Broward libraries suspend 3-D printer use
County officials are concerned devices may be used to make guns
If you’re looking to print out something in 3-D, don’t bother going to a Broward County library because theirs have been temporarily
shelved over concerns they could be used to make a gun or other dangerous weapons.
Broward libraries took their 3-D printers out of circulation Monday to come up with policies about what the printers can be used for. Officials do not know how long the printers will be unavailable to the public.
“I’m concerned with any weapon that could be printed on a 3-D printer,” Broward Library Director
Kelvin Watson said. “It’s about all weapons and anything that could be printed to harm other customers and staff … especially in light of what happened last week at the Main Library.”
On Aug. 7, a man was shot outside the Main Library in downtown Fort Lauderdale near the homeless tent encampment. The man’s injuries were not lifethreatening, officials said.
The suspension also follows recent
attempts to make the 3-D-gun printing instructions available online. A federal judge in July issued a temporary restraining order to halt the release of downloadable blueprints for plastic guns.
The 3-D printers have been available at Broward libraries for about four years, Watson said. Library visitors would submit their requests to the library staff, who did the actual printing.
“I’m being a little more cautious” about wanting to have a full set of policies in place to “protect the county,” Watson said.
Oakland Park resident Damon Whitney had planned to take his daughters to a course on how the printers operate Saturday but was informed the classes were canceled because use of the 3-D printers was being suspended.
Whitney, who works in information technology for a Miami cruise line, said the county is overreacting.
“I can’t understand their knee-jerk reaction,” Whitney said. “It’s not the right approach. The library system should talk to their vendors that supply the 3-D printers so that it’s foolproof and no one can use the printer unless it’s been submitted and approved by the library.”
The Miami-Dade County library system has 3-D printers at four libraries, but officials there are continuing to allow public requests. As was the case in Broward, the actual printing is done by library staff, said library spokeswoman Leila Khalil. Anything inappropriate would be rejected, she said.
“We haven’t had any encounter of anyone wanting to print a gun or anything like that,” Khalil said. Most requests are from teenagers working on school projects or wanting to learn about the new technology, she said.
“Obviously, if something’s inappropriate, it will be pulled,” Khalil said.
“I can’t understand their knee-jerk reaction. It’s not the right approach.
Damon Whitney, Oakland Park resident
The Palm Beach County library system does not have 3-D printers, a spokesman said.
The Broward printers had been available in “Creation Stations” at three county libraries: three each at the Main Library and the Northwest Regional Library in Coral Springs, and one at the Jan Moran Collier Center Library in Pompano Beach.
“It’s important for programs like this that stress science and technology — especially for girls — get support from parents and everyone in the community and that includes the library. This has an easy fix. I hope they come back online soon,” Whitney said.