Jenny Wong-Welch
STEM Librarian
San Diego State University
Keven Jeffery
Digital Technologies Librarian
San Diego State University
Jean Ferguson
Learning and Research Communities Librarian
University of California, Berkeley
Owen McGrath
Associate Director, Teaching and Learning Spaces and Operations
University of California, Berkeley
The ROI of Sustaining an Academic Library Makerspace (Wong-Welch, Jeffery)
Most interest in library makerspaces has focused on the implementation stage of such spaces by highlighting the aspects of funding and space setup. With its makerspace entering its fourth year of existence, the San Diego State University Library has turned to investigating the return on investment, and sustainability, of its program. This presentation will address how to leverage data and lessons learned to demonstrate the opportunities afforded by a library makerspace that are directly beneficial for students, librarians, and the library. It will highlight the various ways a makerspace community impacts student success with regard to academics, social relationships, and career-readiness. It will define how the makerspace has helped evolve the liaison relationship to a more meaningful connection between librarians and students. Finally, it will share how the makerspace has transformed the context of the library for many, doing so in a sustainable manner that can be maintained with only nominal support.
Makerspace Creation through Student-led Collaboration (Ferguson, McGrath)
In response to the rise of arts and design curricula on campus, four organizations at the University of California, Berkeley joined forces to create a makerspace program. Educational Technology Services, the University Library, and Student Affairs Information Technology partnered with b.makerspace, a collective of design-oriented student clubs, to form an experimental, student-led, discovery lab. Our niche, in the ecosystem of campus makerspaces, is as a point of entry for students interested in learning the basics of 3D printing, virtual reality, basic electronics, and an evolving set of design methods and technologies. The result has been a successful cooperative with staff creating an operational structure to support student creativity and innovation.