5. What is a Maker?
Crafting
?
Tinkering
Tool Share DIY?
Digital Media Lab 3D Printing
DIY
6. Makers & Libraries
● Common ground
o creativity, resource-sharing, community outreach,
empowerment
● New model for libraries: content creation
● Supports a local community of creators
● Brings new faces in the library
● It’s fun.
38. Idea Sharing / Resources
Don’t forget to use the LIBRARY COMMINUITY
as a resource!
Listservs – INPublib, INChildProg
On Facebook – Storytime Underground, Indiana
Storytime Underground, Indiana Maker Spaces
40. ● Library Makers Google Group/email list
o Other librarians can often be the best resource
● MakerBridge
o U of Michigan site has blog posts, interviews, tool reviews, forums, & more
● Maker Faires and Mini Maker Faires
o Great way for libraries to get involved beyond the library scene
● YALSA’s Making in the Library Toolkit
o Great overview of concepts with examples
● New Jersey Library Association Maker Toolkit
● Makey Makey
o Projects, products, instructions
● The Maker Map
o Find a community of makers near you to possibly partner with and visit
● Mt. Elliott Makerspace: Getting Started
o How to List of budgeting, space and policy needs
Library Maker Resources
41. •“Old Fashioned Play Builds Serious Skills” – National Public Radio -
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=19212514
•School Library Journal – www.slj.com – Myriad of articles on maker spaces and programs; also Teen
Librarian Toolbox blog on SLJ page
+Coding and Starting from Scratch - http://www.slj.com/2015/05/technology/ready-to-learn-coding-here-
are-resources-plus-teaching-with-scratch-the-maker-issue/
•Robot Test Kitchen - www.robottestkitchen.com
•Discover Electronics - http://learn.sparklelabs.com/
•Snap Circuits – http://www.snapcircuits.net/learning_center
•Junior Maker Space - http://www.ala.org/alsc/junior-maker-space
Library Maker Resources
Short presentation followed by 1.5 hours of tinker time
Image Credit
Maker Faire - http://makerfaire.com/
More than you think!
Youth Librarians have been “makers” for years
Maker Definition:
A person or thing that makes or produces something. Could be making a product or an experience.
Learn through doing. Often STEAM related (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, & Math).
Often:
Hands on learning
Innovation driven
Tech infused
Leisure pursuits
Social
It’s more experiential than end-product related.
From Amy Koester’s presentation on Maker programming
+end programming fatigue – experience rather than pressure on end-product
+promotes lifelong learning
+facilitates community engagement
+exists as a 3rd space
Amy Koester (sounds like “Kester”?) – Youth & Family Program Coordinator @ Skokie Public Library
Blog: The Show Me Librarian
High Tech = larger investment; equipment necessary, experience helps
Medium Tech = smaller investment, but some equipment might be necessary; experience still helps but less skills required at start
Low Tech = little or no investment, few or no special materials needed—make it with what you have; don’t need much experience
3D printers! These can range up to $3000 and over, although cheaper ones are on the market now– definitely an investment!
Monroe County PL
Level Up is an all ages space that includes a video production studio with green screen, two audio production studios, and digital creativity workstations for design, coding, and editing. Level Up is a place for video and music production, graphic and web design, and coding and game creation.
Other libraries:
Indianapolis
Tippacanoe
Great low tech program…and popular
Talk about PFLD
The children’s services consultant offers LEGO kits for a 3 month check out. If interested in scheduling a kit, please reach out to Beth Yates
The Association for Library Service to Children worked with LEGO Systems, Inc. to bring Junior Maker Spaces to libraries across the country. The project focused on giving children ages 4 to 6 areas to make and create in their local libraries. Although the project has concluded, you may still use the resources below to support Junior Maker Spaces in your library using LEGO® bricks from your library's collection.
http://www.ala.org/alsc/junior-maker-space
Next, we’ll go over each item in a bit more detail…then you’ll get your hands dirty!
A makey makey is an electronic invention tool and toy that allows users to connect everyday objects to computer programs. Using a circuit board, alligator clips, and a USB cable, the toy uses closed loop electrical signals to send the computer either a keyboard stroke or mouse click signal. This function allows the makey makey to work with any computer program or webpage since all computer programs and webpages take keyboard and mouse click inputs.
Materials should be good conductors of electricity. You can use play-doh, most fruits and vegetables, water, graphite or foil to create your own interfaces.
Makey Makey is $49.95
http://www.makeymakey.com/howto.php
Show video
http://www.makeymakey.com/howto.php
Little Bits is a modular electronics, which snap together with small magnets for prototyping and learning. The company’s goal is to democratize hardware the way software and printing have been democratized. The complex technologies allow anyone to build, prototype, and invent.
Blue = Power
Pink = Input
Orange = Wire
Green = Output
The deluxe kit is $199, you can purchase additional pieces.
Sound =$84.95
Light = $84.95
Snap Circuits kits use electronic blocks that snap onto a clear plastic grid to build different circuits. These blocks have different colors and numbers on them so that someone can easily identify them.
Snap Circuits includes a detailed booklet with an assortment of projects from simple to intricate. It also contains a basic introduction to electricity—information that could easily be included into an introduction a maker program exploring circuits. You could describe to the kids what a current is and how its measured, what the power of electricity is, or wattage, and explain what a resistor does as well. Snap Circuits are also a great foundational program to explore circuitry that could then be applied to other programs. Like Discover Electronics...
