In order to book a piece of equipment in the Health Sciences Library Makerspace, users must attend an orientation session led by a library staff member. You can request an orientation session using the link below, and a staff member will reach out to confirm a meeting time. If you have questions, contact the Health Sciences Library Operations department at libhscirc@vcu.edu.
Once you have attended an orientation session, you are able to book Makerspace equipment. Bookings are moderated by staff to ensure users are trained on the equipment they have requested to book. You will receive an email confirmation once your booking has been approved.
When scheduling your booking, please ensure adequate time for your project, especially for 3D prints which typically run for several hours. Please note that any projects not finished by the end of the booking time or by library closing time will be cancelled.
If you have questions or would like to consult with a library staff member prior to booking, please don't hesitate to reach out to libhscirc@vcu.edu.
The Health Sciences Library Makerspace is available for use by all current Virginia Commonwealth University faculty, students, and staff, as well as VCU Health staff.
Authorized users are to follow all operating and safety training. Users are expected to be considerate of others and maintain a safe and clean working environment around the 3D printers.
All users must attend an orientation on each piece of equipment before booking for individual use. Orientations will be requested via webform; users will specify which equipment they want to learn about and indicate their availability for an orientation session.
Users will book equipment in advance, or may use equipment on a walk-in basis if the equipment is not already booked. For walk-in availability, please see the service desk. Bookings will be made through the LibCal reservation system. Bookings are moderated by staff, and you will receive an email confirmation once your booking has been approved.
All projects should be started before 5pm while full-time staff is available to provide support. Cricut and Glowforge projects will not be left unattended. 3D print jobs may be started and left for the duration of the print time. Once a print is started, users should plan to spend about 5-10 minutes monitoring their print to ensure it is running successfully and does not fail to adhere to the buildplate. All prints must be finished by the time the library closes, or they will be canceled at closing time; equipment will not be left running after the library has closed. Completed prints should be picked up promptly from the makerspace. If they need to be moved in order to start another print, they will be held for pickup at the service desk.
Users may 3D print any object for research, education, or personal use so long as the printed objects do not violate VCU campus policies and comply with U.S. copyright, patent, and other intellectual policy regulations, including the VCU Computer and Network Resources Use Policy, which do include specific exceptions for fair use. No weapons or drug paraphernalia will be printed, and users should note that 3D printed objects are not food safe, so they should not be used to make objects that come into contact with food or drink.
The printers are intended for educational and experimentation purposes. They may not be used to produce an item or items for sale, or for any other commercial purpose or private financial gain. Nor may be they be used for production-level printing (e.g. many copies of the same thing) without permission. VCU Libraries staff reserves the right to refuse any 3D print request.
Prints should be no more than 6 hours of estimated print time, unless approved by library staff. Prints should not be more than 60% infill. Users are welcome to choose a color from the available filament supply. Staff will assist with filament changes unless the user has demonstrated that they are comfortable changing filament on their own. The booking form includes an option to indicate a color preference and/or a need for help changing filament, and users can also request help with filament changes at the service desk.
For help with print set-up, users should consult the equipment instructions in this guide, which include self-guided help for using equipment and troubleshooting issues. Issues should be reported by email to libhscirc@vcu.edu. Users are also welcome to check at the service desk to see if a staff member is available to assist them, but depending on the severity of the problem or availability of staffing, they may not be able to receive immediate assistance.
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