A Brief History of Makerspaces in Libraries

In my day job, I recently worked on a book about makerspaces. A makerspace, as defined by Wikipedia, "is a community-operated workshop where people with common interests, often in computers, technology, science, digital art or electronic art, can meet, socialize and/or collaborate." Projects that have also been connected to makerspaces include crafts, such as jewelry making, knitting and crocheting, making terrariums, and more.

Testing a generator at the H.Y.P.E. Makerspace at the Detroit Public Library.
Photo via www.anythinklibraries.org

Although makerspaces have been making much news as of late, they are not a new phenomena. Makerspaces have existed in some way, shape, or form for centuries. However, the public library has been integral to the makerspace movement from very early on. According to the book I worked on, one of the first makerspaces in the United States (if not the first makerspace in the U.S.) was in a public library. The book made reference to a February 2013 article in American Libraries magazine titled "Manufacturing Makerspaces." The article featured a timeline of "A History of Making" in libraries, which you can see below.

A History of Making

1873
Gowanda, New York
The Gowanda Ladies Social Society formed to quilt, knit, sew, socialize, and talk about books. In 1877, it became the Ladies Library Association, receiving a state library charter in 1990 as the Gowanda Free Library.

1905
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Frances Jenkins Olcott, children's department head, helped to establish home libraries in working-class houses, where she organized crafts such as sewing or basketry for local kids.

1933
Manitoba (Canada) Crafts Museum and Library
Created as a meeting place and resource connecting people to crafts, the Manitoba Crafts Museum and Library in Winnipeg is dedicated to preserving the province's cultural heritage and teaching students how to craft.

1960
Nebraska Library Commission
Funded in FY1960 by the Library Services Act of 1956, the Nebraska Library Commission (then known as the Nebraska Public Library Commission) in Lincoln hosted a variety of special activities, including creative arts, that were organized by area groups.

1976
The Tool Library
The Rebuilding Together Central Ohio Tool Library was created by Columbus as the tool-gathering library with a federal community development block grant. In March 2009, Rebuilding Together Central Ohio took over operation of the library.

1979
Merrimack (New Hampshire) Public Library
The newly renovated and expanded Merrimack Public Library opened with a children's craft room.

2011
Fayetteville (New York) Free Library Makerspace
The first 21st-century makerspace opened in Fayetteville Free Library. It was the first of its kind in a public library and includes a 3-D printer that works in a mobile capacity.

Since 2011, makerspaces have been incorporated at a steady pace in public libraries across the country, such as at the Westport Library in Connecticut (2012); the Detroit Public Library in Michigan (2012); the Piscataway Public Library in New Jersey (2013); the Chicago Public Library in Illinois (2013); and the Cleveland Public Library in Ohio (2014). As the maker movement continues to gather steam, it is certain that even more public libraries will open their doors to those eager to create with their hands.

In addition to offering "A History of Making" in libraries, the American Libraries article "Manufacturing Makerspaces" also highlights "Three Makerspace Models That Work," "Cool Stuff to Outfit Your Makerspace," and more. You can read the article at THIS LINK. For a list of resources on makerspaces in libraries, go HERE.

Were You This Psyched to Get Your First Library Card?

 Image from Chicago Public Library's Facebook page.

Chicago Public Libraries to Be Open All Day on Monday

Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel continues to backpedal on his decision to close the city's public libraries on Mondays. The controversial cost-cutting measure, which was announced in January, was immediately met with criticism not only from librarians, but also from library-goers. "I am convinced that shuttering public libraries on Monday is a disastrous decision that should be reconsidered," said teacher Jay C. Rehak in a January 9 letter to the Chicago Sun Times. "If Chicago is to remain a world-class city, it must maintain a world-class library system."

Emanuel reverses his earlier decision to close public libraries on Monday.
Image source: http://chicagopubliclibrary.tumblr.com/

In reaction to the swift public backlash, Emanuel stated in early February that Chicago Public Library branches will stay open on Mondays, but they will NOT be open all day - just from 2 to 6 PM in order to be accessible to kids when schools let out. "By opening branch libraries on Monday afternoons, we are providing students with a comfortable, safe place to study after school," Emanuel told the media. "As mayor, I've put children and education first and I will continue to ensure libraries are available to students after school." 

Now the Chicago mayor is saying that public libraries will be open all day on Mondays to best serve all members of the community, including caretakers of young children who like to go to storytime earlier in the day. Although Emanuel's complete reversal of his decision to close libraries on Mondays does benefit the library-going public, there is a catch: the city will hire "more than 100 workers to replace librarians," according to the Chicago Tribune. Replacing librarians with "lower-wage library pages [will] allow the city to offer a full day of service on Monday without additional cost, said Rahm Emanuel and Library Commissioner Brian Bannon on July 16, reported the Tribune.

