Library as Techshop

Mar 15 2011 Published by Fiacre under Librarians, Makers, Present, Technology

A very interesting discussion has just opened up at Make magazine, and it is one I have been waiting for. Phillip Torrone asks “Is It Time to Rebuild & Retool Public Libraries and Make ‘TechShops‘?”. I first made the suggestion on this blog back in 2009 that libraries and maker culture were a good match, after attending MiniSoOnCon, the first hacker/maker conference in Ontario…

I believe public libraries and maker culture are a perfect match, and I take the opportunity to spread the word when I can. The ideas that fuel hackerspaces, such as cooperation, resource and information sharing, self-directed education, and a diversity of views are concepts that are central to our profession’s ethos. And in these economically difficult times, a movement that offers an alternative to consumer culture and a return to DIY independence is timely indeed.

I would strongly suggest that librarians contact their local hackerspace or makerspace. You’ll find we have a lot in common. In the near future I hope to see public libraries with 3D printers, laser engravers, tool lending libraries, and classes like the ones at MiniSoOnCon.

Torrone’s argument is similar, and he does a good job of examining the various models, such as hackerspaces and FabLabs, before focusing on TechShops.

To me, public libraries — the availability of free education for all — represent the collective commitment of a community to their future. They symbolize what is most important, a commitment to educating the next generation. The role of a public library should also adapt over time, and that time is finally here. It’s time to plan how we’re going to build the future and what place public libraries have, should have, or won’t have. The goal of this article is to get everyone talking about one of our great resources, the public library, and its future….

If the only public space where 3D printers, laser cutters, and learning electronics happens is in fee/memberships-based spaces (TechShops, hackerspaces), that will leave out a segment of the population, who will never have access. FabLabs often are geared towards under-served communities, so perhaps it will be a combination of FabLabs and hackerspaces.

What if we were to convert just 1% or even 10% of the 9,000 public libraries in the USA to TechShops? I say TechShop because I think they could get it done with the right amount of funding, or at least coordinate the effort. Since 1% of the USA’s public libraries is about 90, that’s close to the TechShop goal in 5 years; 10% would be 900 locations — not a bad goal.

But why does it matter? Some of you will likely say that hackerspaces and TechShops are filling the void where a public library could have evolved to — that’s probably true. I think public libraries are one of those “use it or lose” it things we have in a society. Given the current state of budgets all over the USA, I think unless they’re seen as the future, we might just lose them.

Since MiniSoOnCon I have visited almost every hacker/makerspace in Ontario, attended more maker conferences and events and gave a seminar on the possible influence of hacker/maker culture and citizen science on Open Access, so over the next few days I’ll be posting more here about what I think this would mean for libraries and some of the issues.

Meanwhile, go over the Make Magazine, read the article and leave a comment. I’m interested to see where this conversation will take us.

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ReMade, a maker culture documentary

Oct 21 2010 Published by Fiacre under Documentary, Hackerspaces, Makers

The Electromagnate team are in the process of making ReMade, a documentary about maker culture and hackerspaces.

We are currently filming a documentary that explores the state and direction of the Maker and Hackerspace movement in America. We’re visiting hackerspaces and makerspaces across the nation in an attempt to show the incredible innovation, creativity, struggles and triumphs that exemplify these spaces. Our goal is to help everyone understand what hackerspaces and makerspaces are doing, how they are doing it and how the Maker Movement is changing the world.

The Electromagnate team are hackerspace memebers themselves and are taking a very interesting approach to the project.

…we are pursuing a D.I.Y. approach to this documentary’s production. We feel the need to build our own camera equipment and make our original designs available to the public.

If you would like to help, visit their Kickstarter page and pledge some cash.

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The rise of 3D printing

Sep 20 2010 Published by Fiacre under 3D Printing, Makers, Technology


First, a long article from the New York Times called 3-D Printing Spurs a Manufacturing Revolution, which includes some amazing video of what is possible with high end 3D printers.

Second, news from MakerBot about their new Automated Build Platform.

Finally, check out Freedom Of Creation mentioned in the NYT article, a design and research company which specializes in designing with 3D printing technologies.

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Made by Hand

Sep 13 2010 Published by Fiacre under Makers, Technology

Boing Boing’s Mark Frauenfelder: Made By Hand from DANGEROUS MINDS on Vimeo.

A discussion from Dangerous Minds with Mark Frauenfelder, editor-in-chief of Make magazine and co-editor of Boing Boing, about his book Made by Hand: Searching for Meaning in a Throwaway World.

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DIY tech repairs with iFixit

Sep 07 2010 Published by Fiacre under Information, Librarians, Makers, Technology

I’ve previously mentioned the importance of librarians having the skills to repair their own tech hardware and the Maker’s Bill of Right’s. Now we have the ability to better enact those rights, thanks to iFixit.

iFixit provides free repair manuals for a variety of technological devices, allows people to share their own experiences, provides access to the required tools, and encourages people to recycle.

How did iFixit start?

We started out fixing an old iBook together. There were no instructions on how to do it, so we started the way everyone does: the hard way. We tinkered. We fiddled. We broke some tabs and lost a few screws. But we fixed it!

We attempted to fix some other laptops but had trouble finding parts. So we bought a broken computer on eBay and stole parts from it. Then we decided to start selling the parts ourselves, and iFixit was born.

But that’s not the whole story. All of our customers still had to do things the hard way, just like we did. Easy-to-use repair instructions didn’t exist — yet.

So we wrote some instructions the first chance we got. And we posted them online, for free. For the first time, it was easy for someone with no technical background or experience to take apart a Mac. Our step-by-step instructions were enabling people to repair Macs they wouldn’t have been able to repair on their own.

We thought the instructions would be useful to our customers — and they were. But it turned out that they were useful to a lot of other people as well! We’ve heard repair success stories from forensic detectives, field translators, and even kids. From New York to Alaska, Tibet to the Faroe Islands, people have used our guides to fix their stuff. They saved money, they kept their Macs out of landfills, and they did it completely by themselves.

So if you ever break the glass panel on that new iPad, now you know that you can fix it yourself.

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