Local leaders celebrate opening of Innovation Lab & Podcast Studio at Kevin Brady Library

THE WOODLANDS, TX – The newly opened Kevin Brady Library and Community Center at Grogan’s Mill Village Center was a little louder than usual for a library when a significant crowd gathered for the grand opening of the facility’s new Innovation Lab and Podcast Studio.

This three-room improvement to the library is the latest in next-generation plans for The Woodlands community. The podcast studio is fully decked out with microphones, seats, multi-channel sound board, and even high-resolution, remote-controlled cameras for extra video podcast pleasure. The soundproofed room, made possible with the support of Howard Hughes Communities, even has a green screen, and on-site Adobe software is available in the nearby editing room to custom tailor backdrops so that each recording is unique.

At the event, tours were given of the studio and the Innovation Lab’s Maker Space, which was filled with equipment designed for hands-on creation, experimentation, and design, such as 3D printers , 3D scanner, a large-format cutting machine, heat presses, a sublimation printer, and other tools. The Maker Space is mainly supported by Vogt Engineering.

Library visitors are welcome to use all aspects of the Innovation Lab once they complete an orientation offered every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, with open lab hours on Tuesdays. Montgomery County Precinct 3 Commissioner Ritch Wheeler stated he would be proud to be the first person to record an official podcast later that day with the latest episode of his ‘Wheeler Report.’

After tours conducted by Innovation Lab special Austin Chandler, library director Laci Martinez welcomed the assembly, marking the occasion as the library “moving from consumption to creation.”

Library executive director Dr. Janna Hoglund was effusive in her praise for those who were responsible for the creation and realization of the Lab, notably Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough, Commissioner Wheeler, and Chairman of the Township Board Brad Bailey, who all took turns at the microphone to mark the occasion. Next came the ceremonial ribbon-cutting that elicited loud applause from all.

Though he didn’t give a speech at the event, former Congressman and namesake of the library, Kevin Brady, spoke with Woodlands Online on the Lab and its implications.

“It’s exciting because it draws even more young people, more creators and innovators, to the library and gives them a chance to do so much. I mean, who has a great, advanced set-up like this at home to be creative, to launch a new podcast, to innovate. It’s just a tremendous asset of the library,” he said. “They’re really going next-generation; this is the future of the modern day library, and this reflects it. They’re using every possible square inch to provide opportunities and resources for the community.”

For more information on the Innovation Lab, contact Austin Chandler at austin.chandler@countylibrary.org or 936-522-2701.