Last week I ran into Kallie at a downtown coffeeshop. Red in the face, helmet on, full tank of energy, she looked every bit the Kallie I've known for a decade, stopping in to support a local business on a break from riding her unicycle.
Kallie and her husband Andrew are one of the most fun-loving couples I've met with a deep love of trying new things and plenty of interesting adventure stories. They kiteboard, paraglide, parent chickens and ducks, and live life to the fullest. Both of their adventures have led them to Groundworks in different ways.
Andrew, a local pastor at Embody church, holds the HDL record for the longest banner printed on the library's poster printer. Andrew uses everyday programs with a low barrier to entry in order to design his posters, such as Google Slides. He snags help from HDL staffers in one-on-one appointments to perfect his images so they are poster ready, attractive, and not pixelated. Andrew's posters have been used at Embody and other places, including a large block party. He finds the poster printer has saved his church hundreds of dollars over sending the designs out to a professional printing company. He finds Groundworks has changed his perception of what a library is. "Groundworks redefines the library into a hands-on, collaborative space moving with the times," says Andrew.
Kallie has used Groundworks to create a costume. She's used a vinyl cutter to create door mats - watch her Tiktok video for inspiration! She's even used a 3D printer to create a switchbox allowing the couple to let their chickens in and out from their backyard coup remotely. From her visits to use the space, Kallie finds Groundworks facilitates conversation and collaborative learning among community members. So much so, she's recently gathered a group of neighbors and friends for an "unfinished projects club" that sometimes meets in the Groundworks space.
The couple says Groundworks has many layers, with entry-level projects that draw the user in and become a gateway to larger creative pursuits. "There is a lot of cool programming for kids in our community," says Kallie, "but once you turn 18, it’s kind of 'game over.' I’m especially grateful to Groundworks for being a space where adults can continue to learn and play."
