Shop class and art class were two of my favorite hours of the school day, and a new trend toward 鈥渓ab鈥� spaces in public libraries aims to satisfy students
with a similar urge to create things. Called , these standalone rooms or pods house tools for creative exploration, from animation software to bookbinding supplies to all manner of power tools. Electronics, computer programming, and digital and online content creation play a prominent role as well. In fact, the name Makerspace nods to the trend鈥檚 origins in the Maker movement, a vast community of designers, builders, and tinkerers experimenting at the intersection of technology and craft.
The Maker movement is already heavily involved with the technological and entrepreneurial sides of K-12. For example, the for the 2012 iteration of (May 19-20), the annual Maker festival in San Mateo, Calif., is packed with ed-tech start-ups. A pavilion called offered teacher workshops on developing Maker Clubs and Makerspaces in schools.
As students increasingly learn with and about digital tools, can we expect them to transition from consumers to creators? Evidence from wide-ranging sources suggests they already are. A panel called , part of last week鈥檚 Digital Shift sponsored by
Library Journal, discussed how public libraries might encourage digital media creativity among young patrons. Diette Courr茅g茅 of edweek.org鈥檚 own Rural Education blog recently posted on . An editorial in , the original publishing outlet for the Maker movement, even unofficially to today鈥檚 student Makers. And stories on elementary-age coders have been popping up everywhere from Digital Directions to .
A number of public librarians have floated the idea of collections鈥攅ven entire libraries鈥攑opulated by community-generated works. A school library collection consisting entirely of student produced work could prompt important conversations about books and their meaning, informed by students鈥� newfound sense of ownership as published authors.
Makerspaces offer an almost unending range of opportunities for learning, whether through after-school programs, field trips, collaborative projects linking classrooms and libraries, or a way for students to pursue creative interests and develop practical skills. It will be interesting to see what role the Maker movement continues to play in the many changes public and school libraries face鈥攁nd embrace.