Saturday 30 April 2016

Weekend Watch: Building Comically Giant Swords with Michaelcthulhu

IrishMike_Facebook-01fixedMike Craughwell (aka Michaelcthulhu) makes awesome giant swords for a living. If you've ever wanted a ridiculous large sword, he's your man.

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Friday 29 April 2016

Top Tips from 17 Amazing Makers

MAKERFAIRE_01We asked some of our favorite contributors to share tips on everything from shop tools to being a maker pro.

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6 Swell Ways to Transform Surfboards into Ocean-Themed Art

surfboard1This surfboard art is pretty tubular dude. If you're boards been wrecked you can give it a second life.

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This Machete Gets a New Life with Updated Handle

machete17fixA good machete deserves a good handle. Your hands also deserve a good handle. Keep those fingers!

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Watch How to Set Up Your Bandsaw for Better Cuts

Screen Shot 2016-04-28 at 12.15.19 PMBraxton Wirthlin is a woodworker with a lot of experience. Follow his simple tips to get your bandsaw running right.

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Thursday 28 April 2016

Zero to Maker Faire: My Journey Through the Maker Movement

Tintin_Destination-Moon_Cover_Wall_1024x768Bertier Luyt's life was transformed when he discovered the Maker Movement. Now he runs leFabShop and organizes Maker Faire Paris.

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Maker Shop Tours with Great Shop Tip Takeaways

shopToursWe tour the shops of some of our favorite makers and share their top shop tip takeaways.

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Convert Geological Information into a Custom Map Fit for 3D Printing and Milling

40 - 1SXfZ8s (Small)You can download the files to CNC mill a map of this map of the United States, or, better yet, learn all the steps to do it yourself.

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Tim Youd and the 100 Novels Project

This profile first appeared on the LAIP in 2015. Tim Youd is still performing his 100 Novels project. Learn more at timyoud.com.

Today we present a conversation with Tim Youd, a visual and performance artist who is currently working on a fascinating project to retype 100 novels–obviously a performance piece that is very intriguing to literature lovers! Read on to hear more about the 100 Novels project and Tim’s relationship to libraries in the past and today. ~ Laura

Library as Incubator Project (LAIP): Please introduce yourself to our community–who are you, and what sort of creative work do you do?

Tim Youd (TY): I’m a Los Angeles based visual and performance artist. I am currently engaged in a ten year undertaking to retype 100 novels. I retype each novel on the same make/model typewriter used by the author; and I stage each performance in a location germane to the novel or the writer’s life.

Tim Youd performing William Faulkner's "The Sound and the Fury", at Faulkner's home in Oxford, Mississippi, June 2014 Tim Youd performing Charles Bukowski's "Post Office", Downtown Los Angeles Terminal Annex Post Office, June 2013, credit: Eric Minh Swenson Tim Youd performing Raymond Chandler's "Farewell My Lovely", at the Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica, CA, February 2015, credit: Summers McKay
LAIP: What is / has been your relationship to libraries – as a reader, as an artist, as a community member…however you feel like answering the question.

TY: My mom made visiting the library an important and regular part of my and my brother’s childhood. That was a very formative exposure for me.  And it led to my lifelong involvement with books.

Throughout life, and it’s ups and downs, I would say the most constant pleasure and most reliable means of escape has been reading. That my visual art has had to do with text and literature for many years even preceding my 100 Novels project seems like quite a happy inevitability.

LAIP: For your 100 Novels project, you are not only transcribing the words of the novels on the same make/model of typewriter that the author used – you also find locations that approximate the locations where the novels were themselves typed. Have any of them taken you into libraries, and can you tell us about the experience of being and transcribing in those libraries?

TY: I had a very recent experience retyping novels in libraries. Both occurred on my now almost complete retyping tour of England. The first of the four novels I retyped in England was Kingsley Amis’s Lucky Jim at the library at the University of Leicester. I staged the performance there because Kingsley got the idea for the novel when he went to visit Philip Larkin at the University of Leicesyer, where he (Larkin) was then an assistant librarian. The main character is based on Larkin, and the novel dedicated to him.

After completing that retyping I travelled to Manchester where, at the invitation of the International Anthong Burgess Foundation, I was allowed to retype  Burgess’s A Clockwork Orange at the Manchester Central Library. The Central Library is a spectacular building;  I was allowed to commence the performance in the main reading room – a vast domed room with incredible acoustics. It’s also a silent reading room, and so after the first hour I relocated to the area of the library where most of the foot traffic occurs –  and got to meet a lot of interesting people as a result.

