Pflugerville library: A guide to creative resources
The Pflugerville Public Library is getting back into the swing of providing in-person programs to our community. Many of these programs give our guests the opportunity to work on arts and crafts with materials we prepare for them. For example, you can create items such as acrylic balloon suncatchers or sand art bottles in our upcoming Summer Family Craft Time programs. In addition, we also have a large collection of resources available to work on your own projects.
Of course, we have books, and in our nonfiction collection we have an excellent selection you can browse to find the instructions you will need for your project. They are all arranged by Dewey Decimal Classification and anyone familiar with that system knows that 700-799 is the section for books focusing on arts and recreation. But you can begin finding resources for sewing around 646 and books with instructions for crocheting, quilting and knitting projects around 746. Anyone interested in brushing up on their drawing skills will find the guides they need starting at 741 through 743, while the area around 751.42 will give you instructions on painting. Finally, if you prefer to make art that is edible, then you will be happy to hear we have a large collection of cookbooks around 641.5 on our shelves. No matter what your focus, whether it be baking, cooking with an instant pot, or focusing on a vegetarian or vegan diet, you are sure to find something in our book collection that will satisfy your appetite.
If you prefer video tutorials and are seeking inspiration for some items to craft, we highly encourage you to see some of the videos our librarians have made for you on the Pflugerville Public Library YouTube channel. There we have instructions for past crafting projects that will detail the materials and necessary steps to craft the designated items. On our online catalog you also can run a search for “creative bug,” an electronic service where you can find a large collection of crafty projects you can work on.
If you need more specialized machinery for your crafts, you can register for an appointment in our library’s makerspace, which we have lovingly dubbed the Pfab Lab. Before you sign up for Pfab Lab appointments using your library card, you will first need to register for a training class on the machine you want to use. You can sign up for these free one-hour training classes from the event calendar at our library’s home website library.pflugervilletx.gov/events-classes/event-calendar. They are held once a month and will give you the basics of using the machine effectively and safely. They serve as an excellent introduction for anyone who has heard of the equipment but has not yet had the opportunity to give it a try.
In the Pfab Lab we have 3D printers that melt plastic material and use it to mechanically sculpt out small objects. We also have laser cutters available for use and anyone who is familiar with our Laser Cutter Craft programs knows some of the laser-cutters’ capacity to cut and engrave into wood, acrylic, paper, fabric, leather and more. We also have Cricut and Scan N’ Cut cutting machines available that can cut designs out of vinyl and other materials, and for those of you who prefer working and designing with fabrics, the Pfab Lab has embroidery machines and several sewing machines as well.
If you would prefer to have some equipment to work with from home, we also offer Maker Kits, which are boxes of crafting equipment and useful tools available for our guests to check out and take home with them. Among these Maker Kits we have a sewing machine, a bookbinding kit, a 3D pen, a stamp carving kit, a soldering iron, a wood burner, an engraver, beading tools, a drawing tablet, a weaving kit, candle and soap making kits, and much more. Each of these kits comes with instructions and sometimes a related book to help you get started. You can search for “equipment” on our online catalog to view our selection and place one on reserve.
Summer is the perfect season for trying out new hobbies and the staff at the Pflugerville Public Library hope you will make great use of the resources we have collected for you to express your creativity. Feel free to give us a call at (512) 990-6375 or to ask one of our staff at our checkout desk to learn more about these opportunities to expand your creative potential.
David Ruano is the technical services and cataloging librarian at the Pflugerville Public Library.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Pflugerville Public Library: A guide to creative resources
