Thursday, January 8, 2015

Makerspaces: A Practical Guide for Librarians (book)

Burke, John J. (2014). Makerspaces: A Practical Guide for Librarians. Boulder, CO: Rowman &Littlefield. 978-1-4422-2967-9.

*This book appears to be about makerspaces for upper elementary children, 'tweens, teens, and adults.

A “makerspace” is an area in a library where users can use tools and equipment to design, build, and create all sorts of different things. It may be a dedicated room or a multipurpose space in which a collection of raw materials and resources can be utilized as desired. Projects range from prototyping product designs with 3D printers, to programming robots, to creating art out of recycled items.

This practical guide will help librarians

  • develop, budget for, and implement makerspaces;
  • write grant proposals for funding;
  • and understand the mindset behind the maker movement in order to meet patron needs.

Makerspaces: A Practical Guide for Librarians also includes useful case studies, descriptions of equipment and new technologies, and models for planning and assessing projects.


(book description)