The Chicago Public Library is far from alone in its push to replace librarians with non-librarians to save money. Still, this hiring trend among libraries is distressing to my library school classmates. But there is a hint of a silver lining for MLIS-degreed job seekers who would like to work at public libraries in Chicago. According to a July 16 press release from the Chicago Public Library, there is a "demand for a teen librarian position," which "will be focused on assisting teen patrons with learning the latest in YA literature, technology and interest-based learning. These new librarians will be hired over the next two years, the goal being to have one in each of the 79 Chicago Public Library locations."

Chicago Public Libraries Reopen on Mondays

After a ferocious public outcry that must have caught him off guard, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel reversed his earlier cost-cutting decision to close city libraries on Mondays.

Patrons of Chicago public libraries will no longer be left out in the cold on Mondays.

image source: http://media.travissaul.com

Public libraries will not be open all day on Mondays, however. They will only be open in the afternoons during the academic year, making them available as places of after-school study for students. "As Mayor," said Emanuel, "I've put children and education first and I will continue to ensure libraries are available to students after school."

Last month, Emanuel made the controversial move to close branches of the Chicago Public Library on Mondays. As this decision went into effect, both library goers and library workers boldly expressed their opposition to it. It seems the mayor has heeded the cry of his constituents.

NBC Chicago * February 3, 2012

Libraries to Reopen on Mondays

By Edward McClelland

Less than two weeks after allocating $2 million in resources to open libraries six days a week, Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced today that branch locations of the Chicago Public Library will be open from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays during the Chicago Public Schools school year. Mondays were already scheduled to be open for eight hours when CPS is not in session during the spring and summer.

“By opening branch libraries on Monday afternoons, we are providing students with a comfortable, safe place to study after school, while also making resources available to other patrons six days a week,” said Mayor Emanuel. “As Mayor, I’ve put children and education first and I will continue to ensure libraries are available to students after school.”

The more than $2 million allocated to open the libraries is a combination of savings and shifted resources, and will allow 90 positions to be placed in CPL branches. This includes shifting 25 library staff from Harold Washington Library to branches; reducing maintenance costs and services at the central location; leaving unfilled positions vacant; and reducing tuition reimbursement allotments.

The Harold Washington Library Center (400 S. State Street), Sulzer Regional Library (4455 N. Lincoln), and Woodson Regional Library (9525 S. Halsted), remain open seven days a week.

Branch libraries will be open Monday, February 6 and Monday, February 27, however all Chicago Public

'Feisty' Librarians Raise Voices Over Lost Jobs, Hours

Chicago residents aren't the only ones angered by the decision, made earlier this month, to close city libraries on Mondays. The librarians themselves are up in arms over the closures...and the elimination of nearly 200 library jobs. This week, they took to the streets of Chicago to protest.

After the librarians raised their voices in protest, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel relented on some of his earlier cost-cutting decisions. He agreed to reinstate nearly half of the 176 library workers who were laid off. And he appears to be softening his stance on keeping city libraries closed on Mondays. See the CBS Chicago story below for more details.

Above image source: http://golibrarians.wordpress.com

CBS Chicago * January 23, 2012

Has Emanuel Met His Match in Chicago Librarians?

Chicago library staff protest city budget cuts on Monday.

photo: cbs

CHICAGO (CBS) — They might be the most unlikely of groups to say “No” to the mayor and get away with it: Chicago’s librarians.

Mayor Emanuel has backed off on a cost-cutting move to close libraries on Mondays, despite the library union’s refusal to make concessions.

CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine explains.

They’re a feisty bunch, these librarians, who held protests Monday to demand the Emanuel administration reinstate full hours on Mondays.

Monday morning, Veronica Bonilla found the doors to her neighborhood library locked. She left, disappointed.

“I used to bring the kids to the story time in the morning and they like it, so it’s going to be sad,” she said.

Earlier this month, the mayor ordered the libraries closed on Mondays, after the union refused to agree to work two half-days instead of one full day.

Now, he’s relented, finding the money to do exactly what they want: rehiring nearly half the 176 employees who had been laid off.

Still not enough, they say.

“He has taken those steps. He seems to be realizing the importance of the libraries to the neighborhoods, and we’d like him to work with us to come the rest of the way,” says Anders Lindall, spokesman for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Council 31.

The mayor says he will not restore all the cuts in library hours and jobs.

“They tried to make the libraries a bargaining chip for undoing the responsibility we had to bringing reforms to the rest of the budget,” Emanuel said. “And I’m not going to undo all the savings we achieved there and somehow try to hold the libraries hostage.”

But so far, the librarians have succeeded in restoring most of the proposed cuts, probably because of the negative perceptions held by moms who bring toddlers to story time, students who use libraries after school and the unemployed who need computers to look for work.

Chicago Public Library's Monday Closures Spark Ire

Starting this week, most branches of the Chicago Public Library will be closed on Mondays due to budget cuts. (Two regional libraries, the Sulzer branch in Lincoln Square and the Woodson branch in Washington Heights, will continue to operate seven days a week, according to NBC Chicago.) With the Monday closures, the libraries are now open only Tuesday through Saturday.

