WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville Public Library (WPL) has received a $12,000 grant which it will use to establish a “creative cafe” at its Freedom Branch.
Similar to a makerspace, a creative cafe is a hub offering a community a place to produce creative projects. The Freedom Branch’s will include sewing machines, a laser cutter and more to support local crafters and hobbyists, and to host group workshops with instructors.
“Rather than replicating what is already offered in Watsonville, like at the Science Workshop and Digital NEST, this place will be for crafters and hobbyists,” said children’s librarian Elizabeth Griffo. “We want to help people learn things they can use as a life skill, for a new business or just for fun.”
Griffo said that having such a space is important, as Watsonville has become a “crafter’s desert.”
“There is no Hobby Lobby or JoAnn here,…