Central Library Inspiration Lab
Vancouver’s free space dedicated to digital creativity. Find us on Level 3 of the Central Library
Drop in or book a workstation or recording studio in advance.
If this will be your first time booking or you need a refresher on the process, review our booking instructions.
For frequently asked questions and related events, check out our Inspiration Labs page.
Record!
Digitize!
Image Conversion
Image Conversion
- Epson V800 flatbed scanning station
- Trays for digitization of slides, and small, medium and large-format film negatives
- Scan prints or artwork up to 8x10 inches (20x25 cm)
Audio Conversion
Audio Conversion
- Stereo Compact Cassette conversion
- Audio CDs
- Bring your own player for formats other than Compact Cassette (RCA connections)
Video Conversion
Video Conversion
VHS video tape station
- Only North American format "NTSC" tapes are supported
- VHS-C to VHS adapter available for camcorder tapes
A/V hook-up stations
Borrow our camcorders to digitize:
- Hi8 / 8mm video tape camcorder (NTSC only)
- MiniDV camcorder (NTSC only)
Or bring your own camcorder to digitize other video tape formats.
No support for any film video formats (eg. 8mm film reels, Super 8, 16mm).
Create!
Each creation station features a high-performance Windows 10 desktop computer, with Wacom Intuos Drawing Tablets, MIDI keyboards, and MIDI drum pads available to borrow for in-library use!
Animation, 3D Design and Visual Effects (VFX)
- Adobe After Effects
- Adobe Animate
- Adobe Character Animator
- Adobe Dimension
- Adobe Substance 3D Suite
- Blender
- Houdini
- Microsoft Paint 3D
- Unity 3D
- Unreal Engine
Audio
Graphic Design and Photo Editing
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe Lightroom Classic
- Adobe Photoshop
- Microsoft Paint
Location
Central Library
350 West Georgia Street
Vancouver BC V6B 6B1
Canada
Upcoming Events
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Did you know that you can borrow drawing tablets at the Inspiration Lab?
Wacom Intuos drawing tablets are a useful tool for anyone looking to make art on a computer. Join us in the Inspiration Lab to learn how to use our drawing tablets, find resources, and get practice drawing digitally.
No registration required. Seating is limited, so we recommend arriving early.
11:00am – 12:00pm
Central Library -
Always wanted to try photo editing with Adobe Photoshop but didn't know where to begin?
In this 90-minute, hands-on workshop, we explore the basics of removing and repairing imperfections. These tips can help you take your photos from mundane to magnificent!
Eager to get started? Check out our guide on Photo Editing with Photoshop.
2:00pm – 3:30pm
Central Library -
Do you have some analogue media that you want to digitize?
Join us in the Inspiration Lab to learn how to use our video (VHS and 8 mm), audio (cassette tapes), and image (slides, negatives, photos) digitization equipment. Find resources and get help with your digital project from library staff.
For more information, see our Digitization guide.
11:00am – 12:00pm
Central Library