I will also take you back only a few months earlier, to Kansas City, where I retyped Evan Connell’s Mr. Bridge at the Kansas City Central Library, arranged by the Kansas City Art Institute’s ArtSpace gallery. The people at the Kansas City Central Library were very welcoming and supportive. The building itself is quite impressive. It was a former bank, and fits exactly the description of the bank that Mr. Bridge did his business in.

LAIP: How do you decide which novels to transcribe for your 100 Novels project?

TY: The first criteria is that the novel has to have been typed by the author. So that is, generally speaking, the 1900 to 1980 time frame. Of course there are still a few writers working on typewriters, and I hope to include a few more contemporary novels in the project.

The second criteria is that I have to like the novel enough to want to spend the many hours it takes to retype it.  At its heart, this project is about the devotional act of reading. And I think the best readings come on the rereading. So I’ve read everything I retype beforehand, at least once.

Artwork: Elmore Leonard's Get Shorty; 304 pages typed on an Olympia SG-3, Aqua Art Fair, Miami Beach, FL, December 2013

Artwork: Elmore Leonard’s Get Shorty; 304 pages typed on an Olympia SG-3, Aqua Art Fair, Miami Beach, FL, December 2013

Artwork: Henry Miller's Tropic of Capricorn, 298 of 332 pages typed on an Underwood Standard, Brooklyn, NY, May 2013

Artwork: Henry Miller’s Tropic of Capricorn, 298 of 332 pages typed on an Underwood Standard, Brooklyn, NY, May 2013

Artwork: Kurt Vonnegut's Breakfast of Champions, 303 pages typed on a Smith Corona Coronamatic 2200, Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library, Indianapolis, IN, September 2013

Artwork: Kurt Vonnegut’s Breakfast of Champions, 303 pages typed on a Smith Corona Coronamatic 2200, Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library, Indianapolis, IN, September 2013

LAIP: As an artist, what would your ideal library look or be like? What would it have in it?

TY: Well, clearly libraries need to evolve to stay relevant. I don’t have all the answers, but I will say that the Manchester Central Library was remarkable for its maintenance of the beautiful features of a classic building with the energy of community and technology.

Read more about Tim Youd’s work on his website, timyoud.com



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Makers to Redefine Fashion at Maker Faire Paris

mfashion jellyfish justin poulsenWhat happens when you showcase the insanely creative, tech-infused genius of makers in the world-renowned fashion mecca of Paris?

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Wednesday 27 April 2016

The Making of a Mascot Part 2: Shaping MDF to Mold Fiberglass

FillerFoamMakey is beginning to take shape in the latest installment of "The Making of a Mascot". See how Shawn preps a prototype to mold fiberglass.

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Study the Skies with a Portable Raspberry Pi Display for Your Telescope

FNHHL7NIM9E40GS.MEDIUMThe TED-VDU is the perfect upgrade for your PiKon telescope. It lets you interface with your telescope easily in the field.

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Tuesday 26 April 2016

Woodworker Mods Trailer to Lift and Haul Fallen Logs

Photo by Matt CremonaMilling fallen logs on site isn't always an option, so urban logger Matt Cremona created this DIY log lift trailer to haul lumber.

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Star Simpson’s Tips for Starting a Lifetime in Electronics

StarStar Simpson was inspired by Forrest Mims' books on electronics. Now she's turning his iconic drawings directly into hardware.

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The Raspberry-Pi Powered “Wizard Wall” Dissects and Projects Your Face

Jeremy Noonan’s Wizard Wall tasks five RPis and Pi cameras to segment a different part of a user’s face to five separate monitors for one big image collage.Are you all knowing and all powerful? Then step up to the Wizard Wall and impress upon the rabble your great and ominous visage.

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Public Demesne: Using Archival Images to raise funds

by Allana Mayer

The Concept

In early January 2016, I started a fundraiser for the Society of American Archivists Mosaic Scholarship, which was made to encourage diverse entrants into the field. I wanted to contribute, but didn’t have money to spare. Instead, I created a print-on-demand store with Society6 to sell items with designs I had made. Of course, I don’t have artistic skill, either, so I modified existing illustrations from the public domain.

