Want to Start a Makerspace at School? Tips to Get Started. As the Maker Movement starts to gain momentum, schools that are trying to find ways to foster the do-it-yourself environment can learn a few lessons from another nexus in the universe: public libraries.
Dale Dougherty, founding editor and publisher of Make Magazine — and the de facto leader of the Maker Movement — has a vision to create a network of libraries, museums, and schools with what he calls “makerspaces” that draw on common resources and experts in each community. Libraries and museums, he said, are easier places to incorporate makerspaces than schools, because they have more space flexibility and they’re trying to attract teens with their programs.
“Schools have already got the kids,” Dougherty noted wryly, at the recent American Library Association Midwinter Meeting in Seattle. One day during the conference, dubbed Maker Monday, focused on the Maker Movement, which emphasizes learning by engaging in tech-related projects. “Why are you here?” Related. 3D printing for all: Inside Chicago library’s new “pop-up maker lab” CHICAGO, IL — If you've ever had a hankering to try out a 3D printer, a laser cutter, or a milling machine without dropping thousands of your own hard-earned dollars, the Harold Washington Library in Chicago is the place to be.
Starting today, July 8, Harold Washington has become the first major urban library to open a pop-up "maker lab," allowing members of the general public the opportunity to experiment with the cutting-edge technologies. And while there are still a few wrinkles to iron out before the public can use all the machines, the Chicago Public Library (CPL) system is already looking forward to where this project will go next. "There's more buzz about this on social media than anything we've ever done," CPL's First Deputy Commissioner Andrea Sáenz told Ars. What exactly is the pop-up maker lab? CPL partnered up with Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry—which is offering its own maker lab to museum visitors—in order to put together the program.
Jacqui Cheng. Meet the Makers: Can a DIY movement revolutionize how we learn? A young patron sits down to a recording session at the “creation station” of the Darien (CT) Library.Photograph by Dru Nadler.
The Makings of Maker Spaces, Part 1: Space for Creation, Not Just Consumption. Maker spaces in libraries are the latest step in the evolving debate over what public libraries’ core mission is or should be.
From collecting in an era of scarce resources to curation in an era of overabundant ones, some libraries are moving to incorporate cocreation: providing the tools to help patrons produce their own works of art or information and sometimes also collecting the results to share with other members of the community. Makerspaces in Education and DARPA. Recently, Mitch Altman announced publicly that he’s not participating in Maker Faire this year because MAKE received a DARPA award for education.
I have talked to Mitch and shared in detail our proposed work. I have listened to him express his concerns about the DARPA award. I don’t agree with Mitch, but I respect his opinion. I believe that Mitch’s public statements do not fairly characterize the program and have caused confusion about DARPA’s role. I’d like to explain what we’re doing and why. » Makerspaces Move into Academic Libraries ACRL TechConnect Blog. During the past year, makerspaces have been gaining traction in libraries.
A makerspace is a place where people come together to design and build projects. Makerspaces typically provide access to materials, tools, and technologies to allow for hands-on exploration and participatory learning. They are occasionally referred to as fablabs, hackerspaces or tech shops. Makerspaces emerged around 2005 as an offshoot of the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) movement. A makerspace often includes a 3-D printer, digital media and fabrication software, tools for welding, woodworking, and soldering, traditional arts and crafts supplies, and other electronics. The Fayetteville Free Library in New York was the first library to create a dedicated makerspace, which they call the FFL Fab Lab. Creative Commons licensed image via Creative Tools. The Value of Makerspaces Makerspaces fill a variety of needs within an educational setting. Critical thinking and problem solving skills are invaluable to our students.
Makerspaces, Participatory Learning, and Libraries. The concept of libraries as makerspaces first hit my radar last November when I read about the Fayetteville Free Library’s FabLab.
As I began hearing more buzz about libraries and makerspaces the first few months of this year, I decided that learning more about this concept and exploring how I might apply the elements of makerspaces to my library program would be a personal learning project for the summer. 7 Things You Should Know About Makerspaces. What is a Makerspace? Creativity in the Library. Submitted by Caitlin A.
Bagley on December 20, 2012 - 12:06pm Editor's Note: This is the first in a series of posts by Caitlin A. Bagley. Learn about the makerspace at Carnegie Public Library (Pittsburgh) in our free webinar Monday, January 7, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern. Manufacturing Makerspaces. Kids gather to make Lego robots; teens create digital music, movies, and games with computers and mixers; and students engineer new projects while adults create prototypes for small business products with laser cutters and 3D printers.
Open Lab Idaho - a community hackerspace and makerspace. DIY projects, how-tos, and inspiration from geeks, makers, and hackers. The Public Library, Completely Reimagined. Teaching Strategies Fayetteville Free Library, by Lauren Smedley You’ll hear a lot of talk about the “death of the public library” these days.
It isn’t simply the perpetual budget crises that many face either. It’s the move to digital literature, and the idea that once there are no more print books (or rather if there are no more print books), the library as an institution will cease to exist. Is It Time to Rebuild & Retool Public Libraries and Make "TechShops"? To me, public libraries — the availability of free education for all — represent the collective commitment of a community to their future.
They symbolize what is most important, a commitment to educating the next generation. The role of a public library should also adapt over time, and that time is finally here. First Public Library to Create a Maker Space. A Librarian's Guide to Makerspaces: 16 Resources.
"There were more than 135 million adult makers, more than half of the total adult population in America, in 2015. " What is a makerspace? You’ve no doubt been hearing that word more than a few times over the past several years.