About STEAM Central

STEAM Central is a community makerspace in the Stephens Central Library. STEAM Central provides free access to a variety of amazing equipment and software for creative projects and hobbies, available to anyone with a Tom Green County Library card.

In addition to equipment for teen and adult patrons, STEAM Central hosts activities for children of all ages and houses fun learning kits available for check-out to educators for classroom use. Kits can also be requested for use in the space--just ask a staff member! 

STEAM Central also hosts the Tom Green County Library's expansive board game collection, which is open to circulation and includes games of all genres, age levels, and complexities. We also have a growing collection of tabletop RPG books and materials.

To find out how to use the stuff that STEAM has to offer, visit the reservations tab on the left.  Some equipment requires a certification class.  We strongly reccommend appointments for all equipment--even those not requiring certification--as walk-in usage will depend on activity in the space and availibility of staff and equipment.

To inquire about STEAM Central and its services, feel free to visit during our regular opening hours, call us on the phone (325-655-7321), or send an email.

Hours of Operation

If you'd like to reserve a time to use our equipment, please check our STEAM Central Reservations page, or call us for more information.

 

Monday Closed
Tuesday 9am-7pm
Wednesday 9am-7pm
Thursday 9am-7pm
Friday 9am-5pm
Saturday 10am-3pm
Sunday Closed


Hours are subject to change due to staff availability, outreach programming, or class events.

 

Announcements

Frequently Asked Questions

STEAM Central FAQ

 

What is STEAM Central?

  • STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics.  STEAM Central is a creative community workshop inside the Stephens Central Library in San Angelo, Texas. 

How did you get all of this stuff?

  • All of the equipment, supplies and kits available for public use in STEAM Central are made possible through a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. 

Where is STEAM Central?

  • STEAM Central is located in the basement of the Stephens Central Library. The Library is located at 33 West Beauregard, San Angelo, Texas, 76903. 

Who is STEAM Central for?

  • STEAM Central is open to everyone with a Tom Green County Library Card (which is available for free!), but some guidelines apply to those 17 and under. Please read our Usage Policy for more information.

 I don't have a Tom Green County Library Card...Can I still use STEAM Central?

  • Absolutely! We are happy to issue a Tom Green County Library Card to anyone that is a Texas resident that can provide us with a valid photo ID and proof of address. As long as all of the information on your driver’s license is current, you will be able to get a card! If you are an out of state visitor, you will be welcome to take a tour of the space but unfortunately you won’t be able to use our equipment.

Why is STEAM Central inside of a library?

  • Public libraries have always been about self-education and equal access. With new and exciting technology emerging every day, we decided that we wanted to provide a space where our community can gain hands-on experience with some of that technology. Some of the equipment available in STEAM Central may be cost prohibitive or have a high learning curve for everyday users or for small businesses. We hope that by providing free access to this technology we can help to close the gap between everyday users and the early adopters of advanced technology.

What's in STEAM Central?

  • Lots of awesome stuff! See our Equipment page for a detailed list of equipment and software available in STEAM Central.
  • How much does it cost to use STEAM Central?
    • For all Tom Green County Library Card holders, usage of STEAM Central is free. Some equipment, though, may require you to provide your own consumables.  For lists of allowable consumables you may need to provide, check the policy for the specific piece of equipment you would like to use. 

How do I reserve equipment?

  • To reserve equipment, you may need to certification class. Once you have met all requirements for the equipment, you can visit the Reservations tab on this webapge, or call STEAM Central at 325-655-7321. Reservations cannot be made more than 14 days in advance. Other restrictions may apply, so please make sure to read the entire Equipment Reservations Policy before reserving. 

How do I register for a class?

  • Registering for classes is easy. Simply visit our Events Calendar and find a class date/time that works for you. We will offer training classes for all of our equipment each month in addition to specialty classes. Each month’s classes will be posted during the last week of the previous month and registration will open up at 9:00 a.m. on the first business day of the new month. All of our classes have a limited number of attendees; we do not take names for a wait list and walk-ins are prohibited. Unfortunately we do not schedule overflow classes, make up classes or classes for individuals due to current staffing levels.

Have another question that we haven’t answered here? 

  • Contact us

                Casey Dees - john.dees@co.tom-green.tx.us
                Wanda Green- wanda.green@co.tom-green.tx.us

Donations

Do you have something you'd like to donate to STEAM Central?

We are happy to receive donations of materials and equipment, which will be used for classes, programs, and other activities in our makerspace.

If you want to donate to our makerspace, please make sure your donation meets the following conditions

Fabric

  • YES
    • Cottons in decent condition, in larger swatches/rolls
  • NO
    • Other varieties of fabric that are difficult to use or incompatible with our machines

Thread

  • YES
    • Sturdy threads of a variety of types
  • NO
    • Brittle/frayed/aging thread (more than 10 years old)


Paper products and scrapbooking materials

  • YES
    • Unopened packages, or clean/barely used
    • Full or mostly-intact sticker/decal sheets
  • NO
    • Stamps - we have a very large collection
    • Half-used sticker/decal sheets
    • Dirty/ripped/crumpled/aged paper products

 

Computers/laptops/tablets/printers/hardware and accessories

Please note: We are very rarely able to make use of donated computers/electronic devices, so please speak with a STEAM Central staff member before donating. If your device does not meet the critera below, it will immediately be trashed/recycled.

  • YES
    • New devices, within 2-3 years old
    • Devices that have been wiped of personal information and data - including user accouts and passwords
    • Devices that are in good, working condition, and can be kept up-to-date without extensive troubleshooting
    • Necessary charging cables/batteries/hookup cords are included
  • NO
    • Devices that are more than 3 years old
    • Devices that contain personal information, old files, obsolete software, etcetera
    • Devices that are password locked, with no provision of login details
    • Devices that have broken hardware (e.g. cracked screens) or well-worn parts (e.g. frayed cords)
    • Devices that are bricked, aka nonfunctioning
    • Devices that do not come with the necessary charging cables/batters/hookup cords