Makerspaces

Makerspaces are a relatively new trend in libraries but are bringing much-needed resources and skills training to individuals and groups that would otherwise not have the same access and experiences as those in more affluent communities.  Makerspaces can include a wide range of services, tools, and resources depending on the availability of funding, skilled staff or volunteers, and on the interests of the surrounding community. Unlike the arts and crafts and other creative projects for which libraries have been used for decades, the Makerspace movement seeks to use more advanced tools, technologies, and resources to teach skills that can apply to various aspects of a user’s career or life (Loertscher).

In a school library setting, Makerspaces can assist in the quality and depth of instruction for a variety of subjects and can give students hands-on experiences with projects that they might have otherwise only read about in books (Loertscher). Even at the college level, Makerspaces have begun to influence the way instruction and learning occur and give students the resources to take on higher level projects and create things that would have been limited to the realm of imagination without these tools. A prime example of a makerspace which has been configured to give students access to resources is the Creat’r Lab located in the Orbach Library at UCR. This lab has tools such as 3-D printers, sewing machines, crafting supplies, cutting machines, electronic components, and so much more that are made available to current students of UCR with no additional cost. Students often

References:

Loertscher, David V., et al. “Makerspaces in the School Library Learning Commons and the UTEC Maker Model.” Teacher Librarian, vol. 41, no. 2, Dec. 2013, pp. 48–51. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=92991119&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

“Research Guides: Creat'R Lab: Overview.” Overview - Creat'R Lab - Research Guides at University of California, Riverside Libraries, https://guides.lib.ucr.edu/c.php?g=645451&p=4523510.