Making Ends Meet: What Library Makerspaces Need to Succeed

Abstract

Makerspaces can be easy to start in academic libraries: just buy a 3D printer and you’re in business, right? But before you start collecting tools and technologies, what questions should you ask, and what possibilities should you consider to help your makerspace stay running beyond your first equipment failure? The creator of an academic library makerspace will share what he and his team have learned over the last 2 ½ years along with lessons drawn from interviews with other library makers. The TEC Lab at Miami University Middletown grew from placing a 3D printer on the circulation desk, then gathering craft materials and equipment into a corner of the library, and now inhabiting a dedicated makerspace room with a laser cutter and a growing array of user expectations. What inspires new additions to makerspaces, and how can you stay ahead of needs to add skills and teach new users? The presentation will include a discussion of budgets, programming options, and ways to sustain your makerspace. Attendees will gain a practical perspective of daily operations and the requirements for supporting a variety of making activities.