Makerspace Inventory Reflection

The kind of makerspace that comes from the combined imaginations of a school, academic, and public librarian is both fun and flexible. While my groupmates and I all agreed that new technology is super cool and useful, we wanted our space to reflect more hands-on making with technology as a bonus. We also felt that our space would be most used and useful if it was mobile and able to support various library programs. Many libraries have a community room or all-purpose room that could be temporarily set up as a makerspace, then put back to common use when no program is in session.

Once we had our basic parameters set, it was off to shop for our various programs. I had the idea of incorporating a community garden, so I searched for ways that could work and looked at other libraries' garden spaces to see what I liked and didn't like. This garden tower on wheels seemed simple and fun, and I liked that I could get a starter kit with seeds and potting mix. A system like this one could be used indoors and out, and year-round to grow different plants, specifically fruits and vegetables. While we paired it up with a Jack and the Beanstalk program for our mythical Summer Reading Program, it could also be used for programs with food, cooking, plant biology, composting, erosion, community development, or geology themes.

After finding my big ticket item, I also shopped around for other gardening and garden craft supplies. Some things I knew would last more than one summer/programming year, while other items I found were consumables, which would need to be noted in the budget so they could be replaced. That was a learning curve for me during this project: how much of our $3,000 would we spend on investment items versus things that would be used up? Art supplies will always get used, but then money has to be spent to replace them. Cameras and iPads last longer, but they cost more and what if they don't get as much use as you'd like? This is clearly an issue of both balance and knowing your own library/library patrons. It's also a good argument for renting equipment or sharing with other nearby libraries, at least until you know how much your patrons will use something.

All-in-all, I enjoyed creating a pretend program and shopping for it, and my groupmates both agreed that we wish we could have our makerspace and made up summer reading programs for real. It also got me looking around to see what local makerspaces are doing, and if I can learn anything from their experiences.