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CHECK THIS OUT: New tech fosters creativity at the Nelson library

Avi Silberstein writes about the library’s tech hub
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A staff member demonstrates how to use the Nelson Public Library’s brand new media station. Photo: Submitted

By Avi Silberstein

Nelson Public Library

Maybe, just maybe, you host an award-winning podcast. OK fine, you don’t host a podcast — let alone an award-winning one. But you’ve always dreamed of starting one. Which means you have to start recording some episodes and putting them up online for millions to listen to, right?

Well, have I got good news for you! The library is proud to unveil a brand-new state-of-the-art recording studio, outfitted with all the equipment (hardware and software) you might need to launch your career as a podcaster.

But say you have no interest at all in podcasting. You love watching videos, though, and you’ve always wanted to try your hand at recording your own. And didn’t your mom always used to say you were funny?

Shouldn’t you unleash a torrent of TikTok videos that would have the collective Internet chortling to itself for days to come?

More good news! Our recording studio has a green screen, lights, video cameras and tripods — everything you need to finally become the social influencer you were born to be.

A few weeks ago I told you about our digitization station. That was the first of our trio of tech hub rooms to be launched. Today, I’m delighted to tell you about the other two rooms, which will be available starting next week.

Funded by the Columbia Basin Trust, the City of Nelson, and the Regional District of Central Kootenay, our tech hub offers our community members a place to engage with creative technologies (see a short video introducing it on our website).

There’s still one room left to tell you about: the media room.

The media room offers a dedicated computer station with Adobe Creative Cloud software to support graphic design, photography, editing, and animation. It features a Microsoft Surface Studio 2 complete with 20+ desktop and mobile apps, including Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Adobe XD, Lightroom, Animate, Dreamweaver, After Effects, and more.

Much like with our digitization station, these two new tech hub rooms are also spaces for self-learning. When it’s safe to do so we will be offering training, but for now we encourage you to visit our website to familiarize yourself with the software and hardware available before your visit.

And here’s a pro tip: take advantage of the library’s LinkedIn Learning subscription (formerly Lynda.com) to give your knowledge of the tools on offer.

At the end of the day, we know you have dreams. They might be big dreams, like starting a podcast, or they might be smaller dreams. But whatever your dreams may be, we’ll do whatever we can to help make them come true.

Avi Silberstein is the Children’s Librarian at the Nelson Public Library. Check This Out runs every other week. If you’re interested in learning more about library programs and services, sign up for our monthly newsletter on our website or by giving us a call.