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Stephen Abram

Makerspaces in Libraries,Education, and Beyond

\ A / H A I do the arts, literature, cook-ing, 3D printing, LEGO, hbraries, and edu-cation have to do with each other? They canall be supported and encouraged hy maker-spaces aligned with library collections, pro-grams, and services.

Makerspaces are very hot right now.They evolved from hackerspaces, and, aswith any innovation, we can find a mar-velous range of applications to educationand libraries with a simple Google search.Indeed, we have dozens of examples in li-braries, with leadership from FayettevilleFree Library's Fab Lab in New York state,Chicago Public Library's YOUmedia, or themakerspace at Carnegie Library of Pitts-burgh. School library initiatives, such as theLighthouse Charter School, are just starting,and they also include some innovative part-nerships with public Uhraries.

The early-stage imagination and cre-ativity ofthe maker movement makes exactdefinition of a "makerspace" difficult. So farthe emphasis has heen on creating, usuallywith some kind of technology. STEM edu-cation (science, technology, engineering,and math) is a very logical first step in pri-oritizing activities for experimentation anddevelopment, but makerspaces can alsosupport creative work such as cooking, writ-ing, filming, art, hobbies, and sculpture. In-deed, most libraries already have collectionsaligned with these activities. The New Jer-sey Makerspace Association defines themas follows:

Makerspaces (also known asHackerspaces, Creative Spaces,Fab Labs, Makelahs and inCalifornia—Makerhoods), ac-

cording to Wikipedia, are opencommunity labs where mem-bers with common interests(e.g., engineering, computerprogramming, [gaming,] in-venting, graphic design, etc.)gather to share resources,knowledge, career networkingand build new devices. Gen-erally, makerspaces are design-ed to meet the following needs:

• Provide access to a widevariety of tools and tech-nology;

• Facilitate group interac-tion, knowledge, and re-source sharing;

• Supply access to physicalspace for individual pro-ject development;

• Provide an open environ-ment for expression of cre-ativity and innovation;

• Access to equipment forprototyping project ideasfor companies.

I like the Makerspace.com mission:"Building a resource for Educators andMakers working to inspire young people tomake projects in art, craft, engineering,green design, math, music, science, tech-nology, and more." Makerspace.com hasalso tracked some research studies on mak-ing and learning too (makerspace.com/repost/research-roundup-some-studies-on-making-and-learning).

Libraries are gathering, meeting, andcollaborating in spaces within the contextof shared community and shared learning

resources, which aligns well with library col-lection, staff, and space strengths and com-petencies ... and with the makerspace con-cept. It is perfectly aligned with the library'srole in neighborhood and educational set-tings. Adding makerspace tools such as soft-ware and 3D printers is really a transfor-mational and incremental activity to libraryprograms as an extension of traditional ac-tivities rather than a whole new serviceniche. And the opportunity to inspire younglearners and creators is amazing.

NEW MAKERS' TOOLSI've talked about my daughter in this col-

umn before. Her strengths are as an athlete,an artist, a designer, and a musician—a cre-ator of original work. She completed herB.RA. and is now working on a 3-year col-lege program in jewelry design. She looks tohooks, the world, and nature for inspiration,hut her tools are not very traditional. Herprojects involve design software, digitalphotography, scanners, 3D printing, andmore to accomplish tasks in a modernway—along with the traditional goggles,benches, and tools. I've avidly watched herdevelop as an artist, and I have recognizedthat she needed greater awareness at an ear-lier age of the work environment she wastargeting. It needed to he community-basedas well as embedded in her educational set-ting, and not just in her classroom curricu-lum. She now frequents cooperative work-shops, where she discovers new and emerg-ing tools that support the creative processof tinkering, exploration, and innovation.

Play and exploration can be underratedand underdeveloped in learning strategiesthat focus on testing, skill installation, and

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critical thinking. Sometimes, imaginationand creativity are left to chance or are low-er priorities. This is a shame given that somuch real employment opportunity is in thecreative world. Makerspaces in the librarycan partially address this issue as well as cre-ate an educational context for partnershipswith public libraries and after-school pro-grams and clubs around design thinking.Design thinking, tinkering and exploring,designing, and creating are the essence ofthe many makerspaces popping up in citiesacross the country. These spaces aren't justfor kids; they support adults, college elearn-ers, artists, entrepreneurs, and more.

