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New digital tech to be unveiled at Vernon library next month

Okanagan Regional Library opening Inspiration Lab June 1
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Cody Epema, the Vernon library’s tech guru, is ready to open up the branch’s new inspiration lab June 1, including the lab’s Cricut Maker station. The Cricut is a high-tech and precise cutting, drawing, and scoring machine. It can cut hundreds of different materials accurately and quickly, from the most delicate paper and fabric to matboard and even faux leather. (ORL photo)

Okanagan Regional Library cardholders will be able to swipe their way into Vernon’s new Inspiration Lab opening Tuesday, June 1.

“We’re so excited to finally be able to open the Inspiration Lab to the community,” said Library Branch Head Kristy Hennings.

The new lab, dedicated to digital creativity, collaboration and storytelling, features two Creation Stations complete with two Surface Pro computers loaded with the full Adobe Creative Suite. These stations are perfect for digital design, video production and animation utilizing Photoshop, InDesign, Lightroom and Illustrator.

The lab also consists of three digitization stations — one for scanning slides, film negatives and photographs and two others for digitizing older media formats such as VHS, vinyl and cassette tapes.

“There are a ton of options for digital creation with our Creation Stations and opportunities for the community to preserve their memories by taking their old media, such as photographs, and turning them into digital files,” Hennings said.

The lab also includes a Cricut Maker, a high-tech and precise cutting, drawing and scoring machine.

It can cut hundreds of materials accurately and quickly, from the most delicate paper and fabric to matboard and even faux leather.

“This machine can support almost any DYI project you’re working on,” said Hennings. “It is really an amazing machine.”

The opening of these additions follows the installation of a recording studio earlier this year.

The new studio can accommodate up to four people at one time and incorporates MIDI software, as well as other recording software, for recording music and producing podcasts and other audio projects.

This is slated to open when pandemic restrictions are eased.

People will be able to certify virtually through the ORL website (orl.bc.ca/makerspaces) on maker equipment beginning May 21.

They will also be able to reserve maker equipment on the website or they can choose to call their local branch with a Makerspace.

Makerspaces are now open at the Westside Learning Lab and the Downtown Kelowna branch.

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