Milo sits down to use one of the seven makerspaces throughout the library.

By ANN ZYDEK
Library Director, Warsaw Community Public Library

WARSAW — You are invited to our National Library Week, Libraries Transform celebration at Warsaw Community Public Library. Visit and explore our “makerspace” activities available this week.

Library makerspaces are an evolutionary step in facility design and programming. Public libraries are creating makerspace library destinations to better meet the educational needs of residents who seek to explore their world physically/digitally using science, technology, engineering, arts, and math concepts. Engaged maker patrons can control their own learning and create, design, play, tinker, invent, discover, explore, collaborate, inquire, mentor, experiment, critical think and problem solve.

The Northeast Indiana Libraries Serving Communities consortium is a 501(C)3 organization made up of public library directors in the counties of Steuben, DeKalb, Noble, Lagrange, Whitley, and Kosciusko. I work with other directors as we collaborate and seek to better serve our combined library service population of 222,286 people.

Learning in 2015 that each public library was at a different stage in makerspace development, NEILSC designed a Public Libraries Makerspace Project for the Indiana Regional Cities Northeast Indiana Regional Development Plan “Road to One Million” initiative. By helping people, especially youth, discover talents and skills that can translate into careers, entrepreneur ventures, jobs or hobbies and by giving them positive maker experiences and resources in their own libraries we felt they would more likely stay in our communities and prosper. Fortunately, the Road to One Million initiative was chosen with Indiana legislators establishing funding for it.

Library makerspaces do it together and do it yourself activities can include: 3D printers, electronics, stereoscopic 3D photo editors, conductive ink, digital badges, molecular gastronomy, couture, e-textiles, fabrication, Makey Makey kits, Raspberry Pi, upcycling, wearable technology, arts/crafts, coding, engineering, graphic design and audio-visual equipment/software.

At Warsaw Community Public Library makerspace activities change based on our community’s needs, wants, and interests using our meeting room spaces. Some public libraries like the “Maker Labs” at the Allen County Public Library and “The Cube” at Nappanee Public Library now offer permanent makerspaces where people can learn, think and do using new technologies, equipment, and other resources they may otherwise not have access to. They can get help with a current project, start new projects, and meet and collaborate with others on projects.

Feel free to contact the library at (574) 267-6011 or visit our website, and share your ideas or resources to make our makerspaces great.