ABSTRACT

3D printers are hailed as the next revolutionary technology, but will they be responsible innovations and help decrease poverty and inequality? This paper determines the availability and accessibility of 3D printing technology in low-income communities through public libraries and gives insights on how libraries use 3D printers. By examining the 2013 Digital Inclusion Survey and conducting interviews, we find that libraries are quickly acquiring 3D printers; however, the technology is not being fully adopted by the patrons due to the lack of training, software and practical applications of the technology. Also, we found out that the cost to use a 3D printer in public libraries is relatively low, and does not prevent patrons from accessing the technology. Overall, we believe that libraries will only play a small role in providing availability and accessibility to 3D printing technology for marginalized communities.

摘要

3D打印机被誉为下一代革命性技术，但是它们将成为负责任的创新并帮助减少贫困和不平等现象吗？本文通过公共图书馆确定了低收入社区中3D打印技术的可用性和可访问性，并对图书馆如何使用3D打印机提供了见解。通过检查2013年数字包容性调查并进行采访，我们发现图书馆正在迅速购买3D打印机；然而，由于缺乏该技术的培训，软件和实际应用，该技术尚未被顾客充分采用。此外，我们发现在公共图书馆中使用3D打印机的成本相对较低，并且不会阻止用户访问该技术。总体，