Are you wondering if 3D printers are worthwhile or how to do more than print simple objects from online patterns and designs? Believe it or not, what you – or your patrons – may need is a problem to solve. That’s what got sailors started in the 3D printing shop on board the USS Harry S. Truman, the first Navy aircraft carrier to have a 3D printer. According to this article from Stars and Stripes, an  independent news and information source for the U.S. military community, they were asked by another department onboard to come up with an alternative to a radio clip that kept breaking. They “bounced ideas back and forth until they came up with the design that is not only functional but cheap.” It’s saving thousands of dollars, and the design file is headed to the International Space Station for use on its 3D printer. It’s the kind of solution that illustrates why problem-solving is a key 21st century skill, why libraries’ digital literacy efforts include 3D design technology, and why free design programs like Tinkercad and 123D Design are great places to learn and get started.