Champaign locals will have the opportunity to unleash their creativity to the fullest with the opening of The Studio at the Champaign Public Library. 

The Studio, opened with the intent of providing a makerspace for teens to have an outlet for their creativity, held an open house this weekend and will be open on weekends to the public starting Oct. 14. 

The Studio is filled with appliances: a 3D printer, a large printer for posters and the like, Cricut machines, Glowforge machines, sewing machines and screens for PlayStation and Nintendo Switchs. 

Along with these appliances, The Studio stores the materials to be used with them. The area also includes audio and recording booths, which must be reserved ahead of time, as well as photography equipment. 

 “A big vision of the library is giving people access to materials at no cost or very little cost to them, because that’s a big barrier to access for a lot of people,” said Maura Stutzman, program and events librarian.

The Studio, located in the lower level of the library, was previously used for storage ever since the building was built 15 years ago.

After realizing the library’s popularity across all ages, administrators decided this area would be transformed into a lounge area for teenagers and a makerspace, which would be beneficial to the community at large.

“We already have a lot of amazing makerspaces in our community like the FabLab, the U of I and the Urbana Public Library, so instead of trying to become something totally new and different, we wanted to complement everything that’s already available in our community,” Stutzman said. 

The influx of teenagers after the end of school days was a driving reason behind the creation of The Studio, Stutzman emphasized. 

Stutzman noted that The Studio will provide greater support for this younger community’s existing interests. 

“Just having a dedicated space for the teens is going to be amazing,” she said. “The Studio is going to allow them to be able to spend their time and energy coming up with even more and more activities for them to do.” 

Teenagers won’t be the only ones utilizing the Studio, though — it will also host events for adults as well. 

According to the Champaign Public Library website, The Studio will host creative workshops for adults, including Crafty Adults, Writer’s Workshop and Tech Workshops — all materials included. 

Adults, children and students of all ages can all benefit from the opportunities presented by the opening of the Champaign Public Library’s new space. The Studio’s friendly and inviting atmosphere will provide the opportunity to bring locals together for a relaxing time while they sharpen their minds and keep their hands busy. 

[email protected]