The Edge

Following the release of the Queensland Government’s Roadmap to easing Queensland’s restrictions, The Edge has re-opened to the public. Please check the opening hours page and alerts page for conditions of entry.

A maximum of 20 people are allowed in The Edge.

Resources
Activities

Resources

Explore the range of free facilities, hardware, software and equipment available to help you create.

Equipment: A range of equipment is available for use onsite, including cameras, Wacom tablets, zoom recorders, tripods and headphones. Ask at reception on arrival for the equipment you require.
Digital Media Lab: The software available includes professional software for graphic design, audio and video editing, web and app development, game design, animation and programming.
Recording Studio: A near professional environment for recording, editing and mixing sound.
Window Bays: Perfect for small group meetings, these small spaces seat up to 12 people, are equipped with power and data connections and overlook the river.
Fabrication Lab: The Edge basement houses a creative space with a host of resources for you to bring your creative visions to life. It is an open access community makerspace with equipment and tools available to anyone with a creative idea. If you have a hobby, project, assignment or an idea for a business that requires a laser cutter, soldering station, 3D printer, sewing machine or CNC Router, The Edge’s Fabrication Lab can help. You just have to be over 16, wear covered footwear and have completed the relevant safety induction.
SLQ Wiki: This platform has been developed to reflect State Library’s commitment to sharing intellectual property which has been developed with public resources, including content created at The Edge.
Brisbane Tool Library: The Brisbane Tool Library Inc. is a social enterprise that allows people to borrow hand and power tools, as well as camping gear and other items (sport equipment, kitchen/party appliances and Christmas decorations). The full inventory can be found here. Brisbane Tool Library works towards reducing consumption and waste, while prioritising access over ownership.

Book a space

Activities

The Edge offers a year-round calendar of workshops, facilitated meetups, community lab and ongoing programs to help you learn and connect.

Community Lab (Digital Media Lab): We offer set times each week when you can drop in to work on your creative project with access to a computer and staff, ready to answer questions about any of the software. Sometimes skills training sessions will be run during Community Lab as well.

Community Lab (Fabrication Lab) We offer set times each week when you can drop in to access quality, professional equipment like a laser cutter, CNC router, 3D printers (we have many and in different formats), sewing machines, soldering stations, tool shop, and general work benches. The Fabrication Lab is staffed during these times if you have questions. Sometimes skills training sessions will be run during Community Lab as well.

Workshops

Induction sessions are delivered throughout the year in the Fabrication Lab, Recording Studio as well as the Digital Media Lab. Inductions give you the basic skills, safety awareness and knowledge of how to efficiently use the resources on offer. To stay up to date and book an induction sign up to The Edge newsletter here.
Workshops cover a range of software and hardware skills and are either in the Digital Media Lab, Fabrication Lab or Recording Studio. To sign up for a workshop head on over to What’s on (To see some of the past workshops run at State Library you can find them documented here on the SLQ Wiki).
TRYIT workshops are all about trying something new, testing new skills and experimenting. Launching a workshop series like TRYIT allows us to be reactive to what’s happening around us. Workshops generally run for 2 hours and explore a different skill, plus you’ll always have something to take home with you at the end.

Facilitated Meetups

Hack the evening is a meetup hosted each Thursday for those that want to get in and apply their skills to new and crazy projects which require a little bit of technical skill and pizzazz. We give you access to our power tools, soldering irons and Arduinos and just about any other gear and materials you can find hoarded on level 0. In return you get to make new things and meet new people.No experience or bookings are necessary for Hack the Evening, just come along and start a conversation. You can also connect with Hack the Evening group via SLQ wiki and Facebook groups.
Made Today is a weekly meetup for those who want to get in an learn to apply their skills and interests in telling and capturing digital stories that are made for digital. Each week we give you access to our Digital Media Lab and recording gear and throw the occasional pizza in. In return you get to make new things and meet new people. No experience or bookings are necessary for Made Today just come along and start a conversation.You can also connect with Made today meetup group via our slack group and follow the #madetoday hashtag across social media.
Precious Plastics is a monthly meeting exploring DYI plastic recycling. Plastics are light, strong, durable, moldable and cheap. These qualities are fantastic when they make useful things and terrible when they make waste. In 2013 Dave Hakkens realised that one way to fight plastic pollution is to turn single-use plastic into useful objects people want to keep. He set about designing simple machines that people can build to do just that, and the Precious Plastics community was born. We started building machines at The Edge in 2017 and now they are installed in the basement, ready to use. Our monthly meet up is for people interested in building machines, exploring better ways to use them, designing and making useful things from plastic waste and generally changing the world for the better. Enthusiasm is more important than experience, and bookings are not necessary.