Check out the info page on iLABs for a full list, but some highlights are serger and sewing machines, 3D printers, and soundbooths and microphones for audio production. You’ll need to reserve the equipment, but it is all available during library hours, and some of it does not require a library card to reserve. You can also make a reservation for one-on-one help with any of the equipment.
As with the previous counties’ systems, Dakota libraries offer many different classes, which you can find on the relevant events pages. Also be sure to trawl the library catalog for physical and digital crafty resources!
Computers at Hennepin County libraries have a selection of software to help artists create, including ArtRage (a realistic painting and drawing app) and Blender (3D creation software). On top of fun books available for checkout—including Geek Knits, Geek Sweets Baking Wizardry, and Star Trek Cross-Stitch—Hennepin County libraries also host crafting circles where you can bring your current work-in-progress and sit and chat with other crafty folks, as well as workshops and classes on a lot of different creative skills and techniques. There is even a series of workshops on their calendar addressing different topics related to making art your career.
Roseville Library in Ramsey County holds regular Adult Maker events on weekends, which are special times when much of the library’s maker equipment is available for patron use on a first-come basis (some is available upon reservation). This equipment includes computers and software for designing 3D prints, a 3D printer, a sewing machine, and a Silhouette Cameo cutting machine. You can also submit your 3D print file online, and they will print it for you to pick up at a later time. Meanwhile, the George Latimer Central Library in the St. Paul Public Library system has the Innovation Lab, which was upgraded in 2022 and similarly features 3D printing, a recording studio pod, photography and videography equipment, sewing resources, and more.
In addition to these maker spaces, various libraries in Ramsey County offer classes, take-and-make kits for both adults and children, spotlights for local artists, and crafting meetups. Like many other library programs, most of these are funded through the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, and some by the Friends of the Library. And of course, don’t forget to check out the materials in the catalog, including Creative Cosplay, Vampire Knits, and Draw 50 Monsters.
The catalog for Scott County libraries includes a good number of crafty and creative materials, including a whole kid-oriented Once Upon a … series of craft books (notable titles: Once Upon a Medieval Craft, Once Upon a Fairy Tale Craft, and Once Upon a Dinosaur Craft). There is also Craft Projects for Minecraft and Pixel Art Fans, Knitting the Galaxy: The Official Star Wars Knitting Pattern Book, Casual Cosplay: Character Inspired-Fashion You Can Wear Anywhere, and several Halloween craft books. Libraries in Scott County also have events like writer meetups, quilting bees, and themed family story times and craft events hosted by a local knitting group.
In addition to their usual catalog offerings of various crafty books, there are a lot of creative events on the calendar for Washington County libraries. There are lessons available in a variety of media, from crochet to watercolor, and for different age groups. You can also get your mental juices flowing by attending one of the craft meetups hosted at one of the libraries for quilting, needlework, knitting, and more. Or you can pop by a location for one of their “Let’s Make Stuff” events and create something to take home with you (and maybe kick-start a new hobby). Specific events on the schedule also provide access to Cricut cutting, 3D printing, laser cutting, and computerized embroidery.
I hope this encourages you to explore the array of offerings available for library patrons here in the Twin Cities and has you feeling creative! Have you already made use of your library’s services? Is there a resource I didn’t list here? Don’t hesitate to share in the comments below!
Follow @TwinCitiesGeeks on Twitter or Like Twin Cities Geek on Facebook for more great stuff from Minnesota geeks in your feed!
K. N. Hamann is a graduate student in biology and education. What time she doesn’t spend in a laboratory or doing schoolwork she devotes to various geeky pursuits. Her favorite pastime is marrying the joy of artistic creation with whatever her current fandom obsession is.
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