Iffy Books | 404 S. 20th St., PHL
hacking, free culture, gardening, zines
For the first installment of the Intelligence History Reading Group, we're reading Agents of Subversion: The Fate of the CIA's Covert War in China by John P. Delury (2022). We'll discuss parts 1 & 2 on Weds, June 18th and parts 3 & 4 on Weds, July 16th. We'll meet in person at Iffy Books […]
Join us for a relatively quick and easy soldering workshop, suitable for total beginners! You'll strip some wires and solder 1/4-inch plugs to the ends, creating your own guitar cable. You can get a kit with 6 inches of cable for $4.25, or 4 feet for $13.50. We're suggesting a $5–$15 donation for the class, […]
Learn to make a programmable game timer and dice with a Pi Pico microcontroller! First you'll solder six LEDs, two switches, and a vibration motor to the board's GPIO pins. Then you'll install and customize the CircuitPython code that makes it work. No experience needed! You'll need to buy a kit for $9 to complete […]
Come out and get some soldering practice! This time we're making a heart-shaped board with 22 LEDs, using an oscillator circuit to dim and brighten them at the speed you choose. This project is ideal for folks who have soldered at least once before. Beginners are welcome to join us, but it may take you […]
Stay tuned for details!
We're updating our captive portal workshop from a few years, and we're having issues getting things to work reliably across platforms. So we're canceling this week's class while we work out the kinks. Sorry for the inconvenience!
Join us for the workshop Host a Website at Home! You’ll learn to run a web server using nginx on a single-board computer, letting you host a website from your home internet connection. We’ll have home server kits available for $52. Here's what's included: • Orange Pi Zero 3 single-board computer • Micro HDMI adapter […]
Join us for an introduction to Meshtastic, an application that lets you send private text messages over the air using pocket-sized LoRa radio transceivers. We’ll show you how to flash the latest Meshtastic firmware to the device, customize the settings, and start chatting with your friends. Here’s a link to our zine on LoRa + Meshtastic. […]
We're calling off The Writing Room on June 24th due to 100° heat in the forecast. See y'all next week! # Come co-work with other writers in three 40-minute units of silent writing. Writers and projects of any type welcome. 10-minute breaks and accountability check-ins between units. BYO coffee, water, computer chargers, notepads, etc.
Join us and build a tiny solar-powered square wave generator on a breadboard. No soldering required! The workshop is free to attend, but you'll need to purchase a kit for $12.50 to complete the project. Here's a link to the how-to zine we'll use. And here's a diagram of the oscillator circuit we'll build: Register:
Stay tuned for details & registration!
Bring a laptop and learn the basics of audio editing! We'll start by making a recording of a poem as a group, passing the mic after each line. Then we'll work on removing silences using Reaper, a free-to-use digital audio workstation (DAW) that works on Mac, Windows, and Linux. No registration needed for this one. […]
Create your own digital audio sampler using a Pi Pico clone board! This project requires some soldering. It's recommended for folks who have soldered once or twice before, but beginners are welcome too. For the programming portion, you can bring a laptop or use one of our lab computers. You'll need to buy a kit […]
The Speculative Futures Reading Group meets on the last Wednesday of every month at 7 p.m.!
Charging your phone in a public place can be stressful. What if someone is collecting your metadata for marketing purposes? What if they're copying your files or installing malware? A USB data blocker can help! It's a little adapter with the data terminals left disconnected, so you can charge your phone anywhere without fear. This […]
For this workshop you'll use a Pi Pico board and CircuitPython to create a programmable mechanical keyboard with two keys. No soldering experience necessary! To complete this project you'll need to buy a kit for $14. Here's what's included: • RP2040/Pi Pico board • 2 mechanical keyboard switches • 2 key caps • oak base […]
Come out and get some soldering practice! This time we're assembling a short-range FM transmitter kit with a built-in mic and a 1/8" audio input jack. This project is recommended for folks who have soldered at least once or twice before. If you're brand new to soldering, we recommend taking a beginner class first. Register: […]
Modular 101: In this crash course you will learn the basics of sound design with a modular synthesizer. We will cover all the basic components from shaping sound waves to end of chain effects, a little synth history, and debate west coast vs east coast style! No experience needed. This is an introductory workshop! There […]
Stay tuned for details!
If you're interested in learning about wi-fi and Bluetooth networking but can't justify buying a Flipper Zero, this workshop is for you! Ghost ESP is a network analysis/testing tool that can run on a low-cost ESP32 microcontroller, as well as variants including the ESP32-C3. Ghost ESP offers wi-fi scanning, custom SSID beacons, captive portal mode, […]
Join us for the workshop Host a Website at Home! You’ll learn to run a web server using nginx on a single-board computer, letting you host a website from your home internet connection. We’ll have home server kits available for $52. Here's what's included: • Orange Pi Zero 3 single-board computer • Micro HDMI adapter […]
Stay tuned for details!
librarypunk is live in Philly for the first time ever at ALA Annual Conference!
Come co-work with other writers in three 40-minute units of silent writing. Writers and projects of any type welcome. 10-minute breaks and accountability check-ins between units. BYO coffee, water, computer chargers, notepads, etc.
Learn to make physical audio loops with used cassette tapes! No experience needed. For the workshop we’ll be using cassettes with screws in the corners, which are easier to take apart but less common than the ones fastened with glue. We'll have regular cassette tapes for $1 each if you want to keep experimenting at […]
We’re making guitar-playing robots with Pi Pico microcontrollers and 360° servo motors! We'll provide soldering irons and supplies. To complete this workshop you'll need to buy a kit for $10. Here's what's included: • RP2040/Pi Pico board • 360° servo motor w/ attachments & screws • tiny screwdriver • micro USB cable w/data • 6 […]
Bring a laptop and learn the basics of audio editing! We'll start by making a recording of a poem as a group, passing the mic after each line. Then we'll work on removing silences using Reaper, a free-to-use digital audio workstation (DAW) that works on Mac, Windows, and Linux. No registration needed for this one. […]
Join us for another beginner-friendly soldering project at Iffy Books! You'll assemble a DIY audio meter kit, which you can use to visualize an audio signal's amplitude. To complete this project you'll need to buy a kit for $7.95. We’re suggesting a $5–$20 donation for the class, no one turned away for lack of funds. […]
Join us for a relatively quick and easy soldering workshop, suitable for total beginners! You'll strip some wires and solder 1/4-inch plugs to the ends, creating your own guitar cable. You can get a kit with 6 inches of cable for $4.25, or 4 feet for $13.50. We're suggesting a $5–$15 donation for the class, […]
Learn to make a programmable game timer and dice with a Pi Pico microcontroller! First you'll solder six LEDs, two switches, and a vibration motor to the board's GPIO pins. Then you'll install and customize the CircuitPython code that makes it work. No experience needed! You'll need to buy a kit for $9 to complete […]
Come out and get some soldering practice! This time we're making a heart-shaped board with 22 LEDs, using an oscillator circuit to dim and brighten them at the speed you choose. This project is ideal for folks who have soldered at least once before. Beginners are welcome to join us, but it may take you […]
Join us for a discussion on Marx's Capital. For July 3rd we're reading 'Machinery and Large-Scale Industry.' We're reading Paul Reitter's recent translation (Princeton University Press, 2024).
Join us for an introduction to Meshtastic, an application that lets you send private text messages over the air using pocket-sized LoRa radio transceivers. We’ll show you how to flash the latest Meshtastic firmware to the device, customize the settings, and start chatting with your friends. Here’s a link to our zine on LoRa + Meshtastic. […]
