The Lone Star College-Tomball Community Library is inviting one and all to join the celebration of its 15 years providing exceptional literary, cultural and educational resources to the residents in the greater Tomball area. The anniversary celebration is free, open to the public, and includes multiple days of exciting events highlighted by the grand opening of the all-new Innovation Lab. The anniversary events underscore the effective and highly successful partnership between LSC-Tomball and Harris County Public Library.
The 15th anniversary celebration begins with an open house on Saturday, January 25, from noon to 3:00 p.m., in the library on the LSC-Tomball campus. The open house features the congratulatory cutting of the anniversary cake, along with festive musical performances by LSC-Tomball students, enriching activities for children and adults that include an enchanting story time, creative crafting, a photo booth and much more.
On Tuesday, January 28, the public is invited to the grand opening of the Tomball Innovation Lab, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. The highly-anticipated launch of the Innovation Lab will showcase an array of the advanced high-tech equipment and the amazing capabilities they offer. The grand opening event will also offer a thrilling virtual reality experience to all who would like to don the goggles. Free refreshments will be served.
Visit the Library’s website for a full slate of events and activities.
“When the LSC-Tomball Community Library opened its doors 15 years ago, we also opened the doors to our college and welcomed members of the community, one and all, to our campus” said Dr. Lee Ann Nutt, president of LSC-Tomball. “Now we invite everyone to join with us to celebrate a community library that’s keeping pace, providing enriching resources, new technologies and reinforcing our college’s promise to deliver extraordinary experiences.”
The Innovation Lab will be open to the public and offer advanced technologies and services to help inventors, artists, entrepreneurs and others research, design and create a wide range of imaginative projects.
“We have achieved this milestone through the hard work and dedication that exists throughout the entire community library,” said Janna Hoglund, LSC-Tomball Community Library Director. “We are especially grateful for the on-going support from our community and our generous partners.”
A successful collaborative effort between the Harris County Public Library, LSC-Tomball and support from Precinct 4 moved the Innovation Lab from an inspired idea to a dream come true. Essential to the efforts were community partners that included the Greater Tomball Area Chamber of Commerce, Tomball Economic Development Corporation, Tomball ISD, HCA- Houston Healthcare Tomball, and City of Tomball.
The Innovations Lab will house a large, 3D printer and scanner, which can fabricate a three dimensional model from a design created on a computer. A laser cutter will engrave and cut various materials in order to allow for creation and construction. Standalone virtual reality headsets will provide exciting, new experiences like visiting faraway places, witnessing new and exotic cultures; simulations of both entertaining and dramatic activities; and instructional exercises, for example, training to assist in a surgical procedure. A heat sublimation machine will allow visitors to adhere vinyl, sublimation paper and inks on items like t-shirts, bags, hats and cups. Other new equipment will include robotics kits, sewing equipment, creation tool set and other. As the lab grows, additional instruments and equipment will be added guided by community participation.
Bobbye Silva, LSC-Tomball Community Library Co-Director, recognizes the importance of a vibrant community library. “We’re a higher education public college and it’s really a chance for us to celebrate the wonderful collections, resources and new technologies that are here for students, faculty and the entire Tomball community to enjoy and use to engage and explore their passions and interests,” she said.
The inspiration for the Innovation Lab came from the people using the existing computer facilities housed in the library. Creators, designers and amateur engineers began requesting access to new technologies and capabilities so they could explore the next level in their science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) projects. At the time of those early requests, the library could only offer a modestly equipped Maker’s Block two times a week. However, from that early prototype, the idea and inspiration led to the Innovation Lab and a new chapter meeting the needs of a growing community
SCHEDULED EVENTS – Public Invited
January 25, Noon – 3 p.m. Open House Anniversary Celebration
January 27, 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. Oral History - Share Your Story
January 28, 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. Tomball Innovation Lab Grand Opening
January 29, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Craft and Other Activities
January 30, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Sweet Treats from Around the World
January 31, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Viewing of the Movie “The Public”
The Lone Star College-Tomball Community Library is located at 30555 Tomball Parkway, at the intersection of SH 249 and Baker Road. For more information about the library, call 832.559.4206.
Lone Star College offers high-quality, low-cost academic transfer and career training education to 99,000 students each semester. LSC is training tomorrow’s workforce today and redefining the community college experience to support student success. Stephen C. Head, Ph.D., serves as chancellor of LSC, the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area with an annual economic impact of nearly $3 billion. LSC consists of six colleges, 10 centers, two university centers, Lone Star Corporate College and LSC-Online. To learn more, visit LoneStar.edu.