Fab Labsat the Library

Community 'Makerspaces'give access to cutting-edge tools.

BY NICOLE BELBINand PAT NEWCOMBEFrom Government Technology

There's something unusualin the parking lot of the AllenCounty Public Library in FortWayne, IN. Visit the 50-foot trail-er and you might be surprisedwith what you find: Varioustools for cutting and shapingwooden objects, an electron-ics work bench, an injectionmolding machine, and one ofthe most advanced gadgets forinventors, a 3-D printer.

Allen County is one of a hand-ful of public libraries that haveset up multipurpose workshopsfor patrons who want to shareand collaborate to create andbuild things. The terms used to

describe these spaces include"makerspaces," "fab labs" or"hackerspaces,"

Why does the Allen CountyPublic Library have a high-techlab for would-be designers,engineers, and inventors? "Thelibrary is in the learning busi-ness, not just the book busi-ness," said Director Jeff Krull,"Anytime libraries come acrossan opportunity for people tolearn and grow, they shoulddo it."

There are nearly 10,000 pub-lic libraries in the U.S., andpatrons increasingly rely onthem for access to technology.More than 90% of public librar-ies offer formal or informaltechnology training, accordingto a survey conducted by the

Nicole Belbin is head of access services, and Pat Newcombe is theassociate dean for library and information services, both at the WesternNew England University School of Law Library. Condensed, with permis-sion, from Government Technology, 25 (October 2012), 30-33 Thecomplete version of the article is available at www.govtech.com.

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American Library Association.Much of that training relates toinstruction for computer skills,general software applications,and Internet use.

Makerspaces cater to a par-ticular type of library patron: in-ventors, artists, entrepreneurs,crafters, and youth groups.The technology used in theseworkshops can revolutionizethe manufacturing process,allowing designs that can be

Makerspaces caterto inventors, artists,

entrepreneurs,crafters, andyouth groups.

modified to suit individuals inways not possible with massproduction.

Take the 3-D printer: It usesspools of coiled plastics—thesame materials used to makeLEGO blocks—that are strong,nontoxic, and available in manycolors. The printer creates anobject based on a digital de-sign by melting the plastic andextruding it to form the shapeof the object it is printing. Theobject may even have movableparts. These high-tech printersare available for $2,000.

Allen County collaboratedwith TekVenture, an educationalnonprofit specializing in maker-space technology. Working offa simple one-page agreement,TekVenture agreed to providethe trailer, along with the equip-ment and some free program-ming, and Allen County offeredfree parking.

The Fayetteville Free Librarynear Syracuse, NY, also has setup a special lab using similartechnology services for its pa-trons. It's the first public libraryto build and house the lab insidethe library, and it is run by staff,along with volunteers.

The Fayetteville lab grew outof a relationship the library haswith the School of InformationStudies at Syracuse University,according to the library's execu-tive director. Sue Considine. Shecompared the students at theSchool of Information Studies toa big incubator. "The studentshelp us to develop ideas andare forward thinking," Considinesaid. "This gives us a success-ful model—a team that knowspublic libraries must evolve anddevelop new services."

Unlike Allen County's ap-proach, where there were no u|>front costs, Fayetteville soughtgrant money to fund its lab.Starting with a $10,000 innova-tion grsuit it received in 2011 at

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Fab Labs at the Library

the Contact Summit, a socialtechnology event in New YorkCity, the library also raised ad-ditional money through Indie-gogo, a crowd-funding website."Donors are coming from allover the world," said Considine."Individual pledges have beenas high as $5,000." The libraryalso received a $20,000 NewYork state construction grant,which will be used to create apermanent space for the fab lab.

The two approaches involvedifferent levels of staff support.Allen County required little tono library staff involvement.Volunteers from TekVentureconduct training programs andmaintain the makerspace equip-ment. The open hours duringwhich people can wander inhave been popular. Other offer-ings include Maker Meetups,which are geared toward thetechnologically savvy. Like-minded people who share inthis collective approach, includ-ing communities of makers,inventors, and do-it-yourselfers,come together to support thismakerspace.

Volunteers are the lifebloodof makerspaces, because theyshare their expertise and skillswith novices. While Fayettevilleutilizes some stciff, it cilso hasengaged many volunteers todevelop and run lab programs.

"There is no pressure on staff tobecome experts in this technol-ogy; we have a core group ofexperts to help out," Considinesaid, adding that the libraryrelies on peer-to-peer trainingto assist lab patrons.

Staff members who are com-fortable with the technologyparticipate in the Borrow-a-Bot program, where a librarianworks with a patron for onehour to create an object. Fay-etteville has open houses thatattract up to 75 people.

"Money is not an essentialingredient for a successful mak-erspace. People are far more im-portant in this venture," Consi-dine said. "People who identifywith a space or project—notmoney—will help to sustainthese spaces and projects." Sherecommends working with staffmembers, explaining that theydo not have to become expertsto sustain the lab. "Staff attitudematters more than staff exper-tise," she said.

Krull believes that the labat the Allen County library hasworked out well, but for librar-ies looking to bring membersof the community into theirphysical space, the county'sapproach may not be the bestoption. "While the trailer islocated across the street fromthe library building, it is not

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drawing patrons inside," Krullsaid. He thinks it would be ad-vantageous to move the spaceinto one of the library buildings.Currently, with the relativelysmall size of the trailer, maker-space programs must be limitedto 12 users at a time.

Looking ahead, Considinewould like to offer the Fayette-ville fab lab to youth camps witha nominal fee for materials. Onprevious trips to the library,elementary schoolchildren haveshown interest in the possibil-ity of making missing game andLego pieces. She also plans toshowcase the wide variety ofpatron creations.

Krull's plans include exten-sive programming over the sum-mer—some free, some with amodest charge.

Both Krull and Considine feelthat creating access to emerg-ing technologies is completelyin line with the needs a publiclibrary serves.

Many libraries view theseprojects as test beds for othercommunities to embrace thefuture, according to Marcia War-ner, past president of the PublicLibrary Association, a divisionof the American Library Asso-ciation. "Libraries have alwaysbeen about books, information,and an educated citizenry," shesaid. "It seems like a natural

progression to move into anarea of facilitating informationand material creation."

The librarians offering accessto the first makerspace and fablabs agree about their impact."By providing access and oppor-tunity to experiences, librariesprovide a pathway for transfor-mation," Considine said. "Tech-nology is not the death of thepublic library today. It will, how-ever, change libraries as theyrethink their space and role."

Libraries, historically, retoolcontinually, cind the pace of evo-lution of the library promisesonly to move more quickly. •

"Entering the Spelling Beehas taken my textingto a whole new level."

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