Stapleton Library, Staten Island MakerSpace, team up to unveil "book bike"
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| Dustin Peabody, MakerSpace's director of digital fabrication, rides the NYPL's new Book Cycle from MakerSpace's Stapleton location to the nearby Stapleton Library. (Staten Island Advance/Vincent Barone) |
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on August 03, 2015 at 5:01 PM, updated August 03, 2015 at 5:27 PM
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Coming soon, perhaps, to a street near you, packed with the latest best-sellers and other reading material: the New York Public Library's "book bike"
The Stapleton Library teamed up with Staten Island MakerSpace Monday to unveil the latest "innovation invention" -- a bicycle built for books.
Back in February, the NYPL launched its Innovation Project', described as "an exciting new initiative to foster creativity, invention and talent among staff in every part of The New York Public Library."
The Innovation Project invited all staff system-wide to submit an innovative idea, project, or program for the chance to receive funding to bring their ideas to life. Through an NYPL staff-led committee and a staff voting process, funding was granted to more than 25 original
ideas throughout the system.
ideas throughout the system.
Steve Herman, branch manager of the New Dorp Library, proposed a "Book-Cycle" -- a portable and exciting outreach tool to spread awareness to the possibility that "you have a local library somewhere closer than you think, and gaining Library membership and benefits is a simple process."
Herman envisioned his Book-Cycle to be a fixture at street fairs, local festivals, pedestrian malls, boardwalks, and more. Additional features will include circulation, easy library card creation on the fly,and book loans with soft due dates that would entice the public to return
to their local branch.
to their local branch.
Partnering with Staten Island MakerSpace, in Stapleton, a non-profit community-based organization dedicated to building economic growth and supporting small manufacturing in the community, the Book-Cycle was created, and made its maiden voyage the few blocks from MakerSpace on Front Street to the library on Canal Street, where it was unveiled with some fanfare -- and much curiosity.
Passersby paused to gawk at the unusual creation, as did library patrons browsing through the stacks, as the cycle made its grand entrance.
"We really wanted to make a big book," said MakerSpace founder Scott Van Campen. "A mobile library was the [Steve Herman's] idea and we looked at it as a great opportunity to use a new piece of equipment."
Scott used Makerspace's new CNC (Computer Numerical Control) router to build the body of the book bike. Herman said he was inspired by mobile libraries he's seen in other cities when he submitted, and won, an NYPL Innovation grant.
"It's a great opportunity for public outreach, Herman said. "We can take this to events, parks, fairs and have people check out books or sign up for a library membership."
Dustin Peabody, the director of digital fabrication at Makerspace, helped design and build the bike. He rode it over from Makerspace to the Stapleton Library.
"It was the first big project with the CNC router," Peabody said "We designed the bike and the library helped pick the colors. "It's a smooth ride," Peabody added.
The "book bike" consists of a giant book mounted between the rear wheels of a 26-inch red tricycle. The giant book measures about 36 inches wide, 48 inches high, and 24 inches deep. It's built on a "mover's" bicycle that's designed to carry weight. The library logos were carved into the wood, as were little ridges to give the textured look of pages. The bike is topped off with an NYPL/Makerspace license plate on the back of the book.
From: SILive
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