Iffy Books | 404 S. 20th St., PHL
hacking, free culture, gardening, zines
Host a Website at Home
Host a Website at Home
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 […]
Meshtastic 101
Meshtastic 101
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. […]
The Writing Room
The Writing Room
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.
Solar Music Synth Workshop
Solar Music Synth Workshop
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: […]
Pico MP3 Sampler Workshop
Pico MP3 Sampler Workshop
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 […]
Speculative Futures Reading Group: ‘The Lathe of Heaven’ by Ursula K. Le Guin
Speculative Futures Reading Group: ‘The Lathe of Heaven’ by Ursula K. Le Guin
The Speculative Futures Reading Group meets on the last Wednesday of every month at 7 p.m.!
USB Data Blocker Soldering Class
USB Data Blocker Soldering Class
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 […]
Solder & Gab
Solder & Gab
Join us every other Thursday from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m. for a social soldering session at Iffy Books! Everyone's welcome, from dabblers to experts. Bring a project you've been meaning to work on, or pick a beginner kit off the shelf and get started. We'll have a dozen or so soldering irons available to share. […]
Wi-Fi Tricks with Ghost ESP
Wi-Fi Tricks with Ghost ESP
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, […]
Meshtastic 101
Meshtastic 101
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. […]
The Writing Room
The Writing Room
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.
Cassette Tape Loop Workshop
Cassette Tape Loop Workshop
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 […]
Thrash Bot Workshop
Thrash Bot Workshop
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 […]
DIY Audio Meter Soldering Class
DIY Audio Meter Soldering Class
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. […]
Guitar Cable Soldering Class
Guitar Cable Soldering Class
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, […]
Pico Game Timer & Dice Workshop
Pico Game Timer & Dice Workshop
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 […]
LED Heart Soldering Class
LED Heart Soldering Class
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 […]
Host a Website at Home
Host a Website at Home
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 […]
Meshtastic 101
Meshtastic 101
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. […]
Audio Editing with Reaper 
librarypunk podcast taping 
Open Python + Linux Tutoring 
ESP32 Captive Portal Workshop 