Makerspaces, Spring 2017: Resources and Presentations

Makerspaces, Spring 2017 Public Services Open Houses Presentations and Resources List

Introduction

This year, the Public Services Committee focused on highlighting makerspaces through 3 days of Open Houses visiting six different makerspaces. A makerspace is community or collaborative space that provides a combination of technology, equipment, and often expertise for patrons to explore, discover, design, create, produce, and share projects. In academic settings, makerspaces often relate directly to pedagogy and learning outcomes across disciplines. Makerspaces can be as simple as having a 3D printer available or as elaborate as a studio space that includes hand- and power-tools, green screen technology, woodworking, vinyl printing, sewing machines, laser cutters, and yes, 3D printers. Makerspaces are often located in libraries (academic and public), but can also be found attached to engineering, art, or other departments as this century’s version of the computer lab and classroom.

Given the rise in interest, publication, and creation of makerspaces – along with the spectrum of options and costs – the Committee chose to host open houses in both academic libraries/institutions and public libraries. Some public libraries have been out in front of the makerspace wave, and public library makerspace patrons are quickly becoming our own undergraduate students, with attendant expectations and experiences. The locations of the open houses also showcased what an institution might be able to provide at different funding levels for these types of spaces with ones that could be considered basic or funded on a shoestring while others could be identified as being extremely well-funded or even a Cadillac version of a makerspace in order to highlight the range of options for CARLI member libraries.

2016-2017 Committee
Raeann Dossett, Parkland College
Anne-Marie Eggleston Green, Kishwaukee College
Marissa Ellermann, Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Susan Franzen, Illinois State University, Co-Chair
Joanna Kolendo, Chicago State University
Colleen Shaw, Heartland Community College
Cory Stevens, Lake Forest College, Co-Chair
Richard Stokes, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Julia Venetis, Elmhurst College

Downstate Illinois - March 17, 2017

•  Illinois MakerLab:
  • The Illinois MakerLab is the world’s first Business School 3D Printing Lab. It opened in Spring 2013.  Their objective is to provide faculty and students with the knowledge and resources to be at the forefront of the emerging maker movement by teaching users how to design, manufacture, and market physical objects.  The lab is equipped with 17 Ultimaker desktop 3D printers, 3D design software, and 3D scanning devices.

• CU Community Fab Lab:
  • Physically, our Fab Lab is an advanced workshop space for rapid prototyping and computer-based design. It is also comprised of a network of a number of smaller mini or mobile fab lab spaces.
  • Culturally, the CUC Fab Lab is driven by a community of practice, people often referred to as Makers.
  • Functionally, Fab Labs encourage people to become makers by exploring the entire design process.
  • Organizationally, our Fab Lab is a public engagement program of the Illinois Informatics Institute.
  • Philosophically, we believe the open source ethos of the Fab Lab inspires interest and innovation in many fields.

• Chad Kahl’s presentation handouts on planning a Makerspace at Illinois State University: Presentation Outline, Planning/Open Design Steps Spreadsheet, Questions for Faculty interviews.

Event Photo Gallery

Chicago Suburbs  - April 3, 2017

• Winnetka-Northfield Public Library - Rebecca Wolf (Director) and Emily Compton-Dzak (Head of Adult Services) hosted an open house in “The Studio.”
  • Want to Make Something of it? How we added a Makerspace using existing space and staff. Rebecca Wolf.
  • Studio Equipment Listings.
  • Studio Staff Users Guide Example text. Emily Compton-Dzak.

• Northwestern University:
  • Tour of “The Garage” with Sydnye Doctor (Marketing Coordinator)

Event Photo Gallery

Chicago City - April 25, 2017

• Harold Washington Center CPL Maker Lab.   Mark Anderson, Sasha Neri, John Christiansen
  • The First 6 months of the CPL Maker Lab
  • CPL Maker Lab Wiki
• Paul V. Galvin Library, Illinois Institute of Technology: 3D Printers & More Devin Savage, Kimberly Shotick, Max King, Nasir Mirza 
  • Presentation: Starting a Maker's Lab on a Shoestring Budget. https://goo.gl/ZP9ddF

Event Photo Gallery

Other Academic Library Makerspaces Identified:

• Southern Illinois University Carbondale: 3D Printing at Morris Library
• Southern Illinois University Edwardsville: 3D Printing at Lovejoy Library
• University of Illinois at Springfield: 3D Printing and Scanning
• University of Chicago: Hack Arts Lab (HAL)  

Other Public Library and Independent Makerspaces Identified:

• Glen Ellyn: Three D Printing at the Library  
• Urbana, IL: Makerspace Urbana

*Recommended Readings / Web sites: 

• Lynch, Matthew. "How to Create a Makerspace in any Space". The Tech Edvocate. Web. 10 March 2017.