As of Wednesday October 2nd, all four parks are open with limited amenities.
Click HERE for important updates and resources for post-Helene recovery in our area.

Technology

The Catawba County Library is one of our community’s best technology resources for learning, as well as accessing state of the art equipment. We offer classes, one-on-one help, public computers, faxing, scanning, and even laptops, tablets, and WiFi hotspots to check out and take home.

Catawba County Library invites you to get “creatively messy” with free access to high-tech tools to design, build and co-create. At the Main Library in Newton, you will hear the whirring of machines. It’s the sound of learning and comes from "TechConnect," an environment for people to connect with others and create meaningful projects.

TechConnect has a Fusion3 3D printer, a Curio Silhouette Digital Cutter, a large format poster printer, and GoPro cameras available for you to design, create, and use.

We provide classes on technology and tech tools, one-on-one sessions by appointment, STEAM classes, 3D printing, digital cutting, GoPro cameras and audio/video graphic design/editing applications.

TechConnect is a place where anyone can explore new technology as well as design, prototype and build inspired ideas from start to finish. Independent use of equipment and specialized 3D printing and cutting is also available by reservation, with nominal costs for printing and cutting. Please click here for more details.

TechConnect is made possible through a grant awarded by the State Library of North Carolina through funding from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by the State Library of North Carolina, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources.

Every month we offer classes and one-on-one help at each of our locations covering anything from downloading eBooks to Microsoft applications and 3D printing. Is there a technology topic that you’d like to see us address? Tell a staff member and we’ll see if we can make it happen!

Click here to see a list of this month’s technology classes!

Click here to sign up for NorthStar Digtial Literacy assessments and classes

Click here to explore online classes through NC Live

Click here to access more classes through GCF LearnFree

With our MobilePrint Service™, you can use your personal computer or mobile device to print to the library’s printers from anywhere – even from home. Simply submit documents for printing and come to the library to release and pick up your document using your email address.

The steps for mobile printing vary slightly based on which of our branches you want to print your documents. Click on the location link below for location specific step-by-step directions to use our MobilePrint Service™:

We know that many in our community don’t have WiFi access at home and library hours aren’t always convenient to your schedule, so we provide laptops and WiFi hotspots to be checked out by an adult in the household.
One hotspot can power up to 10 devices at one time so you’ll have plenty of bandwidth for homework, completing online courses, applying for jobs, practicing computer applications, streaming digital resources, staying in touch with family, or just surfing the web.

Checking out this equipment requires a little bit of training and paperwork, as well as current photo identification/address information, so be sure you have about 10-15 minutes to complete the process the first time. Laptops and hotspots are available at all seven of our locations.

The WiFi Hotspots and Laptops are made possible through a grant awarded by the State Library of North Carolina through funding from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by the State Library of North Carolina, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources.