Makerspaces in the Library

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What makes a good makerspace? Well, that really depends on where and for who you are making the makerspace for? This has been a new but fast moving concept for libraries everywhere and now, maybe you need some help developing your own space. Kristin Fontichiario has some ideas on how to do these types of spaces. The makerspace, as she says, should serve the population it is for and that will very much differ depending on what kind of library you’re making it in: school, academic or public library.


Some questions you need to ask yourself when putting these spaces together are: What do the students or patrons need and what do they want? Will your space enhance their curriculum or not? Maybe have patrons of your library give ideas on what they need whether it be certain technology, media or physical space. You then want to make sure you have the right budget for these things and if you don’t, what is more important to have then not? You then want to give certain guidelines or policies that go with this space — things that patrons will have to follow in order to have these spaces and have the library spaces maintained.


In conclusion, these all are questions and steps to follow to make these spaces for everyone. Of course, there’s no official guide to incorporating makerspaces into libraries, so we as librarians will have to figure some things out on our own. This is also why we must make sure to do as much research as we can as to try and do the best we can. 


Hopefully, one day, we will succeed in this.


Works Cited

Fontichiaro, Kristin. “‘Help! My Principal Says I Need to Start a Makerspace in My 

Elementary Library!’” Teacher Librarian, vol. 44, no. 1, Oct. 2016, pp. 49–51. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lxh&AN=119117883&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

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