Makerspaces: A Practical Guide for Librarians by John J. Burke

Author:John J. Burke
Language: eng
Format: azw3, pdf
Tags: Language Arts & Disciplines, Administration & Management, Library & Information Science
ISBN: 9781442229679
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Published: 2014-07-17T00:00:00+00:00

Figure 7.2. Sewing at the maker faire. Image provided through a CC BY 2.0 License by Jon Callas (joncallas), http://www.flickr.com/photos/joncallas/7230408600

There are many opportunities for upcycling unused or discarded fabric. Screen-printing or silk-screening fabric allows it to take on an image, words, or a complete design. Any making activity involving fabric requires that it be cut, often to precise dimensions to ensure a perfect outcome. Equipment such as laser cutters (which use a laser to burn through fabric) or vinyl cutters (which use a blade) can be programmed to cut exact patterns to ensure a consistent outcome. Fabric can be stuffed to make pillows, dolls, and a whole host of other possibilities beyond clothing. There are many plans and ideas for fabric at Instructables.com (http://instructables.com) if you search under the terms fabric, clothing, or another specific need.

Needlework

It would not be proper to talk of sewing in makerspaces without adding in needlework crafts such as knitting, crocheting, and quilting, which make use of yarn and thread to create items. Groups formed to work on these activities have met in some public libraries for many years. They may work on a large cooperative project, such as a quilt, in which each member contributes a square; they may also gather to encourage one another as they make individual projects. Now, these individuals can be makers that pass their crafts on to other patrons who are new to needlework. For some people, crocheting can be very exciting, as evidenced by the experience that the Michigan Makers had in teaching this skill in an elementary school (see the profile in chapter 5). There may also be opportunities to combine low-tech needlework with technology, such as placing LED lights that come on in sequence within a quilt that is hung in the library (Barone 2014).

Metal, Wood, and More

Working with more substantial media may not be for every library makerspace. Metal and wood tend to require more equipment and less mobile equipment than the prior media. As covered here, they may well be noisy and messy and require dedicated spaces. But some of these issues vary in severity depending on what you plan to do with metal, wood, vinyl, plastics, and other substances. Hand carving and assembly of wood with glue, hammer, and nail or wire sculpture projects completed with hand tools are not especially messy or loud. But welding a metal frame or using a CNC cutting machine or table saw to cut a piece of wood takes this to another level, in terms of the impact on others in the general area and on heightened needs for safety and training.

Notwithstanding these issues, there are some wonderful building and creating opportunities afforded by pursuing these crafts. Wood can be turned into everything from napkin holders to planter boxes (KevinB 2013). Metal strips can be cut and then engraved with logos, barcodes, or QR codes by a laser cutter (“Logo and Barcode” 2014). You can even cast metal objects using a mold that you design and cut out of cardboard using a laser cutter (Lucylollipop 2014).

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