Carli Spina - E-Textiles in Libraries: A Practical Guide for Librarians

Carli Spina is an associate professor and the head of research and instructional services at the Fashion Institute of Technology Library. She holds a JD from the University of Chicago Law School, an MLIS from Simmons GSLIS, and an MEd from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She has extensive experience working on projects related to user experience, technology, and accessibility. Her research and writing interests extend to a number of topics, including makerspaces, technology, library programming, and more. She is interested in the way that new technologies, such as e-textiles, can be used to develop popular and fun programs that engage a wide range of library patrons while teaching new skills.

Helen Lane is the instructional design librarian at the Fashion Institute of Technology Library. She is responsible for designing digital learning resources, maintaining and enhancing the librarys presence in FITs Learning Management System, and outreach and engagement with blended and online courses. Intrinsic to her work is exploration of emerging technologies that support teaching, learning, and research goals. As codirector of the MakerMinds eventsa collaboration between FIT Library and FIT Academic Computingshe has led workshops on Arduino coding for wearables, sewing with conductive thread, and augmented-reality (AR) software. She has written articles on a variety of subjects from AR as a library discovery tool to evidence-based practice in nursing. She has previously worked at libraries at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Public Library, Pace University, and Columbia University. She holds an MLIS from Pratt Institute and a postgraduate certificate in instructional design from Open SUNY.

We would like to thank all of the librarians, educators, and creators who took the time to talk to us about their work with e-textiles and share their expertise. Without their generosity, we would not have been able to create a book that provides so many inspirational examples of successful e-textile programming. We would also like to thank everyone who graciously provided their images for use in our book, both by providing them directly to us and by sharing them under Creative Commons licenses.

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