I’m here to document what I did, in order to show how easy it is to get a shop up and running. The benefits for cultural heritage institutions are multiple: make some cash, promote your collections, enrich the world with beautiful vintage visuals, print your own art for your walls, and learn a new skill!

The process I employed to generate profitable clothes, home decor, phone cases, and a bunch of other cool stuff is pretty straightforward:

  • Identify awesome images in the public domain
  • Get the highest-quality version you can
  • Use Photoshop to turn the paper transparent and thicken up the ink lines
  • Use Illustrator to vectorize the image and scale it to a desired size
  • Use Photoshop to generate various versions of the image, depending on what products you want to sell
  • Upload each version to your print-on-demand shop according to their instructions
  • Promote to your pals and your library’s patrons
  • Make money for your library!

How It All Started

I browse the Flickr Commons pretty regularly, for images to illustrate articles and blog posts and sometimes just for my own amusement. When you look through the Commons these days, you’ll notice that a lot of the images shared are being generated through a robot that identifies images and illustrations in books uploaded to the Internet Archive. You’ll find that the generator will spit out a bunch of images from one book at a time. So, there I was browsing, and this image caught my eye:

Screen Shot 2016-04-25 at 9.27.13 PM

I thought “That would look great on a t-shirt.” So I put it on one.

Screen Shot 2016-04-25 at 9.28.30 PM

I followed the Commons image back to its source: a history book by John Ridpath from 1897, uploaded to the Internet Archive by the Mugar Memorial Library at Boston University. It’s an expansive text that covers science, the birth of man, and a chunk of (now rather pejorative) anthropological examinations of different cultures. Despite the racism, I found some of the chemistry and astronomy parts of the text truly charming, and the illustrations fantastic.

You, of course, will have a library collection to work from. You’ll have access to lots of public-domain materials in your special collections, and maybe even high-quality digitization tools to do your own image capture. But maybe not – maybe you’re in need of a fundraiser, or branded gifts for guest speakers or awards, and you don’t have any of these things. Don’t worry – the public domain is here for you.

If you want to do as I did, and work from only one book, you can use the tags auto-generated by the robot (whatever starts with “bookid”). If you’re going for a theme, the images are relatively well-described and searchable. If you’re really starved for ideas, try searching the Commons for “geometry,” “botany,” “anatomy,” or “astronomy” – those are always inspiring to me. Just remember: if you’re finding “Internet Archive Book Images” uploads, they’re of lower quality than the original scans, so follow the images back to their source on the Internet Archive.

In the next post, I’ll talk about what to do with the designs you’ve found; I’ll go through my own process step-by-step, so you can see how it works.

Check it out online:

 

Screen Shot 2016-04-25 at 9.16.39 PMAllana Mayer is an archivist, librarian, and freelance writer in Toronto. She has an undergraduate degree in cultural studies, and a graduate degree in library and information science. She researches and writes on all topics cultural-heritage but especially on art and media, digital preservation, copyright, scholarly communications, and technology for archives and archivists. | Twitter: @allanaaaaaaaBlog: blog.allanaaa.com

 



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The Hovalin Is a 3D Printed Violin That Blends STEM and Music Education

The Hovalin 2.0. Photo by Daniel and Lauren MullerMatt and Kaitlyn Hova went down the 3D printing rabbit hole and came out with a 3D printed violin (aka the Hovalin).

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Monday 25 April 2016

What to Do With Discarded 3D Printer Filament?

Whenever we change reels on the Ultimaker 2 there is a good stretch of filament that is ribbed and must be discarded. My coworker Larissa made bracelets out of them! The clasp is printed in clear filament.

 



You can print these in bulk (10 minutes to print a single but you could print multiples at once) and focus a class just on making charms for them.


A note about charms: using jump rings makes the bracelet easier to wear with the charms as demonstrated with the octopus vs the Pokeball and dinosaur. Plus you don't have to worry about the size of the plastic printed ring in Tinkercad too much.  These are 9mm jump rings that come apart with simple pliers.  Of course by having them loose, they will all dangle to the bottom but some 3D printed beads/spacers and jump ring size experimentation will do the trick.  Although the PLA claims to be biodegradable who knows how long that would take. This is wonderful recycling project just in time for Earth Day. 

                           





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Upcycle a Hardwood Floor into a Sturdy Desk

desk17Using almost entirely reclaimed wood and flooring, Micah was able to create a sturdy desk to last him through his college years.