+Just need batteries
+Manual is online so you can print pages needed
+Jumper wires are a fun way to use other objects to conduct – water vs. salt water, lead pencil
+Highlight your collection – bring out books on electronics, engineering, sound, light
We’ve brought 2 Snap Circuits kits today: a LIGHT one, and a SOUND one.
The LIGHT kit is especially fun if you can adjust your lighting in the program room.
We have 2 simple projects for you to try on the LIGHT kit: making a circuit to turn on LED light and one to control a color organ—basically a microphone that follows your voice with tone and loudness and thus in turn, effects the LED light – putting on a light show with one’s voice
The SOUND kit will have 2 projects – you can create a keyboard or an optical thermin.
To create circuits, the project diagram will show you numbers in black along each part. Number 1 is on the first layer, number 2 is on the second layer, etc. These numbers are small on the diagram.
Then of course each part has a number and color so you can easliy tell which part goes where.
Discover Electronics = $79.00
“Like the old Radio Shack spring circuits but updated with modern teaching styles!
Discover Electronics Kit contains the most common electronics components as well as a prototyping breadboard for you to get started right away. Easy full color diagrams teach you how to bring your own ideas to life. The Discover electronics kit uses standard components. All of these parts can be used by the beginner or the advanced user. As you grow and learn all of the parts in the kit are still useful in more advanced projects and can be expanded on by ordering additional parts from electronics suppliers.”
Myriwell 3D Printing Pen – CREO POP pens are new recommendation
3D pen with cool ink.
This is CreoPop Starter pack – 3 inks and pen for $130.
Dash! By himself (no Dot) = $150
Great for younger kids
Use apps to control (Wonder, Blockly)
Responds to voice, navigate objects, dance and sing
App controlled robots by the same company.
Sphero Ollie – around $70
Sphero Sprk – around $100
Sphero Ollie – around $70
App-enabled racing robot. (more than one would be better for this, or timed tracks). Can also do tricks.
Sphero Sprk – around $100
App enabled. Uses coding, or just drive
6 cubelet kit we have was around $160, plus the Bluetooth cube was another $60.
Robotic blocks, modular robotics
Lego WeDo – Core Set with Getting Started software - $160
Can introduce young kids to robotics and block coding
Easier than mindstorms
Hour of Code – Code.org Mini tutorials walk you or the kids through simple coding! The ones I did utilized a Scratch/Tickle puzzle-piece style of coding. GREAT because you are actually using code to play a game! I played the Star Wars game and it walked me through having BB8 collect scrap metal.
If coding with text seems too daunting at first, try Scratch, a visual drag-and-drop programming language from MIT’s Media Lab and Lifelong Kindergarten project. By assembling interlocking puzzle pieces of code, you can build animations, programs, and games that rival anything coded by hand.
Drag and drop programming in app form – controls Sphero, robots, arduino circuits
Drag and drop programming in app form – controls Sphero, robots, arduino circuits
Education company for online code learning – If you want to learn really-real coding, this is the place to go. You can select different courses, and can be walked through learning HTML and CSS. Can also learn basics of Javascript, a versatile programming language.
You can learn this yourself and teach it to your library patrons, or set it up for them to come in and go through the program. Just need an email address to sign up.
One of the biggest questions I’ve gotten in doing this training is, these robots are all great, but how do we use them in programs?
Buy many of one item…more than one patron can use at once….for example – Ollie races, synchronize
Or , one of a few different kinds (like we do here), would be great to have kids work together
For projects, we always tell applicants to avoid writing “wishlists,” and instead form projects that have a measurable impact on the participants. For example, if one library applied for a grant to "build a makerspace,” and another applied for a grant to “build a makerspace AND offer STEM programming in conjunction with a local Boys and Girls club,” the one with the planned programming would be more likely to get the grant. We want to see evidence the equipment will be used and that the community has a need for it.
Robot Test Kitchen is a group of librarians who blog about robots and electronics. Their page includes reviews of various devices (including Makey Makey, Sphero, and Squishy Circuits) as well as a blog about their experiences and programs they have done.
Collaboration with Instructables.com and the American Library Association. Great database of IDEAS! Can search if you have a search term/topic/activity in mind, or you can narrow your options by using the search limiters on the left side of the page (tools & space, age level, cost, time).
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Please note: We, Make It @ Your Library, receive all project content directly from Instructables and we review the content and concept of each project as a whole. While some projects may have minor flaws (typos, grammatical errors, language, etc.), we believe the overall content of these projects is of high quality. Please exercise good judgment, safety, and responsibility when selecting and creating any of the projects on this site. Not all projects can (or should) be created in every library and it is your responsibility to know what level of activity can reasonably be undertaken in your institution.”
Hagerstown Jefferson Public Library is a designated Maker Camp location; 6 week curriculumn (doesn’t necessarily correspond with Summer Reading but they make it work.) Applied to be a Campsite and were accepted; were sent a kit with some great supplies in it (around $300 value). They run their own programs but use the site/curriculumn for inspiration.
https://makercamp.com/
The project library has project videos archived and anyone can use them!
https://makercamp.com/
Lots of libraries are doing maker programs now, make sure you’re staying connected for help and ideas.