In module 4, we discussed content creation and creativity and the short aside about makerspaces caught my attention as I had done some research on the topic in my co-op last summer. Then Deodato (2014) was assigned in module 5 and I thought about exploring the connection between participatory culture and makerspaces.
makerspace: a creative, DIY spaces where people can gather to create, invent, and learn. (See OEDB for more)
In light of continually evolving technology and the significant impact the Internet has and continues to have on communication and content creation, the dynamics of participatory culture have shifted dramatically. Traditionally, content creation and consumption followed a top-down model: experts created the content and disseminated it on terms they dictated, while users passively consumed the information provided. The current technological landscape governs a very much disrupted expert-learner dynamic which has led to a marked shift towards collaborative content creation and an increasingly level expert-learner power dynamic. In fact, experts are no longer experts in the traditional sense. Prescriptive teaching is only a part of a 21st century librarian’s role.
Service delivery in public libraries now invites patron interaction, creation, and feedback more actively than it did in libraries of pre-Internet era. One of the manifestations of this change has been the emergence of makerspaces. Makerspaces evolved from maker faires, which were meant to be places to learn new skills, show off the product, and share knowledge. Inaugurated in 2006, Maker Faire is an annual event that takes places in the San Francisco Bay area. Here is a short video about Maker Faire:
Public libraries have used maker faires as a model and developed makerspaces for their patrons. Although the concept of makerspaces in relation to public libraries is fairly new, only around since approximately 2011, libraries across the country have embraced the idea and have built some incredible spaces for their patrons. One of them is in Inisfil, Ontario: the Inisfil Public Library Hacker Lab, where patrons can use a 3D printer, a laser cutter, raspberry pis, and much more. Closer to home, the VPL’s much-anticipated Inspiration Lab is set to open in May. Touted as a creative space to foster learning and experimentation, the Inspiration Lab provides access to digital media like recording studios and editing workstations for video and sound, and digitization tools for the preservation of ideas. While most makerspaces have some costs associated with using the technology, VPL’s Inspiration Lab will be free. The VPL is not the first of the local library systems to venture into the makerspace realm: Richmond Public Library has a 3D printer available to patrons at Brighouse, the main branch.
Here is a 3D printer in action:
https://youtu.be/zF-0w2g7S9w
Participatory culture is changing both the way libraries provide service to their patrons and patrons’ expectations of libraries. The information exchange occurring in libraries now has realigned the power dynamic between librarian and patron, as well as the definition of which party is the creator and which is the consumer. Makerspaces will continue to challenge traditional roles in libraries, including those of the librarians and the patrons, while providing valuable learning and exploration opportunities for everyone involved.
References
Bagley, C.A. (2012, December 20). What is a makerspace? Creativity in the library. Retrieved from http://www.alatechsource.org/blog/2012/12/what-is-a-makerspace-creativity-in-the-library.html
Deodato, J. (2014). The patron as producer: Libraries, web 2.0, and participatory culture. Journal of Documentation, 70(5), 734-758. doi:10.1108/JD-10-2012-0127
Maker Media, Inc. (n.d.) Maker Faire, A bit of history. Retrieved from http://makerfaire.com/makerfairehistory/
The Editors. (2013, February 6). Manufacturing makerspaces. Retrieved from americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2013/02/06/manufacturing-makerspaces/