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5 Maker Podcasts You Should Be Listening To

InMoovHeadPhones-1These five podcasts for makers talk about all aspects of making, from materials to motivation. Check them out.

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How to Sharpen a Knife

knives-1A knife is only as good as its blade. Sharpen your knives regularly for a better (and safer) cutting experience.

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8 Mural Masterpieces to Inspire Your Blank Wall

mural9Bored by your walls? Nothing a little paint and some clever design can't cure. Get inspired by these 8 mural masterpieces.

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Sunday 24 April 2016

Meet the Arduino Clone That’s the Size of a AA Battery

arduino-aaduino-in-a-battery-boxA clever design for a pint-sized, wireless Arduino clone that also turns a battery holder into a project box.

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This Week in Making: Drilling, Diodes, and Dirt

CardboardProtoThis past week we showed the Earth some love, learned how to drill straight, and reflected on the little things (like diodes).

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Saturday 23 April 2016

Weekend Watch: “Layer By Layer” Teaches Design for 3D Printing

noeYou should be actively trying to hone your design skills if you have a 3D printer. Noe Ruiz has the no-how to help you make better 3D prints.

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Friday 22 April 2016

A Mini Maker Faire Virgin Has a Blast in Benicia

IMG_5613The Benicia Mini Maker Faire was charmingly low key to the point of effectively being a glorified high school science fair.

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11 Hot Glue Tips Tricks and Hacks

hotGlue_1More creative ways for getting the most out of your hot glue gun.

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25 Green Projects to Show the Earth Some Love

aquaponics_MB_Make_03.13.2015In honor of Earth Day, were taking a look at some of our favorite "green" projects: Renewable energy, gardening, and recycling!

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7 Ways to Upcycle Your Stockpile of Plastic Bags

bag-flowersIf the plastic bag you use to hold all your other plastic bags is getting full, here are 7 ways to upcycle them.

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Get the Morning Low Down with This Simple Ticker Project

downloadBrush your teeth and comb your hair all while getting the latest on the weather and updates on your stocks for a better morning routine.

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Add a Marking Knife to Your Woodworking Arsenal

marked woodA marking knife is a simple, but precise tool that sometimes goes overlooked in the tool section. Consider adding it to your arsenal.

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Thursday 21 April 2016

Southern Winds Is a Feel-Good Song with a Crafty Music Video

SW7In order to get the right look and feel for her "Southern Winds" music video, Jane Lui built a number of cardboard and papier-mâché sets.

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The Making of a Mascot Part 1: Planning and Prototyping

HumanScaleShawn Thorsson is making a Makey mascot for our Maker Faires! We take you behind the scenes to see how the costume is made.

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Ark: immersive short story shows in library spaces

It’s our pleasure to welcome Ellen Wiles, founder of Ark Short Stories, to the site today, to talk about her project to bring short stories to life–in library spaces, of course! Read on! ~Laura

by Ellen Wiles

What happens when short stories spring out of their pages, join hands with dance, sound, live music, film and illustration, and lead audiences around library spaces? That is the question at the heart of Ark: an experimental project to celebrate, subvert and transform libraries through performance. It is a form of live literature, but not as you are likely to know it.

I came up with the idea for Ark during my PhD research on live literature, when I became all-too-familiar with the standard formats of authors reading short excerpts from their new books, answering audience questions, and signing copies afterwards.

I wished there were more performative, dynamic and creative literary events happening that would make me feel, as an audience member, more like I often do at theatre and live art shows: caught up in the moment, and transported somewhere new.

I also care deeply about the demise of public libraries in the UK, thanks to chronic under-funding from Government and, perhaps, a lack of vision about not only the key to what those libraries are and have always been – temples of books and imagination, accessible to all – but also what they could be in the future. Some public libraries are truly fantastic architectural spaces which have plentiful potential in terms of performance. I wanted to explore ways in which those two ideas could come together.

Each Ark show is curated around a themed selection of newly-commissioned and pre-published short stories, performed by a mixture of actors and writers. Each one is site-responsive, entailing movement of the audience around the library space, and involves various cross-arts collaborations and modes of performance, ranging from dance to live illustration. The first series, funded by Arts Council England, comprised three shows, each growing in scale and scope: A Literary Coup was on a theme of libraries and reading, and happened in the petite Primrose Hill Community Library; A Literary Bestiary was on a theme of curious creatures, and happened in the fabulously modernist and multi-level Swiss Cottage Library; and Literally Fantastical was on a theme of fairytales and wonderlands, and happened over five floors of the one and only British Library.

