John J. Burke - Makerspaces: A Practical Guide for Librarians

Makerspaces

Practical Guides for Librarians

About the Series

This innovative series written and edited for librarians by librarians provides authoritative, practical information and guidance on a wide spectrum of library processes and operations.

Books in the series are focused, describing practical and innovative solutions to a problem facing todays librarian and delivering step-by-step guidance for planning, creating, implementing, managing, and evaluating a wide range of services and programs.

The books are aimed at beginning and intermediate librarians needing basic instruction/guidance in a specific subject and at experienced librarians who need to gain knowledge in a new area or guidance in implementing a new program/service.

About the Series Editor

The Practical Guides for Librarians series was conceived by and is edited by M. Sandra Wood, MLS, MBA, AHIP, FMLA, Librarian Emerita, Penn State University Libraries.

M. Sandra Wood was a librarian at the George T. Harrell Library, The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, College of Medicine, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA, for over 35 years, specializing in reference, educational, and database services. Ms. Wood worked for several years as a Development Editor for Neal-Schuman Publishers.

Ms. Wood received a MLS from Indiana University and a MBA from the University of Maryland. She is a Fellow of the Medical Library Association and served as a member of MLAs Board of Directors from 1991 to 1995. Ms. Wood is founding and current editor of Medical Reference Services Quarterly , now in its 35th volume. She also was founding editor of the Journal of Consumer Health on the Internet and the Journal of Electronic Resources in Medical Libraries and served as editor/co-editor of both journals through 2011.

Titles in the Series

1. How to Teach: A Practical Guide for Librarians by Beverley E. Crane
2. Implementing an Inclusive Staffing Model for Todays Reference Services by Julia K. Nims, Paula Storm, and Robert Stevens
3. Managing Digital Audiovisual Resources: A Practical Guide for Librarians by Matthew C. Mariner
4. Outsourcing Technology: A Practical Guide for Librarians by Robin Hastings
5. Making the Library Accessible for All: A Practical Guide for Librarians by Jane Vincent
6. Discovering and Using Historical Geographical Resources on the Web: A Practical Guide for Librarians by Eva H. Dodsworth and L. W. Lalibert
7. Digitization and Digital Archiving: A Practical Guide for Librarians by Elizabeth R. Leggett
8. Makerspaces: A Practical Guide for Librarians by John J. Burke

Makerspaces

A Practical Guide for Librarians

John J. Burke

Practical Guides for Librarians, N o . 8

ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD

Lanham Boulder New York Toronto Plymouth, UK

Published by Rowman & Littlefield

4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, Maryland 20706

www.rowman.com

10 Thornbury Road, Plymouth PL6 7PP, United Kingdom

Copyright 2014 by Rowman & Littlefield

All rights reserved . No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Burke, John (John J.)

Makerspaces : a practical guide for librarians / John J. Burke.

pages cm. (Practical guides for librarians ; no. 9)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-4422-2967-9 (cloth : alk. paper) ISBN 978-1-4422-2968-6 (ebook)

1. LibrariesActivity programs. 2. Libraries and community. 3. Makerspaces. 4. Do-it-yourself work. 5. Workshops. I. Title.

Z716.33.B87 2014

027dc23

2014011171

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992. Printed in the United States of America

To my wife, Lynne,

and my children,

Madeline, Anna, Philip, and Andrew.

List of Library Makerspace Profiles

Chapter 3

Richland Public Library, Columbia, SC

Blue Valley North High School, Overland Park, KS

Stanley Library, Ferrum College, Ferrum, VA

Chapter 4

Anythink Brighton, Brighton, CO

Middletown Free Library, Lima, PA

Chapter 5

Allen County Public Library, Fort Wayne, IN

Michigan Makers, Ann Arbor, MI

Chapter 6

Penfield Library, State University of New York at Oswego, Oswego, NY

Western Academy of Beijing, Beijing, China

Chapter 7

College of San Mateo Library, San Mateo, CA

Chicago Ridge Public Library, Chicago Ridge, IL

Chapter 8

Johnson County Library, Overland Park, KS

ideaLAB, Denver Public Library, Denver, CO

Chapter 9

Hunt Library, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC

Bibliotheekservice Fryslan (Friesland Library Service), Leeuwarden, Friesland, Netherlands

Chapter 10

Berthoud Community Library, Berthoud, CO

Poudre River Public Library, Fort Collins, CO

Preface

Welcome to Makerspaces: A Practical Guide for Librarians ! This work is all about librarians choosing to serve their communities by incorporating creative activities in their libraries, perhaps culminating in a formal makerspace. Makerspaces are combinations of a community of users, a collection of tools, and a desire to create, exchange knowledge, and share what is created. The defining character of a makerspace is that it enables making. In this book, you will find questions to ask, examples to explore, tools to use, and best practices to implement on the way to supporting making in your library.

The book began as an exploration into library makerspaces in which I hoped to learn what these spaces are and why they are so compelling. Along the way, I thought that many other librarians are probably undertaking the same journey of discovery or wishing that they had the time to do so. I was compelled to gather and provide in this volume what I have learned and what so many people have taken the time to share.

Makerspaces in libraries involve people: the people who are intrigued by the idea of making, the people who come to programs and open lab times, and the people who support creative efforts. Understanding makings appeal to people in our libraries communities and helping them to build communities for sharing their explorations and learning from each other is a wonderful mission for libraries.