The Creation Station

About the Program

Category: Libraries (Best in Category)

Year: 2015

In January 2014, Broward County Library launched the Creation Station, a makerspace/gadget lab located at Main Library. Its opening marked a groundbreaking moment in the County’s history. The Creation Station was the first free community center in Broward equipped with tools and equipment such as state-of-the-art computers and 3D printers. The Creation Station features cutting-edge design and a bold color scheme. Showcased by two walls of floor-length glass, it houses high-tech equipment that customers can use free of cost and functions as a gathering space for anyone interested in learning how to utilize 21st century technology to become a maker, builder or creator. Since the Creation Station opened there has been an average of 1,200 visitors each month. In the fall of 2014, representatives from the U.S. Department of State visited the Creation Station to see the space and learn how to emulate it in other libraries and government entities. The Creation Station at Main Library was one of four U.S. libraries recognized in a press release on Whitehouse.gov announcing the first ever White House Maker Faire. As public libraries are commonly referred to as the “people’s university,” the Creation Station is Broward County Library’s high-tech, hands-on classroom.