From a talk given at the Libraries Taskforce Makerspaces event at the Canada Water Culture Space on the 31st May 2017.

1. A Collaborative Guide to
Library Makerspaces
Lessons from Artefacto & the Makercart Project

2. First, a bit about us
We're a creative technology company specialising in
learning & making for the libraries, museums, archives
and galleries sectors.
Building things
Websites
Collection platforms
Community tools
Making things
Makercart
LibraryWall installations
Teaching things
Staff training
Workshops
Online courses
Advice & support

3. Events & Activities
Involving Making in Libraries
CILIP Conference 2016
SCL Code Green Cracking the Code
-London and Manchester 2016
ASCEL Conference 2016
Fun Palaces 2015 (Minet Library) & 2016 (Hillingdon
Library)
Making Library Makers Training 2015 & 2016
City University Staff Training Day 2016
Surrey Library Service Staff Conference 2016
DiDIY-Westminster University Library Workshops 2016
Redbridge Library - Creative Coding- Tech Week 2016
Deptford Library Staff Training Day 2017

4. Makerspaces in the library?
★ Digital citizenship
★ Knowledge Sharing
★ Creative Learning
★ Social/community engagement
Embedding digital literacy rather than digital skills training

5. Surrey Libraries
From Code Clubs - Digital Friday
to Guildford Makerspace
Makercart
Minecraft Mondays
IamtheCODE clubs
Women's Digital Club
(and a long term vision)
www.guildfordmakerspace.org.uk iteration, community involvement and
sustainability

6. Redbridge Libraries
Working with local businesses, artists and makers
★ Hub Central & Lab Central
Kent Libraries
Working with children from less advantaged
backgrounds
★ Digital Playgrounds
Oxford Libraries
★ New Library in Oxford

7. What type of
Makerspace are you
creating?
(Who are you trying to reach?)

8. Start small and
iterate
* Everything is a draft

9. Iterative approach
● To build & measure
different activities
● To seek community
input and make
user-driven decisions
● To help staff skill-up and
join in
Aim: Continually improve!

10. Be flexible -
have a plan but
be prepare to
work with what
you have
Finding and connecting with future
partners

11. Raspberry Jams
Coventry Library Minecraft
Leamington Spa Library
See the latest issue of MagPI

12. Repair cafes
Hackney Libraries working with The Restart Project
(Hackney Fixers Restart Party)

13. Build
sustainability into
your makerspace
plans

14. User-driven
Are you building what your
users want?
The technology plays a supportive role

15. Staff training
Train staff to be confident in working with new
technologies and to facilitate maker sessions
(troubleshooting & debugging)
Not everyone has to be a digital maker expert!
He loved soccer, but feared he had no way to
talk to a coach or teammates.

16. Community
partnerships
Working with Schools
Local business support
Employable skills
Artists & authors
● Creative learning spaces for
people of all ages and
backgrounds

17. Support Networks
Sharing knowledge amongst
ourselves
(and not reinventing the wheel)

18. In summary
While there’s not a single recipe, here are
some of the things that have worked well for
different libraries
➔ Start small and grow
➔ Partnerships
Forming strong partnerships with local
organisations, including Schools (and
folks like us)
➔ Building local skills
Training staff up!
➔ Iterate, learn, iterate again

19. Carlos
carlos@artefacto.org.uk
@Carlitosi71
Thank you
Kate
kate@artefacto.org.uk
@katelomax
★ www.artefacto.org.uk
★ www.makinglibrarymakers.com
★ www.librarymakers.net