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Frequently Asked Questions
A Lake County Public Library Full Access library card in good standing. Patrons under 14 must have an adult with a Full Access library card who agrees to pick up and pay for the print job.
An .stl, .obj, or .thing file or the link to the item on Thingiverse.com.
Send your 3D print request to lab@lcplin.org.
3D print requests must include the following information:
1. First and Last Name:
2. Phone
3. Library Card #
4. Filament Color Choic
5. Print Resolution Choice
6. Amount of Infill Desired
7. An .stl, .obj, or .thing file or the link to the item on Thingiverse.com
8. Pick-up branch
The library charges $0.10/gram
After you send in your request, you will receive an email letting you know how much the print will cost and asking for approval to charge your library account.
Once we receive approval, we will charge your account with the cost of the print.
Payment is due at time of pickup.
Charges of less than $5 must be paid in cash or by check at a LCPL branch.
Charges of $5 or more can be paid by card online.
Yes. Library staff will notify you of the estimated cost of your print before it is printed.
You will need to approve this cost before the library will send the request to the printer.
The library has two 3D printers: the Dremel 3D45 and the BambuLab X1-Carbon.
Both have a single drive print head
The 3D45 can only use one filament at a time.
The X1-Carbon has an Automatic Material System to use up to four filaments at a time.
Both use 1.75mm filament
Both have a nozzle diameter 0.4mm
Heated glass bed (3D45)
Heated flex plate bed (X1-Carbon)
3D45 max build volume: 255 x 155 x 170mm (10" x 6" x 6.7")
x1-Carbon max build volume:256 x 256 x 256mm (10" x 10" x 10")
No. The library does not allow patron-supplied filament.
The library offers PLA, ECO-ABS, regular ABS, and PETG filaments.
ECO-ABS: black
ABS: black
PETG: translucent.
PLA: black, white, brown, gray, green, blue, purple, pink, red, orange, yellow, silver, gold
3D prints are created layer by layer. Print resolution determines how thin or thick each layer is. Thin layers will create more polished looking prints, while thicker layers will be more noticeable.
The library offers:
Low Resolution (0.28mm)
Standard Resolution (0.2mm)
High Resolution (0.12mm)
Ultra Resolution (0.08mm)
The level of infill determines if the printed object will be hollow or solid. Certain 3D models will require minimum amount of infill in order to print correctly.
The options range from 0% to 100%, with 20% being our standard option. We currently do not offer gradual infill.
Yes! Each of our branches have 3D printed swatches for the colors available. You can also visit the Libratory during its open hours to see sample prints with different amounts of infill.
Support materials will not be added without approval from the patron requesting the print.
Library staff will notify you if they believe your print will benefit from support materials. You will also be given an estimate of the cost with and without support materials for comparison.
If you approve the addition of support materials, you will be responsible for paying for the support materials in addition to the main print.
Prints can take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours.
Print time depends on the size of the object, the amount of infill, and the print resolution.
To ensure fair access to the library's 3D printing services, prints with estimated print times longer than six hours will not be processed.
Yes! If you would like to print a model with up to four colors please let our staff know in your request and they will schedule an appointment for you to digitally paint or assign the colors onto your 3D model in our slicing program. Please note that process of printing in multiple colors will increase the cost and time of the print.
If there are errors in the final print, the patron is still responsible for paying for what was printed.
Fees will only be waived or refunded for mechanical error.
The library does not currently offer classes on creating models for 3D printing.
Visit the Libratory page for some of our recommended courses and a list of other resources.
You can also set up a one-on-one appointment with staff to go over your file with you to evaluate it for any possible errors which might occur during the printing process.
It is not recommended to use 3D printed objects for food. We cannot guarantee the material or manufacturing process is food-safe.
Yes! Let us know where you would like to pick up your print, and we will send it out.
Please remember to bring in the library card used to request the print when you come in to pick it up!
You must pick up your print within two weeks from the time that we notify you that your print is ready.
After two weeks, you will need to contact the Libratory to make other arrangements for pick up.
If the print is not picked up within 30 days of the notification that it is ready for pick up, it becomes property of the Lake County Public Library.
Check out our full tutorial on making requests!
You can request digital materials to add to the library's Overdrive/Libby collection using Notify Me tags! Here's how.
Some things to keep in mind:
First, check our digital collection to see if we have the item. You should check both Overdrive/Libby and Hoopla.
If the title is not available in EITHER collection, search for it in Overdrive/Libby and add a Notify Me tag to the title.
