Dan Alexander (NEKLS), Heather Braum (NEKLS), and Erin Downey Howerton (Wichita Public Library) presented at the 2013 Kansas Library Conference in Topeka on maker culture.
Session description: Maker culture, maker spaces, and content creation are new movements in libraries -- or are they? People have always created, with the help of library resources. The maker movement in libraries goes much further than resources by providing space, tools, mentors, more resources, and even programming to help people make and create even more! Public libraries have been the main focus of maker spaces, but school and academic libraries can also participate! This session will provide a brief primer on the maker movement and its culture, showcase how libraries are developing maker programming and spaces in their libraries, explain why libraries should embrace this movement, and how you can do it -- with plenty of resources to help!
3. Do you offer these?
quilting
stencils
knitting
books
welding
howtos
car repair
manuals
cake pans
altered
books
knitting
clubs
card
creating
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4. Do you offer these?
lego clubs robotics
duct tape
classes
jewelry
repair
pottery
clothing
creation
gardening electricity
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5. Do you offer these?
music crafting
digital
creation
3D
printing
crazy
summer
projects
writing
clubs
game
design
computer
programm
ing
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9. How did we get to today’s movement?
DIY Culture for millennia
Craftsmanship -- master/apprentice
Learning through doing
Source: http://goo.gl/pWu0kd
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10. How did we get to today’s movement?
Mass production
Expensive products
Popular Mechanics & Farmers & Crafters
Source: http://goo.gl/2a06G1
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11. How did we get to today’s movement?
Cheap manufactured goods
DIY Dark Age (1970-2000)
Explosion of the Internet
Source: http://goo.gl/4Rbz6M
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12. How did we get to today’s movement?
Sustainability movement
People desperate to create, learn, socialize
Libraries’ role in past & present
Source: http://goo.gl/nSQJ6o
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35. Let’s Get a Partnership
extend the message
amp up the activities
connect to community resources
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36. But how can we fund it?
• Local STEM/STEAM money
• Not the traditional summer reading/
programming support
• Grants through professional
organizations
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45. Lessons Learned
Everyone loved writing stories & making new
friends
Things that weren’t easily available at home
were the big draw
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46. Lessons Learned
380% increase in program attendance over last
summer
Repeats requested & being delivered
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49. Info & Contact Us
• Presentation Information: www.nekls.org/?p=13765
• includes slides, link to list of resources, & more!
• Contact us
• Dan: dalexander@nekls.org
• Heather: hbraum@nekls.org / @hbraum
• Erin: erindowney@gmail.com / @hybridlib
Wednesday, October 9, 13