L.A.'s Central Library Has Free Podcast Studios, Sewing Machines and 3D Printers

A TikTok calling the downtown lab "genuinely insane" is mostly right. Here's what's in the Octavia Lab, what's actually free and how to get in.

"The LA Public Library is genuinely insane," Greta Devereux says at the start of a 26-second TikTok she posted Saturday. The L.A. creator, who posts as @greta.div, then runs through what the downtown branch has in one room: podcast studios, sewing machines, embroidery machines, poster printing and 3D printing, all free.

She has it right, with a few catches the video doesn't have time for. The room is the Octavia Lab, a makerspace on Lower Level 2 of the Central Library at 630 W. 5th St., next to the Science, Technology and Patents department. The library says it gives cardholders "free and unlimited access" to design, fabrication and storytelling tools. It's named for the science fiction writer Octavia E. Butler.

What's in the lab

• Two podcast and livestream studios. Each has a 24-inch iMac, a podcast recorder, two microphones and a video switcher for streaming, according to the studio page. You get one two-hour session a day. Bring your own headphones, because the lab doesn't lend them, and a drive to save your files.
• Sewing machines. A Sailrite walking-foot machine, a Singer Heavy Duty and a serger. One machine at a time, one two-hour session a day. You bring the fabric and thread.
• An embroidery machine. A single-needle Brother PE800 is in service now. Two bigger multi-needle machines are still listed as "coming soon" on the embroidery page. Bring fabric, thread, stabilizer and a USB drive with your design.
• A poster printer. An Epson large-format printer that goes up to 36 by 48 inches. You get one poster a week. The poster page wants a print-ready file at least 18 by 24 inches at 200 dpi, as a TIFF, JPEG, PNG or PDF.
• Two 3D printers. Raise3D Pro2 Plus machines that can build up to 11.25 by 11.25 by 21 inches, with a 10-hour cap per print. The lab supplies the PLA plastic and doesn't allow outside filament.
• And more she didn't mention: a laser cutter, a vinyl cutter, a 3D scanner, photography gear and digital illustration and media stations.

What "free" means here

Membership is free, and so is using the equipment. Materials are on you, and the lab's FAQ is plain about it: the lab keeps the machines running but doesn't supply project materials.

The 3D printing and the weekly poster are free under what the library calls a "soft launch." The 3D printing page lists the planned price for when charges start: 50 cents per 30 minutes of print time after the first three free hours, capped at $10 a print. Neither page says when the soft launch ends, so ask when you call.

How to get in

Sign up first. Membership applications happen in person, in the lab, during open hours. You need a Los Angeles Public Library card in good standing and a California photo ID with your name and address. An out-of-state ID or a passport works if you bring proof of a California address. You also sign a user agreement.

No card yet? LAPL cards are free to anyone who lives in California, and you can get one at any branch, including Central.

Then book by phone. Reservations go through (213) 228-7150 or in person at the lab, never by email. For 3D printing, email your STL, OBJ or 3MF file to octavialab@lapl.org with the subject line "3D print submission" first. Staff answer within one business day, and you call to book once it's approved. You don't have to stay while it prints.

The lab keeps short hours: 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday; 1 to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday; and 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday. It's closed on city holidays. If you only want to look around, tours don't need a reservation.

Devereux's verdict at the end of her video comes down to four words: "I love it here." The catch is one trip downtown with your ID. After that, the studio is yours for two hours a day.