Stan the Tech Van had his official launch with a ribbon-cutting ceremony earlier this summer at Madison Village Park.
“We are so pleased that so many of our community partners who supported us through the grant process that resulted in us getting Stan the Tech Van were able to join us,” Madison Public Library Director Dee Culbertson said in a news release. “We enjoyed bringing the different machines out of the building to show the community what Stan the Tech Van is all about.”
Those attending the ribbon cutting included Madison Village Administrator Dwayne Bailey; Madison Food Center co-director Chris VanDusen; Eastern Lake County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Kelly Donahue; Madison Historical Society President Dianne Cross; District Outreach Representative for Congress David P. Joyce, Katie Burger; and Northeast Ohio Regional Liaison to Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, Mike Kahoe.
Various library staff, board members and patrons were also in attendance.
Stan the Tech Van and his equipment were received through a grant, the release from the library stated. This grant is part of the American Rescue Plan Act and funded in part through the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services LSTA grant awarded by the State Library of Ohio. The grant provided the van as well as a variety of makerspace related machines that can be brought out into the community for people to use. Stan the Tech Van allows the library to bring creativity out into the community.
Specifically, Stan has:
— Mobile computer and iPad lab including two Macs, six PCs and four iPads
— 24-inch professional vinyl cutter
— Three button makers to make 1.25-, 2.25- and 3-inch buttons
— Glowforge laser engraver and cutter
— X-Carve CNC router
— SLA liquid-based 3D printer
— Filament-based 2D printer
— 3D scanner
— Vacuum former
— Cricut machine
— Lego Robotics STEM lab.
“This is a community vehicle,” says emerging services and technologies librarian, Shawn Walsh, “We partnered with a variety of groups to make Stan a reality, and we’re just beginning to see what role he can play in Madison.”
Madison Public Library had the support of Madison Village, Madison Township, Madison Local Schools, East End YMCA, Madison Food Center, Madison Senior Center, and Congressman Dave Joyce’s office for the grant.
According to the release, it was a full circle moment for the library cutting the ribbon for Stan the Tech Van several hundred feet from the original library building that opened in the village in 1919 and is the current home of Madison Historical Society.
To go from the Fortnightly Club collecting books over 100 years ago to begin a library in the village then to move to a larger physical library building now located in the township which now has outreach vehicles to bring books and makerspace equipment into all of Madison is quite an evolution in 103 years. It meant a lot to the staff of the library to have Madison Historical Society president Dianne Cross be a part of the ceremony helping bridge the library from its initial focus on strictly books to now materials, machines, experiences, and all types of learning, the release stated.
“For a long time, the library used the phrase ‘your community resource’ on much of its advertising,” Culbertson said. “And a few years ago we changed our
tagline to ‘experience extraordinary’. I feel now we are truly living into both those ideals because we can meet people where they are. Library resources are not limited only to those who are able to come to our building. With the help of our community partners, we will continue to provide extraordinary experiences for the people of Madison.”
For more information, contact the library, located at 6111 Middle Ridge Road, Madison Township, at 440-428-2189
