Info Tech in the School Library SLIS761: Makerspaces in the School Library

This week we read about Makerspaces and how they can be implemented in the school library. In addition to our readings, I liked the blog post from “Don’t Shush Me: Adventures of a 21st century High School Librarian” called “Low Tech Makerspace in the H.S. Library”. https://dontyoushushme.com/2021/11/16/low-tech-makerspace-in-the-h-s-library/

What I liked about the post is that the librarian details the transformation of the media center that she inherited. She goes through the steps it took to bring a traditional library space that was quiet and unwelcoming to vibrant and flexible. This included adding in elements of a makerspace over time. I enjoyed reading about her measured approach. She first realizes that the students need brain breaks and social time in the library. So instead of just buying a 3D printer and calling it a day, this librarian realized she needed firstly to welcome more students into the library with some collaborative games.I love the idea of having games accessible in the library, and have seen them used abundantly in the high school library in which I work. Chess in particular is having a real moment right now, and puzzles and big coloring pages always seem to draw in the kids.
When this librarian had a handle on her new space, she put out a survey of her new community. This idea came up as a common theme in this week’s readings and resources. A library, media center and makerspace should meet the needs of the community that it serves. Or as she states in her blog post, “This is why needs assessments are so critical, we don’t want to waste our time trying to get the library to provide resources and experiences that are already being provided elsewhere in the school community.” (2021) In their small study of librarians, Moorefield-Lang and Coker (2019, p.374) found that, “As with makerspaces in library settings, no two makerspaces in a school or department of library and information science were the same. Each faculty member had their own audience, technology, lens, and plan for implementation for their maker learning location. Common themes that emerged during the interviews were implementation, curriculum, and partnerships.”
This particular librarian’s survey results came back that students wanted low-tech tactile crafty maker projects, and she was able to get a sizable grant to have so many fun consumables and non-consumables to offer. We librarians don’t want to make the mistake of going all-in on technology-based maker products if the students already have a robotics lab and technology classes where they learn coding. On the flip side, the library could be a great place for students’ first dip into the technology-enhanced maker movement. We need data and observations to decide what is appropriate for our library space. “...libraries might not be the right fit for patrons desiring deeper, more specialized, or more expert engagement and that hand-offs to other organizations may be more appropriate at that stage.” (Fontichiaro, p. 52)
If you search for other posts with the “makerspace” tag, this blog has some great ideas for other low-tech projects for the high school library.
As a bonus resource, I also found the libguide called The Compassionate Maker. She is a high school librarian who has curated a ton of useful projects that utilize the maker movement for doing good deeds. I can see using a high school makerspace for student service learning projects, community service credit hours, National Honor Society work, and a way for the students to connect to the greater community.