By Bryan Voell
The Johnson County (KS) Library opened its first Makerspace in 2013. At that time it was the size of a (very) small room, but with the economy of size came loads of creative potential. The demand for our two 3D printers, green screen and software-loaded Macs was so great that it quickly became obvious that an expansion was in order. Fast forward to January, 2016, when, as part of a nearly year-long major renovation of our Central Resource Library, we unveiled the brand-new, six-times larger Black and Veatch MakerSpace. In addition to many new features, technologies and tools, our new MakerSpace boasts four dedicated MakerSpace staff: Meredith Nelson, Nick Ward-Bopp, Brian Oertel and Thomas Maillioux.
Meredith and Nick were kind enough to delve into their roles as MakerSpace Facilitators, as well as share some insights into what the new space has to offer.
Describe the decision-making process behind the JCL Makerspace expansion. What was the community response to the old Makerspace?
Meredith Nelson: The old MakerSpace was very well received and six months in I knew we were over-capacity. The renovation was just over the horizon and we knew there were aspects that needed to change. I worked with Project Coordinator Scott Sime and the architects to design a space that would allow for more functionality in the space. Just having more space was the biggest factor, but including a sound room/green screen space for filming was a priority. Many patrons had requested that service and we had been unable to really fulfill it. We also needed more space for programs and classes that used the equipment.
Tell us about the Black and Veatch grant. What was that process like? How much input did/does Black and Veatch have into the operations, services and features of the new Makerspace?
Meredith: Knowing that the Kauffman Foundation had laid some groundwork in granting us money for new equipment, Black and Veatch wanted to continue the effort in order to make the space run smoothly—to allow us programming money, equipment upkeep, and software licensing maintenance and upgrades—in order to keep the space spiffy. We aren’t obligated to use the money in any certain way, but we do maintain the naming and crediting to them for the full three years.
Nick Ward-Bopp: Black & Veatch gave us a very simple contract that allows the community access to new technologies and equipment and abolishes the barriers to entry into STEAM, the maker movement, and entrepreneurship in Johnson County.
Meredith: I would like to add that ‘abolishes’ is a very strong term. There will always be barriers to entry into these fields—money is not the only one. While the library strives to provide access to everyone, not everyone has the ability to make use of that access and those barriers aren’t always something we can cross. We do, however, offer an excellent opportunity to people who wish to be creative, to make, and to learn about how to use the tools to do those things. We’re also a good starting point to those who may know something, but don’t have the knowledge or the skills (yet) to approach other groups that can be of more help to them (other makerspaces, business incubators and assistance, etc.)
How does the new Makerspace support the mission of the Johnson County Library?
Nick: The MakerSpace literalizes (muhahah) and proliferates the libraries’ mission “to provide access to ideas, information, experiences and materials that support and enrich people’s lives” by arming patrons with the tools and equipment to turn their ideas into tangible projects.
Meredith: I would agree except I don’t approve of the fancy verbiage. Basically, the MakerSpace fits into the experiences part of our mission.
What new features are you most excited about?
Nick: All of them!! The combination of digital fabrication (3D printing, CNC, laser cutting) with the capabilities of A/V equipment (green screen, sound booth, high definition camera) allow people to legitimately launch prototypes and crowd funding campaigns out of the MakerSpace.
Meredith: I’m excited about the tools, but also the space. Previously, I couldn’t do a lot of programming with the equipment because I had only 2 computers to teach patrons on and if I wanted more people, I had to do the program somewhere else. This should allow us room to do stuff both on the fly as well as in a more workshop type of environment.
What kinds of workshops and hands-on learning activities will be offered?
Nick: To be honest, we are going to wait and see. We will be collecting data on what types of questions that patrons ask, what software they are looking for, what equipment, this information will directly inform what the needs are for programming.
Meredith: 3D printing will definitely need to be on this list. We get more requests for classes on that than any other single thing. I have a feeling that electronics and robotics will also start to become more popular now that we have equipment in full sight. As Nick said, we will be looking to patrons to guide us in what we offer them.
What advice do you have for other libraries wanting to either create or expand on their Makerspaces?
Nick: This is an area where we have been fielding a lot of questions. Nick has boiled it down six basic steps: 1) Track need and interest from the community, 2) Find an internal champion, 3) Make a plan – use the data you collected to articulate your goals, 4) Get funding, 5) Buy Equipment/Software, 6) Launch limited activities and usage.
Meredith: So…I started a makerspace 3 years ago and I’ve been consulting with other libraries for several years about starting makerspaces and maker programming. I did not do it the way Nick describes. I tell librarians to start with small programs and get people excited. From excitement and interest, the patrons will lead the way on what kinds of things they’re interested in. It’s all downhill from there. If you are successful, funding will be easy to get and justify. No one cares what people say on paper. They care about how many people show up. Stop talking endlessly about how and just start doing stuff.
Bryan Voell is currently the Local Arts Librarian for the Johnson County (KS) Library. He received his MLIS from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2007 and has worked for public, academic, and research libraries in various capacities since 1997. He is also a collage artist and you can see more of his art here.
from Library as Incubator Project http://ift.tt/21oeJ5K
via IFTTThttp://ift.tt/1OrLz4m
No comments:
Post a Comment