LIBRARY AS MAKERSPACE

Limor Fried, graduate of MIT started Adafruit Industries in downtown NYC. Adafruit is a great resource for electronic kits and supplies. In addition to Makershed , Adafruit is a resource for ideas, kits, badges of accomplishments. She's building a client/supporter base that is enviable. http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/225213 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=SpYMgScKRwk#at=46 Plus, she's a girl. With pink hair.

We had a session today with the popular MaKey MaKey kits: a conductor board, alligator clips and a USB cable. Using the kits, laptops, and online games and instruments, we explore the variety of ways we can create input and controls. Replacing the space key and the mouse click with bananas and asparagus spears linked by alligator clips and a grounding link, we discover the random aspects of linkage and replacement. Finding a way to make a joy stick with paper and heavy graphite lines on it makes it clear how things work... what else can we do with these fun tools?  Watch and wait for that to be revealed. Limitations include needing a laptop for each MaKey MaKey and the need for reliable Internet connectivity, though that was blessedly not compromised at this session. I think there were fewer folks in the building using mobile devices so our Wifi connections were unimpeded.

Making Change: Transformation and Creativity in Libraries, the MLS workshop in Worcester, MA was attended by the Administrative Staff of the Duxbury Free Library, June 13 2013.    We got a lot of information and inspiration from nationally recognized speakers and from staff of community organizations.   Rose Hickey, Carol Jankowski, David Murphy and Denise Garvin in front of an inflatable reading room.   Not pictured: Nancy Denman.

Gathering a group of thoughtful, engaged local Duxbury residents helped us push our "Library-as-Makerspace" ideas even further with a sense of community "buy-in." A lively discussion ensued, much of which is shared here: Links we showed include: Westport Library's 3D printer :  Innisfil Library's Digital Media Lab - the business edition Duxbury Free Library PHILS first electronics workshop Ideas:   3-D Printer Help with social media Building a web site Collaborating with the schools / different needs for different generations Gathering place Collaborate with service groups such as the Lion’s Club Fabrication lab w/ training and tinkering available Photography / dark room Place for projects to be worked on / mentoring avail. Setting for parents/children to go something together. Craft sale of handmade products / learn a business model. Opportunities to write / publish / Setting for parents/children to go something together. Use co...

Defying Gravity - taking the marble slide to a whole new level The PHILS continue to explore the physics of motion with cardboard, recycled materials, marbles and a challenge to make the marble slide at leas t 5 seconds long.... http://vimeo.com/68191469