Makerspaces

Makerspaces

Ever thought that a new idea maybe impossible, or that an impossible idea maybe achievable? Library personnel are rolling up their sleeves and making new ideas happen. Makerspaces are fast growing in Libraries and enabling students to have hands-on experiences making, creating and developing new and creative ideas.  Makerspaces are becoming commonplace and are the new expected experiences in today's libraries. In order to describe a Makerspace, one must envision an area in the library that may not follow the normal neat and tidy route that libraries are known for.  

Try to picture creative art area-meets books and technology and there you have it. Makerspaces are designated areas that allow and encourage hands-on touching, creating and development. Imagine Tinker Toys meets Art and you can get a general concept.

In the Article A Major Making Undertaking: A New Librarian Transforms A Middle School Library into a Makerspace Aligned to High School Career Endorsements, author Sheila Bakers interviews co-author Bonnie Alexander. Together they describe the step by step process of creating a Makerspace in a new Middle School Library. The creativity and enthusiasm felt by first year Librarian Ms. Alexander as she starts her new position is instrumental in this project. Ms. Alexander is a former English Teacher currently working towards a Master's Degree in School Library and Information Science, when this inspiration began. With the backing and support of her principal (also in the first year of a new position), Ms. Alexander was able to put her concepts and ideas into action. She starts off by researching and incorporating newly implemented high school graduation requirements. Armed with this information, Ms. Alexander visits the nearby high school and solicited donations from the various departments in support of her new program. The focus of the Makerspace program would be an introduction for the middle school students to concepts that they would use later to fulfill a high school graduation requirement. This would be sparking an interest while creating an interest to be used towards a later goal. 

This program was successful due to many factors that aligned up at the same time.

 New idea + New Librarian + New Principal + New School + New Graduation Requirement = Successful  Middle School Makerspace Program.  

It doesn't always line up that well (or way), but for the Perfect Storm in that Texas Middle School Library..it did. 

Works Cited:

Baker, Sheila F., and Bonnie Alexander. “A Major Making Undertaking: A New Librarian 

Transforms A Middle School Library into a Makerspace Aligned to High School

Career Endorsements.” Knowledge Quest, vol. 46, no. 5, Jan. 2018, pp. 64-69.

EBSCOhost,search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ118247

&site=ehost-live&scope=site. (Accessed 28, April 2020).

Makerspaces by Barney Mont