Dive Brief:
- UMass Amherst's DuBois Library will reportedly be the first university library to offer access to a MakerBot Innovation Center.
- Campus Technology reports the 3D printing lab will feature 50 MakerBot Replicator 3D printers and several MakerBot Digitizer desktop 3D scanners.
- The center is expected to create cross-disciplinary collaboration opportunities and new ideas for industry partnerships, according to the article.
Dive Insight:
The library detail is worth noting, as UMass Amherst is not the first university to become home to a MakerBot Innovation Center. Dubois Library also has a Digital Media Lab. Instead of building out a workspace in the science building, the university chose a central location for the MakerBot 3D printing lab in the interest of providing greater access to students, as well as community and business professionals taking mini-courses, participating in start-up support services, or working out of incubator spaces planned for the lab. According to the MakerBot website, Florida Polytechnic University also has an Innovation Center, featuring 55 Replicator 3D printers.