As libraries evolve to include a number of diverse programs, society is opening its eyes to a new kind of education, and a new era of community.
IdeaX is a makerspace at Bellevue Library where creative thought and discovery can be explored through interactive tools and materials. Designed to inspire, teach, and encourage a tactile and dynamic mode of learning, this innovative zone demonstrates firsthand the open-endedness of education.
The mission was to create a place where investigation and inquiry can flourish in ways that go beyond books or standard computers – a place where patrons can physiologically connect with technology, art, design, music through tools and programs like sewing, coding, robotics, 3D printers, laser cutters, and even filmmaking and recording devices. With people of all ages welcome, this new space encourages learning at every stage, and promotes a practice of lifelong curiosity.
“With ideaX, King County Library System is taking innovation to the next level, offering patrons of all ages the opportunity to explore, create and test the limits of their imagination with hands-on activities ranging from virtual reality to artificial intelligence,” says Lisa Rosenblum, KCLS Library Director.
Repurposed from a flex room and staff area on the first floor, the design is based on a ‘pixel’ concept in order to support the creative use of individual units and materials coming together to create something complex and unique. The theme is reinforced through digital print media colors of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black (CMYK) that echo the same technological focus; and also through patterns in the casework, floor, and display areas that feature the pixel’s geometries and proportions.
Creating new opportunities for meaningful connection, IdeaX will spark inspiration by giving community members – no matter the age – a place to experiment, play, and make something wonderful.