1. Towards a Makerspace
Presented by
Edward Iglesias
Systems Librarian
Central Connecticut State University
2. What is it?
• “Makerspaces organize tools, materials and
expertise to help a community of people work
on projects”
– What Makes a Maker Space Panel Discussion on
Make: Live Stage at World Maker Faire 2012
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFIyQ9SBeWU
4. Libraries are Aware
• LITA Forum 2013 Call for Proposals
• Possible ideas for topics might include:
• Maker spaces/Maker Movement
– Creation of New Library Spaces
– Data Curation
– Discovery
– User Experience
– Web Services
– Coding
– Digital Libraries
– Institutional Repositories
» http://www.ala.org/lita/conferences/forum/2013
5.
6. 'Makerspace' event helps
kick off U.S. Department
of Education bus tour
across America
The MENTOR Makerspace
program has a goal of
introducing low-cost
makerspaces into 1,000
high schools over the next
three years. It will provide
information and training
for teachers along with
software design tools and
hardware for use in a
school environment. The
first round of 10 pilot
schools are located in
Northern California.
9. “It from Bit”
• “Otherwise put, every it – every particle, every field of
force, even the spacetime continuum itself – derives its
function, its meaning, its very existence entirely – even if in
some contexts indirectly – from the apparatus-elicited
answers to yes-or-no questions, binary choices, bits.
• It from bit symbolizes the idea that every item of the
physical world has at bottom – at a very deep bottom, in
most instances – an immaterial source and explanation;
that which we call reality arises in the last analysis from the
posing of yes-no questions and the registering of
equipment-evoked responses; in short, that all things
physical are information-theoretic in origin and this is a
participatory universe.”---John Archibald Wheeler
10. Space for Creation, Not Just
Consumption
Maker spaces promote learning through play;
have the potential to demystify science, math,
technology, and engineering; and encourage
women and under-represented minorities to
seek careers in those fields.
– http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2012/10/public-services/the-
makings-of-maker-spaces-part-1-space-for-creation-not-just-
consumption/
11. A Maker Space and CCSU Library’s
Strategic Direction
A new 21st century mission:
“The Elihu Burritt Library … satisfies
the 21st century learning and research
needs of its community of learners by
facilitating knowledge creation,
inspiring intellectual curiosity and
lifelong learning.”
14. De La Mare(University of Nevada,
Reno)
• 2 3D printers, a 3D scanner
• 2 button makers,
• about a dozen arduino kits, soldering kits,
• AR Drones
• We've converted a lot of the space that once held books to make
room for collaborative space and entire walls painted in whiteboard
paint.
• We've held a lockpicking workshop in partnership with Reno's local
• makerspace, Bridgewire: http://www.renobridgewire.org/, here in
the library where over 80 people attended. We worked with them
to offer a student membership as well.
15. Things to Keep in Mind
• Do your users want it?
• Where will you put it?
• Noise?
• Power?
24. The Present
• Archive of Makerspaces: A New Wave of
Library Services
http://alatechsource.org/blog/2012/10/archive-of-
makerspaces-a-new-wave-of-library-services-westport-
ct-public-library.html
25. The Future?
• Prepare for ubiquity. As omnipresent as
printers.
• Focus on design.
• If you don’t provide this service, others will.
26. Staples to Offer In-Store 3D Printing
• Soon, Staples customers will be able to peruse office supplies while
waiting for their 3D project to be printed.
• The big-box store announced this week that its Printing Systems
Division will work with Mcor Technologies Ltd. to launch a new 3D
printing service, dubbed "Staples Easy 3D."
• The program, however, will initially only have limited availability in
the Netherlands and Belgium
– http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2412697,00.asp
27. They aren’t kidding around
• Watch this video
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=play
er_embedded&v=bnn-ACoMw4w
30. Resources
• Online resource for librarian makers
– http://www.makerlibrarian.com/
• The magazine you need to read
– http://makezine.com/
• My links to various sites
– https://pinboard.in/u:edwardiglesias/t:makerspac
e/
– Very cool flickr stream from UNR
– http://www.flickr.com/photos/dstl_unr
Why do maker spaces belong in libraries?Westport's observation that their patrons interactions with the library were changing- people arriving to programs earlier and staying later, they are forming their own groups-- the library was becoming a platform for learning -- Westport created the conditions where these sorts of interactions are possible."From collections to connections" David Lankes Bad libraries build collections, good libraries build services, great libraries build communitiesThese trends reflect our society's move toward participatory culture -- shift away for passively consuming knowledge to becoming active participants in the creation of new knowledge by making things (even if they're only contributing to a kickstarter project)
This is our new vision statement developed along with a new strategic plan. We think there’s most certainly a place for maker culture in our library.
Already obsoleteNew replicatorOther stuff you probably already have.
Public Libraries, 3D Printing, FabLabs and Hackerspaces
----- Meeting Notes (12/6/12 10:39) -----Great set of webinars
