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Last week I had an interesting Twitter conversation regarding a popular rhetorical strategy surrounding maker-spaces, New Librarianship, participatory culture, and the other assorted "big ideas" for the future of libraries." "The common thread and the favored tactic in the literature surrounding libraries and maker-spaces is to draw a sharp distinction between the consumption of knowledge and the creation of knowledge. By ‘knowledge consumption’ most writers seem to mean reading; by ‘knowledge creation’ most seem to mean hacking, tinkering, building, making, or collaborating. And the way the conversation is being shaped by this rhetoric, it’s clear that knowledge consumption is old and in the way and what we really need is to forge ahead into a bright future of knowledge creation. Yes, some librarians make the case that we need both creation and consumption (e.g., “…in addition to knowledge consumption”), but the rhetorical device is still in play: knowledge can be either consumed or created, and the library of the future is weighted towards creation."
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.
"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."
Creating Communities Through Libraries and Makerspaces Presented by Buffy J. Hamilton, The Unquiet Librarian
Via Buffy J. Hamilton
"Guest blogger Emily Fear to showcase a new digital literacy initiative at CLP called The Labs. For this installment, we examine the nuts and bolts of launching a digital makerspace in a large library system by taking a look at policies and equipment. "The official launch of the The Labs is two months away, and the team is laying the groundwork for what the project will become. Building a functional infrastructure for a project like this requires developing a set of uniform policies and procedures for each Lab site, as well as researching, ordering and cataloging the necessary equipment. While these processes don’t offer the immediate thrills of watching teens develop their filmmaking or music production skills, they are necessary steps to ensure The Labs are a success. New cables and equipment!
The selection process for equipment and software is based on several factors. Ideas were gleaned from pre-existing digital learning lab models, such as Chicago Public Library’s YouMedia and the Digital Media Lab at Skokie Public Library. The Labs coordinators also consulted with Drew Davidson of Carnegie Mellon University’s Entertainment Technology Center and Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s programming partners Hip Hop On L.O.C.K and Pittsburgh Filmmakers and the CLP – Main Teen Advisory Council. The overall mission of The Labs also has influence over equipment and software purchases; items are assessed for how accessible and easy they will be to use." "Corey Wittig, Digital Services Librarian at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, took the number of Lab spaces and the program’s budget into account and had to limit purchases to what is absolutely necessary for each site, prompting the current emphasis on ordering items that have the most potential for use. Quality and affordability have been important in choosing key Labs software and equipment– iMacs, MacBook laptops, basic audio and video recording devices and cables–but accessibility is also a top concern. Most teens should be able to come into a Labs site and use the resources with relative ease. Digital media recording and editing software like Apple’s iMovie and GarageBand, however basic, are perfect for beginners, yet still handy for more advanced creators. As Wittig says, “You don’t necessarily need top of the line equipment or software,” because what most Pittsburgh teens need are the tools to get started."
Via Buffy J. Hamilton
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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.
By LAURESHA XHIHANI: WESTPORT, Conn. (AP) — The hottest attraction at the Westport Library is not a book or collection of DVDs, but rather two manufacturing units. At the heart of the spacious library, an area called MakerSpace has been carved out to encourage creativity and the spirit of invention. Inside the space are two MakerBot Replicator machines — 3D printers, as they are more commonly known. The stuff they can do is amazing.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/3D-printers-turn-library-into-place-of-dreams-4265293.php#ixzz2KZd7GCqz
RT @homeysimpson: new resource for librarians who want to learn about makers, hackerspaces, the participatory library and more: http://t.co/eQshWzOM
"I’m interested to think about how we as academic librarians can take the concept of libraries as makerspaces even further, especially with students. We need to find ways to support creating, not just finding. The Student as Producer project at the University of Lincoln in the UK is an interesting model to consider. Undergraduates are deeply involved in research across the curriculum, and thus come to their college studies to actually create knowledge rather than passively consume it. Again, this is something that perhaps comes more easily to faculty teaching semester-length courses or doing lab research with their students. How can academic librarians, our contact with students often limited to a few minutes at the Reference Desk or an hour or so in the classroom, become involved at the making, producer level with students?"
"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
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