Periodically, we will have guest blog posts from library and museum practitioners working in makerspaces or maker programs. These blog posts, among other aspects, will highlight: why making furthers the goals of their program or organization, what roles people play in facilitating making in their programs and spaces and, what some of the tools and materials are that are key to support learning in their maker learning experiences.
First off, we have Terry Lawler from Phoenix Public Library sharing her perspective to the question, “Why making?”. If you would like to read more about her space, you might look into MACH1 on the fourth floor of Burton Barr Central Library.
By Terry Lawler, Manager of the Youth Services Department, Burton Barr Central Library
I’m always kind of glad when people ask me why we have a Makerspace in our library, and what the heck making has to do with libraries. It isn’t the easiest thing to articulate, but I’ve had some time to think about it. I’ll do my best to share here!
We opened MACH1, space for Makers, Artists, Crafters and Hackers in July of 2013 with a few small programs featuring some tech, some science and some art. Since then, the 5,500 square foot space has evolved into an amazing community hub of daily STEM activity for all ages. We opened the doors to the general public for open hours just this year in January, but since we began programming, we have had almost 10,000 people participate in programs and classes. We’ve held art openings, taught kids to solder, begun a huge monthly sewing program, added girls coding clubs, held robotics competitions and created Space Academy.
The thing about making is, *all* of this relates to libraries and what we do. As the manager of the Youth Services Department at the Burton Barr Central Library, one of my main goals is to help get kids college and career ready. We do that here (and have always done this) in a number of ways:
· helping parents with early literacy
· providing access to information 24/7
· providing homework help through databases and instruction
· giving kids and teens a safe place to study
· providing classes and programs that support what kids and teens are learning in school
· providing classes and programs that give kids the opportunity to learn things they *can’t* learn in school
· bridging the digital divide by providing access to technology that kids and teens and parents don’t have at home
· giving kids and teens a place for out of school learning in an ungraded environment
A makerspace and its accompanying programming fits into every single one of those bullet points. We teach kids digital literacy and show their parents ways to help them grow with devices and advice on apps and sharing the i-Pad together. We help kids build websites and put together PowerPoints for their school work. We give kids the opportunity to practice what they’ve learned in open hours. We teach kids to solder, to saw, to complete a circuit and to do stop motion videos. We have cameras, computers, drills and more for kids who don’t have access to these tools elsewhere. We allow kids to safely fail and we make it a fun part of the learning experience.
Further, because we can offer *free* programs on topics such as coding, game design and robotics, we level the playing field for our community. Many of the robotics clubs and computer programs for kids in our communities are limited to those who can pay, or those who go to a certain school where there is a club. And even still, parents may have to pay for the tools or parts. Libraries have been leveling the playing field in various in the United States since the late 1800’s. This is nothing new. The only thing new here are the tools we use to share information with our customers. Our 3D printer is currently printing a fully articulated tension based hand. Yes, that hand and the PLA used to make it are new (and SUPER exciting), but the fundamental idea of sharing information and showing off future tech is not. Remember when libraries started loaning vinyl records? Ok, maybe you don’t, but you get what I’m saying here.
And, we’ve been making in libraries for centuries! Librarians were the original makers. My very first library job (not that I’m centuries old) entailed making duct tape wallets and creating puppets with kids. 15 years later, MACH1 has a monthly duct tape program and this summer there will be puppetry workshops at half of our library locations. Before we called it Arts and Crafts, now we call it Making. The only difference is that now we help the kids make a stop motion video of the puppet and add a circuit to light up its eyes. So, yes, we’ve taken it to a new level, but the fundamentals are the same. We make, we create, we share, we encourage exploration and learning. We celebrate our successes and laugh at our failures.
So, when people ask me “why do you have a Makerspace in a library”, my internal reply is always, “when haven’t we had a Makerspace in a library?” My external reply is a much more polite. 🙂
