The 4th Floor is an educational makerspace with a focus on information, design, technology, and the applied arts. Creative people from artists and designers to chefs to business owners and beyond are all welcome and encouraged to use this space to create! You can make a custom t-shirt, print a large format poster, learn how to sew, use professional design software at no cost, and so much more.
The 12,000 sq foot space hosts high tech equipment, maker specialists who share their expertise, and fun, educational events for all ages.
Use of equipment and software is free, no library card required. Some stations do have material use costs, and a library card is required to check out items from Beyond Books Collections.
For questions or equipment reservations please call 423-643-7753 or email 4thfloor@chattanooga.gov.
For field trips or group visits, please fill out our request form at this link.
The library is open 9am – 6pm Monday through Saturday however the 4th Floor equipment and register are shut off at 5:45 pm, so projects and purchases must be completed before then.
Cut out adhesive vinyl for stickers and heat transfer vinyl for fabric items like t-shirts and tote bags
Make badge style buttons in either 1 ¾” or 1” sizes
Use digital designs to print physical objects using filament or resin
Print up to 36” wide posters and graphics on matte paper and up to 24” wide on glossy paper
Heat-seal paper projects using page size sheets or a large scale laminator for posters
Sign up for no-cost lessons and learn to use a sewing machine, serger, or embroidery machine
Use studio quality lights, backdrops, and tools to capture photos and videos, audio is not recommended (by appointment only)
Browse our in-house collected archive of zines (hand-made, self-published magazines) and make your own using our DIY zine station
Learn from a makerspace specialist how to screen print custom designs on fabric (by appointment only)
Use a Glowforge laser cutter to cut and engrave custom designs on flat materials up to 20” x 12”
Cut, drill, and engrave materials using computer programming and a mounted router. Must be 18 or older to utilize (by appointment only)
Make custom designs, 3D prints, videos, and more using Canva, Adobe Creative Cloud Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere, etc.), Blender, Graphtec Studio, Embrilliance Stitch Artist Level 2, and more
Host a public event at no cost for up to 200 people and use our sound system, stage, and presentation equipment (advance reservation required)
Due to the popularity of our equipment and services, reservations should be made as far in advance as possible. If you need assistance with operating equipment, always plan ahead to schedule a lesson.
1-on-1 Appointments scheduled in advance are required for first time users of:
Prices and limits subject to change. Please call 423-643-7753 or email 4thfloor@chattanooga.gov to confirm current pricing.
limit: 5 transfer sheets per day
*T-Shirts, Tote Bags & Glowforge Sheets are limited to 2 per patron per visit.
Three of the library’s Beyond Books Collections are housed on the 4th Floor.