A SAMPLING OF MAKERSPACESAND MORE

In a Nov. 6, 2012, Edutopia article titled"Creating Makerspaces in Schools," MaryBeth Hertz writes the following:

We are constantly bombardedwith the idea that the U.S. is"behind" the rest of the world inSTEM education, that our stu-dents need to be able to thinkcritically, problem-solve and col-laborate in order to succeed inthe future they will inhabit. ...Makerspaces provide creativetime and, well, space for peopleof all ages to build prototypes,explore questions, fail and retry,bounce ideas off one anotherand build something together.These spaces don't alwaysinclude technology, since someprototypes and designs can bebtult out of anything or mayinclude various stages of designthat move from analog to digi-tal and back again, but many doinclude technology ...

So the big question is: how dowe bring these kinds of work-spaces into schools so thatevery child has access to a safe,creative space for exploration?

There are a few different kindsof attempts being made atvarious schools. Some arecreating ad hoc spaces bytransforming existing spacesinto after-school makerspacesthrough the use of tubs and

* PLAY AND EXPLORATION CAN BEUNDERRATED AND UNDERDEVELOPED INLEARNING STRATEGIES THAT FOCUS ON

TESTING, SKILL INSTALLATION, AND CRITICALTHINKING. SOMETIMES, IMAGINATION AND

CREATIVITY ARE LEFT TO CHANCE OR ARE LOWERPRIORITIES. THIS IS A SHAME GIVEN THAT SO

MUCH REAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY IS INTHE CREATIVE WORLD. MAKERSPACES IN THE

LIBRARY CAN PARTIALLY ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. '

other storage containers. Thisway, materials can be storedaway during the school day.

Other schools are integratingaspects of design thinking andplayfulness into the curricu-lum, providing time duringthe day or during a unit forthis kind of free exploration.

Some are bringing maker-spaces inside the school wallsby creating électives or otherspecial classes dedicated tocreative exploration.

Many schools and communitygroups have used grant moneyand/or commimity support tofund the technology, tools andmaterials used in their maker-spaces. Often, local businessesand tech companies are morethan happy to contribute towhat they consider the engage-ment and training of futureemployees.

Back in my neighborhood, I wasn'taware of Maker Kids, a not-for-profit cen-ter storefront that is just blocks from myhome. Celebrity author Cory Doctorow wasin Toronto visiting family vdth his daughterand was drawn to Maker Kids, which, he

writes, is, "a makerspace for children thatdoes after-school and summer programs forkids who want to hack toys, use the wood-shop, learn Arduino and electronics, useMinecraft to produce Printcraft 3D printson the Makerbot Replicator, and more.Andy Forest, the space's co-founder, wasgracious enough to show us around and toget Poesy started on hacking a robot, and toget her cousin Jaxon working on disassem-bling a Wall-E robot and changing its armsand such."

The kids loved it. Doctorow passed on ashort snippet of what happens there on anopen day, as reported by Forest:

My daughter Zhen figured outhow to make candy flowers, andkept us well fed with sugar.

Next to arrive, Alex broughtwith him a huge box of speak-ers. He loves taking thingsapart, so he brought the partsin to see what he could make.He ended up making a speakerbox out of wood and wiring itup to our stereo!

Audrey arrived with herbrother Wilder and a plan—she didn't want to slip on theice any more! So after design-ing some strap-on ice cleats onthe whiteboard, she got right

INTERNET@SCHOOLS MARCH/APRIL 2013 19

the pipeline

to work. Next, she moved tothe wood shop. She masteredthe jigsaw to cut out some ply-wood soles and drilled holesin it for the ice-cleat screws.She's coming back next weekto finish it off.

First time visitor Arbor pro-duced a huge list of crazyideas and narrowed down tomaking a light-up head. Shelearned to solder and wiredup LEDs, batteries, resistorsand switches like a champ!

We also had a maker kid cre-ating a video game with theAlice software. I peered overhis shoulder and it lookedinteresting!

Maker Kids (makerkids.ca) is an orga-nization that "enables kids to build theirideas with real tools and materials." Its goalis to inspire and empower kids to think, de-sign, experiment, and create through work-shops, seminars, and after-school programsat its makerspace in the Toronto area.

Forest estimates that the maker move-ment has grown worldwide from 124 col-lective workshops in 2009 to more than 500in 2011. Maker Kids started small in 2010with a summer program and school events.In 2011, it obtained a permanent space andrenovated it extensively. The organization'smakerspace, he reports, has "areas and toolsfor woodworking, electronics, mechanicalcreations, 3D printing, programming, art,sewing, and all kinds of other crafting andmaking. It is a centre for ideas, inspirationand implementation—a resource centre forour community. Our program relies on astrong volunteer base and mentorship bykids themselves. Our adult collaborators arefacilitators for the kids, and also encouragethem to seek out resources to learn on theirown, and to teach each other. Teenage col-laborators help the younger kids as a part oftheir high school volunteer hours, as well aswork on their own projects."