Short stories in the shows have included Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Phoenix, about a daring librarian risking his life to rescue books amidst a violent apocalypse, performed by actor Susanna Hislop with newly commissioned film by artist Lucy Coggle; a series of one-sentence stories on a theme of bestiary written and performed by the audience around a circular balcony in Swiss Cottage Library; a new story by Joe Dunthorne about an amorous encounter with a dog performed by the author with a newly commissioned soundtrack by composer Kate Denholm; a classic but still wild and daring Angela Carter story, Wolf Alice, performed by actor Adjoa Andoh with live illustration by Gabi Froden, and fairytale songs performed by singer Maeve Leahy, interacting with dancer Rob Hesp, amidst a British Library reading room that we had transformed, with the help of props, plants and lighting, into an enchanted forest.

Photo by Emily Stein.

Maeve Leahy. Photo by Emily Stein.

Tim 9

Timothy Allsop. Photo by Emily Stein.

It was a hugely challenging project to direct, involving not only curation and commissioning, forging new artistic collaborations, and maximising the use of limited budgets, but also the significant technical challenges of turning libraries into immersive performances spaces involving various media and staging posts when they are not set up with the necessary equipment, finding rehearsal time when libraries have readers using the spaces during the daytimes, and working with librarians who have often never encountered this kind of project taking place out of hours before. But I was lucky enough to find some wonderful writers, artists, technical wizards and library collaborators, who all helped to make this project into something which could bring short stories to life in exciting ways for new audiences, and which encouraged the re-imagination, transformation, subversion and celebration of library spaces through performance.

Public libraries do not have to be static or stagnant institutions, but nor do they have to forfeit their traditional role as places of literary discovery for communities in order to be relevant today. The Ark project is a way of shining a light on libraries by engaging with and in them through literary storytelling, drawing upon the aura of the books on the shelves, and leading new audiences through their doors for new imaginative experiences.

You can find out more about Ark, see pictures, watch videos and find out about future shows at: http://ift.tt/1Wflpmb.



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Build a Raspberry Pi-Powered Linux Laptop That Fits in Your Pocket

microLap_heroThis simple Raspberry Pi-Powered Linux laptop uses off-the-shelf parts, can be hooked up to a TV or monitor, and it fits in your pocket.

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Working with Cardboard: Tips to Cut Fold Mold and Papier-Mâché

m50_SS-Cardboard-3Cardboard is great material to work with: Its cheap, widely available, relatively sturdy, and super easy to work with.

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Wednesday 20 April 2016

Making a Wooden Toy Train Crossing

trainX_2Have an idea for a part you wish you could add to a toy, say a toy train set? Desktop fabrication to the rescue!

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Make a Fun Diving Spudmarine

3-29 spudmarineBased on a classic cereal box toy, this fun "spudmarine" uses a potato and baking powder to make a sub that dives and resurfaces in a pitcher of water.

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Build a Small Custom USB MIDI Foot Board with Arduino

20160412_174131 (2)If you're playing for an audience you don't want to spend your set looking at a screen. See how one musician made this MIDI foot board for performances.

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Stainable Wood-Based Filament Gives 3D Printed Violin a Natural Look

violin1Can you give a 3D printed object a wood stain? Sure! Can you 3D print a violin? Why not! Do both and you'll get a natural looking violin.

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Smart Options for Upgrading Your Workbench Lighting

Red 4 bar linkage arm lamp with light shining downwards.If you're thinking about upgrading your workshop lighting, here's our short, no-nonsense advice to getting a brighter space.

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Tuesday 19 April 2016

Can Your Really 3D Print a Working Robotic Lawnmower?

csm_DSC01388_1d7b22e3bcNeed the lawn mowed? Print out a robotic lawnmower. Have a big yard? Print two?

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Control Your Camera Rig with the Blackmagic SDI Arduino Shield

BMC_ArduinoBlackmagic's new 3G-SDI Arduino shield will make automating your camera and photography rig easier than ever with SDI input and output.

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20 Sculptures That Upcycle Your Cycle

bike1Bikes on walls, stools made out of bike parts, pyramids, domes, fences, and more! There's a lot of arty ways to give a bike a second life.

