Focus Group Shares Ideas and Suggestions with Library Staff

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:

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 computers for instructions... step-by-step processes
Hobbies... opportunity for feedback
Provide subscriptions to expensive resources... journals, etc.
Sharing resources: tools, equipment
Getting the word out about what we have
Publicity issues
Taking things apart
Small engine repair
Women-centered training in mechanics
Sewing for all ages - hand & machine
Wood - turning
Be a portal to larger institutions and databases

Things to Lend:

Digital projector
Ipads
Artwork / posters
Table & chairs for parties, events
Podiums
Audio equipment
Guitar / musical instruments
Tech stuff: Raspberry Pi, Arduino, Makey-Makey
Conservation & conversion equipment
Sewing machines
Watt’s up? Tells you how much juice your computer is taking

Comments

3D Printing Signs for the Library Collection

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When Makerspace Projects Come to Fruition

I love stories of patrons or staff who use our equipment to make something truly creative and original. We had two of those instances this week: Our first comes from our talented staff member, Karen, who runs a monthly knitting night at the library. She draws a big crowd as individuals work on solo projects, share their skills and troubleshoot with each other. These knitting nights have brought out some spinners and loom enthusiasts that have shared their talent as well. Using these new skills, Karen made her own sweater. It doesn't stop there though. Over the past year we have increased our collection of unusual items for circulation to include a polymer clay kit which Karen used to make her own designer button for her creation. I told her she could have her own couture business! Read more about this and other projects on her knitting blog. The second project came from a pair of siblings who won 1st place in the Pembroke Science Fair with the 3D printing help...

Cozmo has a new brother, VECTOR!

If Amazon Alexa and Cozmo got together and had a kid it would be Vector , the latest from the Anki company. You can ask Vector "Alexa" questions like "what's the weather?" plus he he has all the charm of Cozmo. He can recognize your face, he has better motion sensors (so he doesn't fall off the table like Cozmo tends to do), and he knows when to go back to his space to recharge. He's more like your personal assistant than a robot child who always wants to play games with you and WIN. He has a timer, built in camera (you can ask him to take a picture), and can play Blackjack with you. He also syncs with Alexa so you can add items to a shopping list, set reminders, control household devices, and more. He will even come when called! I love their website. They joke around about the "robot evil overloads" because once you see it, you know we're all thinking it. Good thing he's still tiny.

LIBRARY AS MAKERSPACE

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