makerspaces

Libraries are community hubs, a place for gathering as much as they are a space for housing books. In just the past couple of years it seems the idea of libraries being home to spaces set aside specifically for creating is catching on and speedily spreading. It is the development of the "makerspace". Whether it be craftsmen/women of similar artistic endeavors, children armed with their Legos and imaginations or tech enthusiasts engineering their latest projects- these groups have a space to gather and utilize to create.

Sometimes the spaces are called labs and contain equipment and tools otherwise unavailable to patrons, but often they are rooms dedicated to hosting a writing group or knitting circle. The important aspects of a makerspace in the library is that it is a place of creativity and collaboration. Check your local library's newsletter or website and see if they are part of the trend toward makerspaces. Also, this post on The Unquiet Librarian blog has links to much more information about makerspaces and their creation and some generally fantastic ideas about how they tie into participatory learning.

Image: danwoog via google