Rialto Library Reopens With Makerspace and Space Area

The $1.49 million upgrade added a makerspace and a space-themed storytime area featuring an animatronic cosmonaut.

Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Space

Rialto Library Reopens With Makerspace and Space Area

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The Rialto Library celebrated its reopening on Monday, October 19, after closing in August for renovation work. The $1.49 million project added a makerspace and a space-themed storytime section.

Why it matters

The project aims to stimulate youth imagination and provide hands-on opportunities to explore technology, design, and animation. Local families now have access to equipment and programs that were previously unavailable at the library.

The $1.49 million upgrade was funded through the office of Rep. Pete Aguilar, and the new animaker space includes a laser cutter, CNC milling machine, and four 3D printers. Programs are weekly and hourlong for participants ages 8 through adulthood, though the sources do not report ongoing operating budgets.

The players

José Hernández

A former NASA astronaut who donated his name and image to the project, and whose likeness was gifted to the city as an animatronic cosmonaut.

Garner Holt Productions Inc.

A company that partnered with the city to develop the space-themed storytime section.

The details

Staff introduce each machine, explain how it works, and guide participants through a project they can take home that day or collect later. The space-themed storytime section was developed with Garner Holt Productions Inc. and former NASA astronaut José Hernández, whose likeness was gifted to the city as an animatronic cosmonaut.

August: Library closed for renovation work.
Monday, October 19: Library reopened with the new makerspace and storytime area.

Big Picture

The space-themed storytime section draws on José Hernández's path to NASA, which included 11 rejections before he was accepted. Placing his likeness in a public library extends that career story to local children who may not otherwise encounter it.

Residents ages 8 and up can now attend weekly hourlong sessions where staff guide them through machines like 3D printers and a laser cutter. Participants can take home a finished project the same day or collect it later.

The takeaway

Public libraries are expanding beyond books into hands-on technology spaces that give young people direct access to design and fabrication tools. Families interested in these programs can check the Rialto Library's schedule for weekly session times.