A young patron at a branch of the Chicago Public Library.

image source: http://www.impatientoptimists.org

Many city residents are not happy about this, including public school teacher Jay C. Rehak, who wrote a Letter to the Editor of the Chicago Sun Times about it. "I am convinced that shuttering public libraries on Mondays is a disastrous decision that should be reconsidered," Rehak said in his letter. "If Chicago is to remain a world-class city, it must maintain a world-class library system."

I feel that Rehak makes other excellent points in his letter, such as "Chicago school students need as much time and as many safe places as possible to study and learn." For many students - and not just in Chicago - the public library is the only safe place where they can study and learn. Taking that away from them, even for one day (which also happens to be a school day), could have deleterious effects on their education and overall quality of life. If children are our future, as many people are fond of saying, we should do more - not less - to ensure their success.

See Jay C. Rehak's letter to the Chicago Sun Times below.

Ps. In reaction to the budget cuts, a Facebook page was started to Save Chicago Public Libraries and Librarian Jobs.

Chicago Sun Times * January 9, 2012

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Kids Need Libraries on Monday

As a Chicago Public School teacher for the past 22 years, I am convinced that shuttering public libraries on Mondays is a disastrous decision that should be reconsidered. Chicago school students need as much time and as many safe places as possible to study and learn. What the mayor and other cost-cutters may not understand is that we have over 10,000 homeless students in Chicago Public Schools. We have many more thousands of students who have places to live but do not have access to computers and a wide range of books beyond the classroom. Public Libraries serve as a first line of defense in a democracy. Rather than limiting library hours, Chicago should be looking to expand them.

TIF money could be used to fund the libraries remaining open on Mondays. After all, TIF districts literally take money from libraries, parks and schools and reallocate the money to a separate fund controlled by the mayor. Additionally, the notion that the librarians’ union is holding up a deal is an insult to those hard-working men and women. The union has consistently argued that the library hours should not be cut. Yes, this is due in part to the fact that the union doesn’t want to see people laid off, but also because it doesn’t want to agree to unnecessary service cuts. The union is advocating for the citizens of Chicago.

If Chicago is to remain a world-class city, it must maintain a world-class library system.

Jay C. Rehak, Lincoln Square

No Shushing in Libraries' High-Tech Areas for Teens

For teenagers, it's not cool to say that you're going to hang out at the library. Many public libraries are working hard to change their "unhip" status by adding high-tech areas to attract young patrons. The addition of these areas counteracts that long-held notion that the library is strictly a place for silent study.

More public libraries are toning

down the shushing and turning

up the volume to attract youths.

photo source: visualphotos.com

The Chicago Public Library implemented a YOUMedia lab stocked with video games and recording equipment that attracts nearly a hundred teenagers every day. Other libraries, both in the United States and the United Kingdom, are following suit. See the Huffington Post article below for more on how today's public libraries are toning down the shushing and turning up the volume to attract young patrons.

Huffington Post * November 29, 2011

Public Libraries Turn Up the Volume (Literally)

By Lucas Kavner

As public libraries continue their quest to stay relevant in the wake of cuts to their funding and decreased popularity, some are greatly altering their set-ups and making moves to appeal to a younger crowd.

A makeover at the Chicago Public Library has turned one room into a teen-heaven, stacking the "YOUMedia" lab on the ground floor with video game systems, recording equipment, snacks and beanbag chairs. According to an article in Connecticut's "The Day," this lab, which has been open since 2009, draws up to a hundred teenagers daily. They come to record podcasts, shoot videos and hang around after school.

Though all libraries still contain cordoned-off quiet areas for study and reading, many city public libraries are dialing back on the whole "Silence Is Golden" conceit they've long been known for. Twelve other libraries across the country have plans to open similar "high-tech" areas for teens in 2012, according to the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and others already feature coffee bars, CD listening stations, screening rooms, and other kinds of play centers.

In the UK, they've been cranking up the volume even more. The award-winning Get It Loud In Libraries program has been active since 2005, aiming to showcase up-and-coming bands in libraries across Lancashire. Their mission: to allow "kids from 5 to 65 to check out bands at close quarters in a book clad feelgood venue before they hit the proverbial big time."

Some of these changes have drawn criticisms from library purists. Writing for the City Room blog in the New York Times in April of last year, Sung J. Woo lamented the days of studying and reading in silence. The communal desks have now been "transformed," Woo wrote, "into an open forum for children and adults to chat away as if they were hanging out at Starbucks."

Susan Hildreth, director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, helped fund the YOUMedia room in Chicago and believes that changes like these help kids engage with their environments. She says that library users can likely expect more personal and digital interaction in the years to come.

"Kids are very productive in these rooms," she said.