You could check out more than books at the library this week.

From knitting to robots to giant Jenga blocks, the library hosted a two-day Makerspace event, May 16-17. Makerspace is a community-operated workspace that gives people an opportunity to create, invent and use technology through hands-on activities. Stations were set up around the library with hands-on instructions and a few representatives from the robotics team helped out.

“The Makerspace is actually a good way to learn through play,” junior Savannah Crosby said. “Also to calm yourself when anxieties over testing coming up, and AP tests last week. It’s introduced me to a whole new field of science that I’ve never been interested in before, like robotics.”

Coordinator and head librarian Chin Arritola’s goal was to provide ways to learn outside of a classroom. Another goal was to help with local organizations that take care of young children by giving them looms to create knit items for the children as charity work.

“When we’re doing the looms, that’s actually to be given to Cedar Park’s NICU; or any of the baby places,” Arritola said. “Sometimes we’re just displaying things in robotics and technology. So we’re introducing concepts to kids that would never be able to be seen in the classroom, and also introducing things that they can actually play with, and they learn as well.”

As well as helping the young children, Arritola provided ways to help the high school students as well.

“We’re showing off our robotics team and our 3D printers,” Arritola said. “We’re also showing off career opportunities; as you grow up there’s technology within other career opportunities as well. Just introducing new concepts without it being pencil & paper, let me play with it and see what it looks like. ‘How does it function?’ And it’s still learning something that’s fun.”

Students came during various classes and during free time to see what Makerspace had to offer. The stations included a giant Jenga game, a photo booth with silly costumes and accessories, a popsicle reaction activity, and coloring station.

“I think a lot of these things, like some people don’t know each other and they work together,” Arritola said. “So seeing kids at tables who wouldn’t necessarily talk to each other or don’t even know each other because they’re in different grades or different groups, they come together to learn a concept or to do a challenge together. I think that was a great thing to see.”

For the robotics team, Makerspace gave them an opportunity to showcase their talents and recruit members. As for the rest of the school, Makerspace was a chance to relax and have fun learning.

“Makerspace gives me a chance to demonstrate what I’ve worked hard on all year long and invite people to join our robotics team,” junior Devin Cornelius said. It’s really cool to show everyone the possibilities of 3D printers. This year we did an Eiffel tower, and I think it’s just a whole lot of fun.”