The Van Alstyne Public Library has two new 3D printers in its makerspace, and the City Council is set to decide Monday what patrons will pay to use them.
A fee schedule change on the consent agenda for the Nov. 9 council meeting adds 3D printing and large-format printing to the library's price list. According to the staff memo, the two Bambu Lab A1 Mini printers were donated, and the fees are meant to help cover filament and operating costs while keeping the service affordable.
What prints would cost
- 3D prints: 10 cents per gram for one color, 15 cents per gram for multicolor, with a $1 minimum
- Large-format prints: $3 per started linear foot on standard bond paper, $5 on coated presentation paper
Copy, print, fax and late fees on the schedule stay the same.
Under the library's 3D printing policy, the service is open to cardholders in good standing, and a parent or guardian is responsible for requests from minors. Library staff review each file and run the printers using library filament. A standard job is capped at about eight hours of printing unless the library director approves more, and multicolor work needs staff sign-off.
Patrons pay before picking up their items and have 14 days to collect them. They will not be charged when a print fails only because of an equipment problem or a staff error.
