Stony Brook Libraries Launch a New Makerspace: The CAT Lab

A corner of the second floor of Stony Brook University's Melville Library is now the CAT Lab, a temporary mini makerspace from Stony Brook University Librarieswhere students are introduced to sewing and crocheting, soldering, leatherwork, 3D printing and electronics as the university plans a larger innovation hub.

The lab opened with a soft launch in November, but students from across campus have already begun signing up for safety training and experimenting with tools they have never used before.

"It has a lot of variety," said Ivan Chen, a first-year electrical engineering major and student employee in the lab. "It goes from sewing to 3D printing to crocheting. There is a leatherworking kit too. There is a lot you can do."

The CAT Lab, short for Computer Aided Tinkering, is the first step in a project led by Jennifer Adams, director of innovation for Stony Brook Libraries. Adams was hired to build a full makerspace for the campus, but the initial location in the library basement lacked ventilation and raised safety concerns that made activities like laser cutting impossible. Rather than wait for a long renovation process, Adams proposed a smaller space to keep the momentum moving.

"I did not want to let a year go by in my role without having a makerspace for students," Adams said.

The result is a compact room arranged to reflect a wide range of work. Along one wall sit 3D printers. Nearby, students can sew, crochet or try VR headsets. A Cricut machine is available for prototyping and decals. A separate room can be reserved for video work. The design encourages students to combine tools. A project might begin at the sewing machine, move to a Cricut station and end with programmed electronics.

"Jennifer Adams led this effort with clarity and speed, navigating constraints and keeping momentum while delivering an engaging, student-centered space," said Karim Boughida, dean of University Libraries. "The CAT Lab enables us to establish partnerships as we transition into a larger innovation hub. This work reflects the Libraries' strategic role in experiential learning, interdisciplinary teaching and new forms of assessment in an AI-driven environment."

Some tools require short Brightspace (SBU Learning Management System) training modulesthat cover safety, basic use and equipment care. Students complete them at their own pace and earn badges that unlock access to the machines. The first course covered sewing and serger use, followed by an introduction to leatherworking. A soldering safety course is expected to launch once a new fume extractor arrives.

"Anything with a significant safety factor needs a Brightspace course first," Adams said. "They earn badges inside the courses, which are completely self-paced and online."

Chen said the training has helped him feel comfortable with equipment he had never handled before. "It is important to do the courses," he said. "You learn safety and also how to maintain the machine. It would help students if they have their own machines one day to know how to care for them."

Other tools are open to anyone who walks in. The Cricut machine has already become a popular stop for students who want to make stickers or test out custom designs. Joy You, a first-year chemistry major and student employee in the lab, said her first attempts at sewing and machine cutting made her appreciate how the tools work.

"It was the first time I ever touched anything like that," she said. "It was interesting to see how it works internally, especially the serger. You can open it up and look at the inside as it runs. I was trying to cut stickers with the Cricut and it took a while to get the line right, but it was a very interesting experience."

The lab supplies most materials, though students can bring their own if they have specific projects in mind. Personal creations like stickers or crocheted items can be taken home, while shared tools stay in the space. Students from different majors have heard about the lab through classes and word of mouth.

Derrick Ma, a junior computer science major, said he hopes to return in the spring to work on cosplay ideas.

"It is very hard to try sewing, but I always wanted to make a cosplay costume, and now this space has the tools to make one," he said. "That is something I want to try this spring."

The library's central location has helped early interest. Students passing through for study sessions stop in to look around or take a break by trying one of the tools. Adams said she hopes the lab becomes a low-pressure place where students feel comfortable trying new skills or working on calming hobbies like crocheting.

"Because the space is in the library, if you are on a break from studying, you can just come in," Chen said. "I always wanted to try crocheting. I never thought to get a kit or supplies for myself, but now that it is here I can use it."

Another makerspace planned for the Health Sciences Library will feature more advanced equipment, including laser cutters, CNC machines and resin printers. Adams will oversee both spaces and wants the makerspaces to support academic work as well as creative hobbies. She hopes faculty will consider hands-on assignments that allow students to design or build physical projects.

"With AI becoming increasingly popular, some traditional assessments are not as foolproof," she said. "Giving students something to work on with their hands that meets the criteria for the course is something we will encourage. It does not have to be STEM. You can make musical instruments or historic pieces using our tools in the lab." SB Libraries are now actively approaching faculty to support academic use and integration with the curriculum.

The CAT Lab continues to shift as students test tools and offer suggestions. Donations of materials arrive regularly. VR goggles used during an origami event let students watch folding instructions while seeing their hands in motion. A button maker has become a favorite activity. One student used the Cricut to design stickers for a concert.

"The CAT Lab introduces students to hands-on making, digital fabrication, and creative problem-solving in a low-risk, accessible setting," said Boughida. " It also serves as the home of the AI Club and hosts select AI-related events, reinforcing the Libraries' role as a campus convening space for emerging technologies."

The lab is open Monday through Thursday from 9 to 5, with adjusted hours during finals and breaks. Adams expects it to grow more visible as students return in the spring.

Students are already tinkering, learning and discovering what they can make. "It is still too new to say what will become the most popular part of the lab," she said. "But students seem very interested."

- Beth Squire