Introducing the Oakes Room Creator Space at the Niagara Falls library

Did you know there’s a place in downtown Niagara Falls where you can record your own podcast, try your hand at electronic drums or guitar, knit a scarf for yourself or someone else, turn your stacks of old family photographs into digital files you can easily copy and share, and do it all for free?

Introducing the Oakes Room Creator Space at the Niagara Falls Public Library. All you need is a Niagara Falls Public Library card to use the room for whatever creative or digitization projects you have on the go.

As longtime visitors to the Victoria Avenue branch may recall, the Oakes Room is the quaint wood-panelled space to your right as you enter from the foyer that used to house the local history collection.

In 2017, the local history material moved to more climate-controlled space elsewhere in the building and the Oakes Room was repurposed as a makerspace — the Oakes Room Media Lab — complete with 3D printers, audio recording equipment and other creative tools.

After COVID-19 restrictions closed the room, from March 2020 through March 2022, the library started offering access by appointment as it retooled and reorganized.

Since November, they have reopened it to the general public for booking. While they no longer offer 3D printing services, they’ve upgraded capabilities for audio recording, graphic design, textile work and crafting, and added a few new musical instruments as well.

Some of the new additions include Shure MV7X podcasting microphones, an Epson FastFoto-680W photo scanner, a Juki MO-1000 serger, a Brother SE1900 sewing and embroidery machine, an Alesis Nitro Mesh electronic drum kit and iZotope RX audio restoration software, to name a few.

But the equipment is not nearly as important as what you do with it. For full details and to book your Creator Space session, visit nfpl.info/CreatorSpace or any Niagara Falls Public Library location. If you don’t have a library card, ask a staff member about how you can get one for free.

In other news: has your computer stopped working? Visit any Niagara Falls Public Library location and you can borrow a new Chromebook for free. All you need is a valid library card to use a Chromebook inside the library for up to four hours. Ask any staff member for details and they will be happy to help.