A MAKER'S DREAM TOOL:3D PRINTING

This still blows me away. Being able todesign and physically print 3D models ofthings quickly and inexpensively is justmagic. You can print anything from art ob-

jects from the Smithsonian Institutionthrough human tissue to doUhouse furni-ture. 3D printing has been around for a fewyears, but it is now so affordable that somegrade schools have kids using them. Theprinters can use gels, polymers, powders,sugar, mashed potatoes, or whatever tomake 3D objects of many sizes. There arenow production models and homemade,open source, and inexpensive printers.They can make prototypes and are even be-ing tested for making circuit boards andhuman body replacement parts. And yes,you can print edible food. As I said, thisblows me away. What was that machinethat made food on Star Trek called?

For inspiration, check out this tweener'samazing presentation to the Ignite confer-ence: "Why I Love My 3D Printer" bySchuyler St. Leger (youtube.com/watch?v=oyZxzkd-Jsk).

And for more quick information on 3Dprinting, take a look at these sites and videos:

• 3D Printing (Wikipedia; en.wikipedia.org/wild/3D_printing)

• MakerBot 3D Printer andThingaverse 2010 (videos.webpronews.com/2010/02/10/build-anything-with-makerbot-3d-printer

s MakerBot 3D Printer Demo—CES2011 (youtube.com/watch?v=yEiZYfpa75Q)

• 3D Printing Potatoes With theRapMan (fabbaloo.com/blog/201 l/2/26/3d-printing-potatoes-with-the-rapman.html; I love theversions that run on sugar—ediblecandy voodoo dolls!)

LEGO AND LIBRARIESOK, maker enthusiasts, I also love

LEGO. Recently, I've seen quite a few li-brary initiatives involving LEGO, and it gotme to thinking. LEGO is a perfect fit for allages at the library. It's not just for kids any-more. It is scaffolded so that a person at anyage can play with some form of LEGO. Forliftle kids, there is DUPLO, which can helpdevelop motor skills such as building andstacking; help with recognition of shapes,colors, letters, and numbers; and help withideas and creativity.

Creative play builds active minds. Cre-ativity brings imagination to life and teach-es children critical thinking and problemsolving skills. With regular LEGO andenough blocks and pieces, you can buildnearly anything you can imagine.

Then there are the kits to build every-thing from houses through pirates and StarWars models. These develop reading be-haviors through following instruction setscarefully and successfully. I felt a sense of ac-complishment when my kids and I built thebig kits. And since they're 3D, we Uked thembefter than flat puzzles as cooperative play.

I am particularly enthralled with theLEGO robotics kits, MINDSTORMS, andthe ability to create cool things that alignwith STEM education goals while attract-ing tweens and teens. I've recently becomeaware of team sport using LEGO at Fayet-teville Public Library, where they had somany volunteers for their team that theyhad to create three teams!

Want more on LEGOs? Check out MarkFrauenfelder's Boing Boing posting/videoof examples using the "Unofficial LEGOTechnic Builder's Guide" (boingboing.net/2012/10/26/unofficial-lego-technic-builde.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A-i-boingboing%2FiBag-F%28Boing-i-Boing%29).

LEGO leagues can be set up for inter-national competitions (firstlegoleague.org/challenge/teamresources), and I wouldn'tbe surprised to see a site for elderly seniorsin nursing facilities to maintain dexterity.Check out the LEGO Education site, or justsearch for LEGO and education while us-ing Google or Bing (education.lego.com/default.aspx?domainredir=www.legoeducation.com).

There are loads of tools, lesson plans,and programs.

MAKERSPACE AND EDUCATIONAaron Vanderwerff at Lighthouse Com-

munity Charter School in Oakland, Calif.,has published a helpful guide for teachersand librarians about the learning outcomesfrom makerspaces (makerspace.com/projects/getting-started-on-an-independent-project). Broadly, this is based on creatingindependent projects with a 6-month timeframe, requiring the learning of new skillsand innovating in some way, with an out-come of "Bringing an idea to life!"

Makerspaces! How can you dislike any-thing that works for any age, promotesreading and education, draws kids into thelibrary for cooperative play and learning,and is fun? •

Contact Stephen at stephen.abram@gmail.com.

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