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Simple Bike Upgrade: Glowing Wheels That Recharge Themselves

Glowing wheels in the light and the dark. Photo by La Fabrique DIY.La Fabrique DIY creates glow-in-the-dark bicycle wheels that recharge themselves with UV LEDs and a smartphone power pack.

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7 DIY Standing Desks for Fine-Tuning Your Ergonomics

desk-5Whether it's for improving your ergonomics or taking a break from sitting down, a standing desk can be relief.

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Idea Exchange: Building a Sustainable Program Suite

Explore on the Floor

Explore on the Floor

by Jaime Griffis, Director, Programming and Promotion, Idea Exchange

Idea Exchange supports and inspires our community in the exploration of reading, arts, innovation and learning. One of the ways in which we strive to create an environment of curiosity and discovery is through our dynamic programming for children and teens. In order to build a sustainable program suite, we needed to acknowledge that libraries of the future are moving from a focus on infrastructure (i.e. print collections) to a focus on space and community engagement. By redefining how we see collection, space, and customer service, Idea Exchange has created programs that foster creativity, spark innovation, develop human capital and support lifelong learning.

By redefining how we see collection, space, and customer service, Idea Exchange has created programs that foster creativity, spark innovation, develop human capital and support lifelong learning.

Our first project at redefining how we see collections and space was the redesign of the Children’s Department at our Queen’s Square location. Children’s collections were analyzed in terms of circulation but with a twist. Shelf space became ‘prime real-estate’ where collections that performed (higher circulation) received the most linear feet and collections that performed poorly were reduced significantly. The weeding project reduced the QS children’s collection by 35-40%. By pushing the remaining book stacks/high performing collections to the perimeter of the department, we were able to create a large open programming space right in the department itself. No more sequestering in small, out of the way program rooms! Our success was measured in an increase in collection circulation by 18% and we were able to create large, open spaces for families to stay and play in the department.

kindergarten connections

Kindergarten Connections

After redefining how we see collection, staff were able to take advantage of the new large open space and create programs focused on STEM learning and early literacy through play. Kindergarten Connections and Kindergarten Bootcamp are programs that provide families with the tools necessary to help to prepare children for their first day of school, develop reading skills and encourage social skills between children. Explore on the Floor showcases 5-6 interactive centres where parents/caregivers play, discover and explore with their children in a variety of fun-filled, hands-on learning activity centres. After-school drop-ins carry on this station matrix, where service desk time becomes programming time. Staff actively come out from behind the desk and engage with kids at the centres, recommend books and answer questions.

In addition to our facilities being a place of engagement with adaptable spaces, another major component of sustainable programming is community partnerships.

These partnerships are present across all levels of programming but are particularly integral to the success of our teen programs. Technology changes at lightning speed and our youth are embracing change as it happens. Collaborating with outside companies, services and individuals allows our programming to be relevant and current The value of partnerships lies in the linking together of people and organizations, capitalizing on diverse experiences and skills, leveraging funding and resources, increasing programs and broadening range, and aligning goals which often at its core is increased community awareness and participation.

Music is My Weapon

Music is My Weapon

An example of a popular and successful program with great community connections is the partnership between Idea Exchange and Queen Street Music. By leveraging community mentors in the music industry, we connect contemporary musicians with teens in our Music is My Weapon (MIMW) program. Teens create, develop and showcase their songs while getting an inside look at the business side of the music industry, along with the opportunity to network with others in the local music scene.

Teen engagement involves many sectors: corporate funding (to support hard costs of outfitting a music hub), professional industry participation (to run programs and mentor youth) and proximity to a secondary school facility (for easy access and integration with educational programs). It’s also supported by local non-profits and small business with similar goals: making music accessible to all.

By redefining collections and space and leveraging community partnerships, Idea Exchange has developed a sustainable and dynamic program suite, creating environments of curiosity and discovery for the younger members of our community.

 

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4 Cheap Tricks for Drilling Straight Holes

Drilling TipsUse these techniques to keep your drilling aligned.

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Monday 18 April 2016

Working Lego Particle Accelerator

tumblr_nf1mi67N121qzicj3o3_500Playtime just got a lot more physical and experimental with this Lego "Large Brick Collider."

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Ditch the Basket, This Goofy Bike Mod Gives You the Whole Shopping Cart

cartbike1Bike baskets might be fine for snacks, but if you're planning out meals for the week you'll need a bike that can handle your groceries.

