Although you’re an expert in information resources, you can’t be expected to be an expert in 3D printing. If you’re tasked with purchasing a 3D printer or several to get your new 3D printing service off the ground or upgrade an existing one, here’s what you need to know when purchasing a 3D printer.

Budget: What grants and funding are available? We’ll touch on this in the next section, as there’s often an opportunity to apply for financial assistance when buying equipment. If you’ve got a limited amount to spend, this could tip the scale in favor of a higher-quality printer. Within your budget, keep in mind the cost of buying a customer support package, any software licenses, replacement parts, and materials.

Number: How many is the perfect number of printers to buy? Needs vary drastically; a public library in a small town might get steady use of one, but a busy technical library at an esteemed university is likely to need more. When buying multiple printers for the same place, it’s a good idea to check that they can connect with each other and be operated and monitored by the same software.

Software: The 3D printer will not come with design software but it will come with slicing software, which is the part that take the digital design and turns it into instructions for the printer. Yet, if you have computers at your library you may want to also offer some of the free computer aided design software often used to create 3D printable designs.

Upgrade-ability: If the 3D printer is successful in its chosen location, can you progress and offer more? It’s important to be able to upgrade digital tools over time, so make sure to check if your manufacturer provides upgraded models.

Materials: How appropriate and how affordable is each printer’s material? It’s a key consideration. Sometimes only proprietary materials are to be used, whereas in other instances, almost any material is applicable. Cheaper is not always better and you may consider only offering more sustainable material options, such as recycled filament or bio-based PLA. Plus, consider what you’ll do with all of the plastic waste that 3D printers generate.

Speed. A part can be printed in minted on some 3D printers yet take hours on others. If you anticipate high demand for 3D printed parts, you’ll want to consider a fast machine.

Emissions: 3D printers produce emissions as they work, and while some can be harmless, research shows that others can cause health concerns. Ensure that you evaluate how ventilated the area housing the printer is and what steps can be implemented to mitigate issues. Consider an enclosed 3D printer with a HEPA filter if it will be in a open public space.

Sound: 3D printers are often placed in sight of library staff so they can keep tabs on usage, so in a library setting it can’t be too loud. Some 3D printers are exceptionally loud, with buzzing, churning, and constant beeping. Most makers should provide a general sound rating.

We know of the huge potential value that 3D printers can offer, but at what cost? Libraries often need help with their funding, and while installing new technology is a dream, keeping the lights on is a priority.

Nonetheless, it’s very achievable, and if a library can demonstrate the benefits a machine might bring to its patrons and community, subsidies are available to help. There’s also the idea of charging a nominal fee to use the printers and print out parts, that could help pay off the machine and cover materials.

Here’s a handful of places to get you started.

• Library Services and Technology Act The US Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) is the only American federal program exclusively for libraries. It is administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and state libraries can use the funds to support statewide initiatives, including 3D printers and 3D printing education. There is a requirement for a state match, which helps stimulate approximately three to four dollars for every federal dollar invested.
• The MakerBot Grant Guide 2023 Perfect for school and university libraries, the new MakerBot Grant Guide 2023 outlines over 40 opportunities for the funding needed to begin 3D printing. There are grants for 3D printers, extra materials like filament and extruders, training, and more.
• The Libraries Transform Communities Engagement Grant This annual grant of $2,000 from the American Library Association (ALA) supports community engagement projects with a specific theme each year, across school, public, academic, tribal, and special libraries. Although applications for the 2022-2023 cycle are now closed, the next round of applications will open on December 1, 2023.
• The Brown Rudnick Center Foundation Community Grant Proposals for this community grant, with a maximum amount of $2,000, must fund a specific, one-time need or idea to improve education in underserved communities in Boston, Providence, Hartford, New York, Washington, D.C., Orange County, or London (UK).
• The Europe Challenge 2024 The Europe Challenge is an annual program open to applications from every European library, whether public, mobile, rural, school, university, prison, municipal, or national. It aims to work with communities to solve a challenge together, and €10,000 is available, alongside workshops, mentoring sessions, and exchange opportunities.
• State Farm Science Technology Engineering and Math Initiative (STEM)  State Farm community grants are open to educational institutions that encourage the STEM interdisciplinary approach to learning, with rigorous academic concepts, coupled with real-world lessons in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

The last thing you need is for a patron to burn themselves on a 3D printer or print out something illegal, such as gun parts. Good policies and precautions can mitigate these risks.

