Many aspects of the best makerspaces already exist in school and community libraries:
- Librarians and LMS’s are experts in finding resources and connecting them with kids and teachers who need them.
- Libraries are community spaces that offer learning outside classroom structures and time limitations
- Libraries model cross-grade, cross-curricular experiences
- Libraries often incorporate student-led and mentoring experiences
Libraries are about making meaning and making sense of the world, which is the most important aspect of making in an educational context. Librarians are guides to these experiences, not the owner of the experience.
All these are perfect for schools and community libraries who are looking to incorporate making and tinkering into their curriculum.
Resources
- May 2015 issue of School Library Journal “The Maker Issue” – many of the articles are online.
- A Librarian’s Guide to Makerspaces: 16 Resources – Resources and sites about makerspaces in public and school libraries.
- Institute of Museum and Library Services “Talking Points” PDFs
- Progress in the Making: 3D Printing Policy Considerations through the Library Lens from the American Library Association