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Bypass Your Monitor with a Headless Raspberry Pi Interface

5078141459713271503You don't need to connect your Raspberry Pi to a computer every time you want to make a small change. Use this headless interface instead.

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Made in Baltimore: Outfitting Your Makerspace with Tools and Furniture

Insulation and vapor barrier going in on south wall. Photo by Will HolmanWhat's a makerspace without tools? In this installment of Made in Baltimore, Will Holman talks about getting the right tools for Open Works.

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Going Glocal: Building a Business on Distributed Manufacturing

OS Wunderkammer - ∏ S. Pedrelli 2AtFAB founders Anne Filson and Gary Rohrbacher are reimagining the future of manufacturing with networked and distributed Makers.

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Sunday 17 April 2016

7 Marking and Measuring Tips from Jimmy DiResta

direstaMeasure_3Basic and indispensable pattern-making, marking, and measuring tips from a master maker.

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This Week in Making: Maker Kids, Crossbows, and the White House Science Fair

CairoThis past we were awed by Maker kids, learned how to make a cheap crossbow, and considered a career change.

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Saturday 16 April 2016

Weekend Watch: “Ron’s Stuff” Is a Collection of Kinetic Wooden Sculptures

RonsStuff_hero"Ron's Stuff" is the youtube channel of a retired mechanical engineer. Ron's woodworking and kinetic projects are a treat to watch.

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Friday 15 April 2016

The Maker Movement: Coming to a City Near You

makerfaire_mapThere are Maker Faires happening across the world this weekend. Just goes to show that we are all makers.

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An Interview with Macabre Crocheter Caitlin McCormack

Photograph by Caitlin McCormackUsing string dredge in glue, artist Caitlin McCormack crochets skeletons of birds and small animals.

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Here’s the Difference Between a Drill and an Impact Driver

m50_SS_DrillImpactDriver-1One has the power and one has the precision. Learn the differences between a drill and an impact driver with this quick guide.

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Friday Linkubator Roundup

Hello dear friends! It’s been busy in our library world, so today I have a giant roundup of awesomeness for you to enjoy!

On the site:

Other fun stuff:

  • Join us for a a webinar and learn how to incubate creativity at your library!
  • We have so many ideas for National Poetry Month!

Around the web:ss2

  • This cemetery catalogues graves and links them to historical society holdings.
  • TEDTalks for binge-watching. You’re welcome.
  • The Cincinnati Art Museum has put a large number of its works online, along with 4,000 high-quality images!
  • SQUEEEL!! The illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets!
  • Digitized awesomeness. A trove of rare modernist architectural photographs.
  • In case you missed it…’Powerpuff Yourself’ is your new internet addiction.
  • A personalized font based on your voice?!
  • This library has a “tiebrary.”
  • Mashup of literature & music!! Playlist of songs mentioned in Haruki Murakami novels.
  • Love these miniature treehouse sculptures built around house plants.


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Raspberry Pi Display Shows Your Day at a Glance

info-1A Raspberry Pi display shows Tom Scott's family's schedules, the weather, and even counts down the time before the kids' school bus arrives.

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Thursday 14 April 2016

6th White House Science Fair Marks Last of the Obama Administration

26399392556_da95484abe_kSix years ago President Obama began the White House Science Fair to feature some of the best and brightest youth scientists.

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DiResta: Shop Bins

direstashopboxIn this episode of DiResta, Jimmy shares his latest organizational project in the form of stackable workshop bins.

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These Elegant Sculptures of Olympians Are Crafted From Paper

bicycleArtist Raya Sader Bujana creates paper sculptures of Olympic sports entirely by hand using the serial plane technique.

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20 DIY Rock Climbing Walls to Bring the Mountains Closer to Home

wallmainTo have a really well-rounded rock climbing training regime, you need to have something to climb, and somewhere close to home is best.

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No Punches Pulled in This Ridiculous Clinton vs Trump Showdown Game

Rockem Sockem like cardboard political boxing toyIf you've ever wondered how US politics look like to outsiders this "Rock'em Sock'em" Clinton vs. Trump board game gives an idea.

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Create a VR Bike Route with Raspberry Pi and a Stationary Bike

samsung_gear_vr_leftWhat do you do when you get a free Gear VR headset with your new phone? Make a bike route for your stationary bike!

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