Many examples and resources are available online for guidance, but here, we’ve summarized a few of the most important.

Purpose: It’s a good idea to explain the reason for introducing 3D printing to the library’s collection of resources. As touched on in this article, this could be as an educational tool, a window into the design process, an appeal to curious creatives, or more. This mission statement should be a positive illustration of what is possible, outlining the intended parameters for its use.

Access: Who is eligible to operate the library’s 3D printer? Will staff be on hand to support the process? Are there training requirements before use? Being clear on the purpose of the equipment will help determine these specifics in each library’s case. Most libraries require users to have a library card for use, just like they do to take out books.

Law: As a precaution, it’s essential to state clearly in the policy (that users will sign and is posted) that any illegal uses of 3D printing are prohibited, including the manufacture of gun parts. Aside from what’s illegal, you may want to prohibit printing anything that may violate someone elses intellectual property or  copyright.

Safety: What use of the 3D printing machines is permissible? A policy, in line with broader existing library policies, must anticipate potential misuse and detail intended operations of the 3D printer. While some libraries only allow staff to directly handle the machines, others require a safety and usage orientation before permitting patrons to directly work the 3D printers.

Cost: Fees should be communicated clearly and there are a wide range of options. You could set a fee to use the machine by the hour, a fee by the weight of the completed part, a fee for every hour a part takes to print, or a fee for the time of the staff required to facilitate the printing.

Turnaround Time: In each library, the time it takes for a component to print may depend on multiple influences, including the printer, other files in the queue, their size, the number of parts, and their complexity. Communicating these factors will avoid unexpected delays. How long a part will take to print is provided by the slicing software in advance so you can reject parts or reschedule them if they may take four hours or more.

Liability: As a policy can define the terms that the service must operate under, it must also state that the library is not responsible or liable for the quality of the printed parts, unlawful infringements, including copyright, privacy, intellectual property, and cybersecurity, by those who don’t adhere to said policy.

As discussed, the potential for misuse of the 3D printing service obliges that steps be taken to supervise the patron’s creations. Most libraries reserve the right to review digital files and reject printing for any reason outline in its policies.

You don’t have to go to the printer to manually check each design before it printed. Many of the recommended printers below have embedded camera and software that lets you monitor prints via any computer or some with a smartphone or table. It’s best to have patrons upload their design to a cloud software, like these below, rather than directly to the 3D printer via a memory card or stick.

There are several monitoring software products available, a few of which we’ve summarized here.

3DPrinterOS is an easy-to-use cloud-based management software from the company behind the world’s first operating system for desktop 3D printers. Their aim is “mass adoption of the technology in educational institutions and enterprises,” this platform allows you to manage files, machines, and users. The technology is popular with prestigious universities, such as Yale and Harvard, and well-known companies like Bosch.

MatterControl is free and open-source software by 3D printer and material reseller MatterHackers. The software package includes everything from designing and slicing your 3D print to printing and monitoring it no matter what 3D printer your use (with some exceptions). The design suite is by no means complete CAD software but its ideal for quick edits to existing print models. Additionally, the slicer provides an adequate amount of configuration potential for multiple printers and varieties of filament.

Polar Cloud is – you guessed it – a cloud-based 3D printer monitoring service and so much more. The interface is simple and clean, working to reduce jargon in favor of clear visual cues about what each setting does. The inclusion of design and slicing capabilities as well as print monitoring is fantastic.

3DTrust would be a great software platform for 3D printing workflows, such as university libraries, as it has features to address the challenges of scaled-up production. Centralizing requests, 3DTrust can provide quotes and track orders with real-time status updates, including the printer’s performance metrics, preventing delays that could be detrimental to student deadlines. The software operates with the most popular 3D printing brands.

OctoFarm is a flexible single interface monitoring and managing multiple combined 3D printer farms. Administering 3D printer installation in bulk allows production to align and large orders to begin all at once, with uploading multiple files or adding, editing, or removing printers just as easy.

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