Who We Have Been Talking to Lately About Forming a New Library Makerspaces Collective
If you have been following us lately you know that we have been ramping up our project and spreading the word to encourage folks to connect with us and participate in the network. While we are only now in the process of recruiting our Charter Member Libraries who will help shape the structure of the Collective (we will announce those before the end of December) we also have found lots of people who simply want to be involved in this new network in many different ways. We have engaged in several online meetings and conferences, including these recent ones - perhaps we met you there!
Capitol Hill Maker Faire Maker Showcase
Drop in and see us on December 7 at our Capitol Hill Maker Faire booth!
Nation of Makers, along with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Congressional Maker Caucus, will host the 6th Annual 2021 Capitol Hill Maker Faire on Monday and Tuesday, Dec 6th and 7th. This year, due to Capitol restrictions, the Faire will again be held virtually on the Zoom and Gather platforms. This dynamic event will continue to celebrate trends and drivers of the popular Maker Movement. We are pleased to be part of the December 7 Maker Showcase. This year’s theme, “Building a Better World: Resiliency through Making”, will explore the opportunity that the diverse U.S. and global maker movements provide for resiliency -- in education, workforce, economics, and community. We know that our libraries play an important in growing resilience - from public libraries to libraries in schools and academic institutions. We will share our work with the Makers in the Library Toolkit and The New Face of Library Makerspaces project at this event. Online registration is free for the Dec. 6 panel discussion day and/or the Dec. 7 Maker Showcase.
STEMIE Fest Conference
STEMIE is an organization dedicated to inclusive design and practice for STEM education for early childhood. We were delighted to be invited to participate in their virtual conference “STEMIE Fest” which included a virtual booth and live online small group conversations with attendees who include researchers and program directors in the field of STEM education for young children with disabilities. With our background in both makerspaces and early childhood programming, it was a delight to discuss how libraries are an important part of the informal learning landscape and share how library maker programs for children and families need to be designed for accessibility and equity.
Association of Rural and Small Libraries Conference
We attended ARSL’s 2021 conference virtually (it was a hybrid event), and organized two virtual meetup sessions on the conference platform Whova to share the details about The New Face of Library Makerspaces. Participants from across the country shared details about their maker programs, and we talked about our partnership with ARSL and commitment to ensuring that rural and small libraries have key leadership opportunities within this initiative. It was a delight to converse with librarians from all over the country and hear what kind of maker programs they are offering, how they have adjusted programs during the pandemic, and how a Collective may support their work in the future.
Nation of Makers Library AMA Session
Every other month the Libraries Working Group at Nation of Makers hosts an ‘Ask Me Anything’ session. We were pleased to participate and share the news of The New Face of Library Makerspaces and answer questions about how the project will unfold. Since Nation of Makers is a project partner, we will continue to collaborate with the Libraries Working Group to help shape and deliver resources and programs via their established network as well as help it grow. Want to learn more about these sessions? Check out the Library Working Group webpage and request to join their Slack Channel.
Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums
We had the pleasure of connecting with Susan Feller, President of the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries and Museums. We wanted to talk with her and find out how best to include tribal libraries in the Collective, whether as a Charter Member, ambassadors, or advisors. We shared our perspective on developing the maker program from the community to support, celebrate and grow local knowledge, skills and traditions. We plan to continue working with ATALM as we build and grow the Collective, and find many ways to engage tribal libraries in the network.
YouMedia’s Community of Practice has been an inspiration to us for many years. They have developed a supportive network to share ideas and resources among libraries and museums who offer creative and connected spaces for youth to hang out, mess around, and geek out. We were delighted to participate in a recent Community of Practice Hangout to share details about The New Face of Library Makerspaces project. It was a starter conversation, but we hope to explore ways our two initiatives might work harmoniously together. It is exciting to think about forming even more connections between organizations and people who support creative community based science education in libraries and other informal learning environments.