Please note: If the title is available in Hoopla, we will not purchase it for Overdrive/Libby.
If we purchase the title, you'll be notified - but you won't be automatically added to the holds list. This is because you get unlimited Notify Me tags and we can't choose for you which titles you want to use your holds on!
Your tags are anonymous - we only see the number of tags on a title, not any information about you.
The library reserves the right to determine the best way to fill your request, while still delivering the item to you in as timely a manner as possible.
We are unable to purchase every title that is requested so we have created a set of criteria that will determine whether or not we will purchase a title for our collection. In general we consider the year of publication, community interest in this subject, and availability from our library vendors.
If we opt not to purchase a new item for the collection we will attempt to borrow it from another library for you. However, our success rate for securing items released in the last year is low. If the item you have requested is new and is not purchased for the collection, we may be unable to obtain it through Interlibrary Loan.
Some requests may take longer depending on how long it takes to obtain an interlibrary loan or make a purchase, however the average time to process your request is 3 weeks, though DVDs may take longer.
You can check the status of your request by logging in to your account on the library catalog. Click My Bookshelf in the lower left corner, then click Holds.
There is no charge if Lake County Public Library purchases your request for its collection. On occasion, when we borrow an item from another library, the library will charge us for the privilege. We will borrow from a library that charges fees only if you authorize us to do so, and only if there are no free libraries available. Fees are due when you pick up your item, when applicable.
You may submit 5 requests at a time. A request is anything submitted using your library card number, regardless who entered it. When a request has been canceled or filled and returned to the lending library, you may submit an additional request.
Always check the Lake County Public Library Catalog for the item you are looking for before you submit a request.
The library will not attempt to purchase titles unless they meet certain criteria and we may not be able to borrow recently published materials through Interlibrary Loan.
Items owned by public libraries are generally available at no charge. University and medical libraries often charge a fee. If there are no free lenders and you are not willing to pay a loan fee, your request will not be filled.
While the library does provide Interlibrary Loan service for free, there is actually a cost associated with it: the library pays shipping and transport fees and passes on none of that cost to you. As a courtesy, we do ask that you pay your fines before we pay to ship books for you!
We are happy to send your request to any of our 9 locations for convenient pick up. If you want an Interlibrary Loan delivered to a another library system, you must submit your request through that library's Interlibrary Loan Department.
The lending library determines the length of the loan. The items are not renewable.
Be sure to pick up your item as soon as possible after you receive notification. This will allow you to have it for the maximum loan period given by the lending library. The longer your item sits on the hold shelf, the less time you will have with it. Some items borrowed are only for use in the library and cannot be checked out, such as rare or fragile materials, microfilm, microfiche, and other special materials.
To check your pickup location, log in to your account and check your Requests.
You will be contacted by your preferred method of notification when your item arrives at your designated pickup location.
If the library cannot obtain the title and will not be purchasing it, or if there is some delay in obtaining the title, a message will be posted in your account. Log in to your account from the library catalog, and check Messages.
Interlibrary Loan (borrowing)
Monday-Friday: 9:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.
Telephone: 219-769-3541, ext. 333
The Libratory is located in Merrillville Branch just down the hall from the Book Sale Room.
Our address is 1919 W. 81st Ave, Merrillville, IN 46410.
You can call us at 219-769-3541 ext 354, or e-mail lab@lcplin.org to get in touch with us.
Monday - Thursday: 10 AM - 8 PM
Friday: 9 AM - 4 PM
You can make a one-on-one appointment, use our drop-off conversion service, or send in a 3D print job any time.
Just email lab@lcplin.org to get started.
Only LCPL patrons with Full Access Cards or a Library Subscription Card in good standing are able to use the Libratory. Patrons under 18 require parent/guardian permission, and patrons 14 and under require parent/guardian supervision.
3D printing costs $0.10/gram for standard filament and $0.25 for premium filament, but there is no cost to use any other Libratory equipment or software.
You can bring your own jump drive to store your work, or jump drives with 16 GB of memory are available for purchase either at the Circulation Service Desk or in the Libratory for $8.00 each.
For film and audio conversions, DVDs and CDs are available for purchase for $1 each.
We have prepared easy-to-follow quick-start guides for our equipment! Knowledgable staff will be on hand to answer any questions you have after following the guide. We're also happy to help you find books or online tutorials for anything else you're interested in learning.
More into independent study? LCPL full access cardholders have access to LinkedInLearning, an online learning company that helps anyone learn business, software, technology, and creative skills!