On most days after school, 11-year-old Simon Romero can be found at the Denver Public Library’s Montbello branch on one of the computers in the new ideaLABplaying video games. He likes to talk as he plays and you can hear the excitement as he sees things he likes. Now he’s trying to build his own games.
“I play at the library a lot and record my games, mostly every day,” Romero said. “I’m trying to do my own animations right now and draw a comic.”
Romero is just one of several youth who are able to take advantage of the Montbello branch’s newest amenity and second ideaLAB at a Denver library. The first lab was opened in 2013 at the main branch in downtown Denver.
The ideaLAB is a space to give youth in the community a chance to create projects. Whether it’s video games, music or computer programs, the lab is there to provide the tools and guidance for youth — or even adults — to work on these projects and get ideas for new ones.
“I think itap a great place for kids to be productive here and also to find projects they can work on and believe in themselves,” said Jessica English,a library program associate at the Montbello branch who was hired to run the ideaLAB when it opened in September.
The ideaLAB hosts workshops throughout the week and has open hours geared toward different age groups and appointment times available for adults. The lab is equipped with a music studio, an iMac, several PC workstations and Chromebooks among other items. The Montbello ideaLAB cost $30,000 to build out and stock with equipment.
The space in the library had previously been used as a hangout space for teens, and English said that some complained when the space was converted. However, she’s now hearing from those same youth who are excited about what they can do in the ideaLAB.
For a complete list of hours and programming, visit .
Branch manager Larry Maynard praised the city’s library staff for choosing Montbello for its second ideaLAB, noting the high number of kids who use the library on a regular basis.
“One of the most interesting things about this area and Green Valley Ranch is that it has some of the highest numbers of kids, tweens and teens. So, to be able to have something like this that is specifically geared toward getting them more exposure to technology and all these wonderful things we do in there has been a really nice thing to offer,” Maynard said.
On March 15, kids age 12 and youngerhad a chance to play ROBLOX, a popular user-generated online gaming platform where the characters resemble LEGOs. The youth got a chance to play their favorite versions of games and learn how to create their own with the help of English and Josmar Casiano, a teen tech who helps younger kids in the lab for 10 hours per week.
Two teen techs assist the workshops each day and help kids get started on projects by providing advice, training on a device and support.
Casiano, 18, is a high school senior who started helping when the lab opened.
“Itap a good place to hang out and be productive instead of being out in the street,” he said. “I really like this place because itap like a sanctuary for the kids.”
English said the lab has been popular since opening. Denver Public Library will also soon add an ideaLAB at the Hadley branch in southwest Denver. She has also noted the growth of the youth during the past few months and how she has seen their confidence grow.
“What I love about it is giving kids the confidence to keep trying new projects and also giving them a space where they feel safe enough to take risks and fail,” English said. “Itap scary. You don’t know if you’re going to succeed. We’re just learning here all the time.”