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Since late 2011, when the Fayetteville Public Library received widespread media attention for its hackerspace, 3D printers slowly began appearing in libraries around the world, particularly in the United States.
Put to a vote among unconference participants, “Creative Spaces” won out as the topic of choice (beating by a wide margin digital relevancy, advocacy, and budgeting). Attendees shared ideas, with an emphasis on low-cost, practical ways to implement “Maker” activities in the library. Much of the conversation urged partnering with other organizations, including: Reddit subcommunities. Local groups have formed around social news site Reddit. Consider hosting an event at your library. Or how about Ikea Hackers? Your local college or university. Don’t have native expertise among your library staff? Consider reaching out to a technical college or student organization to help lead programming.Area crafters. The Greenpoint branch of the Brooklyn Public Library enlisted the local Etsy community to help launch projects, from making zines to bicycle tire art.Hacker spaces. From robotics and electronics to wood and metal working, these groups are springing up worldwide.
"Live Webcast
November 7, 2012
11 a.m. Pacific | 12:00 p.m. Mountain | 1:00 p.m. Central | 2:00 p.m. Eastern 90 minutes Description: The maker movement is growing across the country and world. With interactive, participatory events and growing local communities, we've seen a shift. Individuals, professionals, and hobbyists from areas such as engineering, design, science, art, and more are coming together with one common thread: the desire to make. Public libraries were the first on the scene to take notice and respond, but now we're beginning to see academic libraries recognize this untapped potential for their own communities. This emerging learning trend holds the promise of enormous change, bringing many researchers and students together from across disciplines in a truly collaborative way. This movement is about more than just the purchase of expensive equipment; it involves engagement, outreach, and knowledge about what drives the academic community. The academic environment is shifting toward content creation in a variety of forms, in turn reshaping learning, curriculums, and research across the board. In order for libraries to continue to support the research and learning needs of their institutions, it is critical to go beyond traditional library materials, to understand what new resources and technologies the library can support for all on campus to use."
"Current plans for the library expansion include what Allen is calling “creation zones” that will be set up in the basement of the library. There will be sound equipment, there will be video equipment, there will be computer tools to help people create everything from logos to funky photos.“But I want people to understand we’re not just talking about art here,” Allen said. “We might have the tools for you to create a commercial for your business or design a website. We think this is a way we can help the town grow and create vibrant local businesses.”
Via Trudy Raymakers
National Library Week: How Libraries Remain Relevant http://t.co/zILGyXS4 via @pcmag... Chandra Steele: " [...] the real purpose of a library is to amass and disseminate knowledge. So, even if printed matter were to disappear, libraries would still be a cultural necessity.
Rather than limiting their domain, libraries have steadily expanded it by introducing their communities to technology through initiatives, classes, Internet access, and even a repurposing of their facilities. They potentially could serve as tech incubators. Two decades before the iPad would become a virtual library, Steve Jobs, in a video for the Library of Congress, said, "We're not going to tear down our libraries, but we're not going to be building too many more."
"Let’s explore what could be ahead for public libraries and how we could collectively transform them into “factories” — not factories that make things, but factories that help make people who want to learn and make things. Will libraries go away? Will they become hackerspaces, TechShops, tool-lending libraries, and Fab Labs, or have these new, almost-public spaces displaced a new role for libraries? For many of us, books themselves are tools. In the sense that books are tools of knowledge, the library is a repository for tools, so will we add “real tools” for the 21st century? Before we dive into the future, let’s take a look at the current public library scene now. Feel free to skip this part. I think it’s pretty interesting though." [...] "But why does it matter? Some of you will likely say that hackerspaces and TechShops are filling the void where a public library could have evolved to — that’s probably true. I think public libraries are one of those “use it or lose” it things we have in a society. Given the current state of budgets all over the USA, I think unless they’re seen as the future, we might just lose them. How can we encourage American innovation?How can we get kids access to laser cutters, CAD, 3D printers, and tools to design and build?How can we train each other for the jobs and skills needed in the 21st century?How can we spark the creativity and imagination of kids?How can America be a world leader in design and engineering?"
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By Laurie D. Borman: If I were predicting a library theme for 2013, it would be community engagement. Libraries and librarians are looking for ways to better serve the needs of their local populations, whether that community is a city, a campus, or a school. TheJanuary/February issue of American Libraries reflects part of that broad spectrum of engagement efforts. For example, we found that libraries across the country are scaling back the stacks and even putting trailers in parking lots to make room for makerspaces.
RT @homeysimpson: new resource for librarians who want to learn about makers, hackerspaces, the participatory library and more: http://t.co/eQshWzOM
Ryan McDermott explains hackerspaces as the 21st century library.youtube.com...
Westport Public Library unveils "Maker Space"- The Hour "The "Maker Space," located in the Great Hall of the Westport Public Library, provides a place for people to tinker with their ideas by taking them on a journey from imagination to actual production. Unveiled on July 2, the space is the first of its kind to be opened inside a library in Connecticut under the notion that libraries should adapt to meet the modern needs of the people they serve." [...] "Equipped with a 3D printer, which creates three-dimensional objects from digital files, the interactive workspace crafted to resemble a house, is chock full of technology to help bring your invention to life. In essence, the Maker Space acts as a home for the "garage inventor" and tinkerer who uses technology to create something new."
Video of Lauren’s final project for the “Innovation in Public Libraries” class taught by Meg Backus and Thomas Gokey "We want to see 3D printing, FabLabs and Hackerspaces become a regular feature--in addition to its other services--at every public library in the country. This is a description of our proposal to create a FabLab in the Fayetteville Free Library and gives a brief introduction to what 3D printing is and how revolutionary it will be for those who are unfamiliar with it. A FabLab is a fabrication laboratory (or a fabulous laboratory). A hackerspace is just a public library under a different name (although I’m not aware of any hackerspaces that are publicly funded, its time to change that!). It is a place where people gather to share their knowledge and help each other make whatever project they are currently working on. This video was made in support of Lauren Britton-Smedley’s proposal to create a pilot FabLab at the Fayetteville Free Library.
'As information becomes more and more digital, public libraries are striving to redefine their roles. A small number are working to create "hackerspaces," where do-it-yourselfers share sophisticated tools as well as expertise.' 'The Allen County Public Library, which serves the city of Fort Wayne, Ind., has a modest hackerspace inside a trailer in its parking lot. Library director Jeff Krull says hosting it is consistent with the library's mission.' "We see the library as not being in the book business, but being in the learning business and the exploration business and the expand-your-mind business," he says. "We feel this is really in that spirit, that we provide a resource to the community that individuals would not be able to have access to on their own."
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Luckily it seems that most have been saved by the hard work of the custodians of the collections!