Makerspace to Open in December
The Smyth County Public Library (SCPL) is pleased to announce the upcoming launch of a new creative space for our community. A makerspace is a hands on learning environment (like home economics classrooms, carpentry shops, art studios, or science labs) that combines technology with imagination and creativity to produce physical items. Some of the equipment that will be available for patron use includes 3-D printers, 3-D scanners, a sublimation printer, an Xtool laser cutter, sewing machines, an embroidery machine, an industrial Cricut machine, a mug press, a hot press, and an Apple Mac Studio workstation with the Adobe Creative Cloud (20 applications including Photoshop, Illustrator, and Premiere). We plan to add a recording studio and a quilting machine in 2026.
SCPL will offer programs designed to teach patrons how to use the equipment. We will also offer open lab hours when patrons can work on their own designs. Specific policies and procedures will be posted on this website when the makerspace opens. All makerspace users will be required to have an SCPL library card in good standing and to sign a user agreement/liability waiver.
The establishment of the makerspace was made possible by the Town of Chilhowie and the Wellspring Foundation of Southwest Virginia.
Please join us at the ribbon cutting for the makerspace on Monday, December 1, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. in the gymnasium at the Old High School in Chilhowie.
