LibGuides: Unisa's Partner Public Libraries: Makerspaces & Hackerspaces

Make it at your Library

Read more at : make it @ your library

What is a Makerspace and a Hackerspace

A makerspace is "... a collaborative work space inside a school, library or separate public/private facility for making, learning, exploring and sharing that uses high tech to no tech tools."

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A "hackerspace" is similar to a "makerspace" but often is a place outside the library.

Wikipedia defines a hackerspace “as a community-operated workspace where people with common interests, often in computers, technology, science and digital art can meet, socialize and collaborate.” Those are also the same characteristics you will find in a makerspace.

In South Africa, the following makerspaces are inspirational and remarkable. Take a look:

I makersvillage
Situated in Irene, Centurion (Gauteng) the Makers Lab is the perfect place to gain skills on digital fabrication. Whether you use it as an individual, or in a workshop through your school, or as an inventor or entrepreneur, it helps you put your dreams and ideas into real live. Alongside the equipment, the Makers Lab staff will help you by bringing expertise in from cad drawings to 3D modeling to fabrication principles to product. From laser cutter to moulding & casting to milling equipment to digital embroidery, the Makers Lab contains everything you need to produce accurate 3D models and prototypes of various materials and sizes. A mobile lab regularly visits the rural areas.
University of Pretoria: Library Makerspace
The University of Pretoria has recently opened a Makerspace in the Merensky library. This is a space where students can make 3D prototypes of their ideas and get expert advice in the fields that they require.
The Makerspace
Situated in Durban, theMakerSpace is about lowering the barriers of entry for people to express their creativity in a physical way. It is about people getting together, working creatively, inspiring each other, engaging with new technology, and building a “bottom-up economy”.
Maker Station
Situated in Cape Town, this is a a shared workshop space that offer Spaces, Expertise, Suppliers of resources like consulting, training, materials and equipment. The Maker Source directory also list resources and Maker Spaces to do among others; prototyping, DIY, Craft, hobbyist, and small scale manufacturer. In the Designer Maker, and Maker world, there are a lot of providers serving a large part of the value chain and, we want to make these resources accessible to all makers

Do these spaces add value to libraries ?

Jennifer Velasquez, Coordinator of teen services for the San Antonio Public Library (Texas, U.S.) says

"....Teen library programming and services that include use of a MakerSpace or equipment associated with a MakerSpace provide 21st century skills that contribute to new forms of literacy which include exposure to various types of technology, problem solving and collaboration skills. Much of the literature on the maker movement offers practical guides for design and implementation of MakerSpaces, including tools, technology, projects, and kits, as well as advice for libraries in the beginning stages of planning the physical layout of a MakerSpace." Read more at MakerSpaces: new tradition in context

Take some time-out, have a cup of tea or coffee and see what other libraries are doing!

Libraries are adding 'maker spaces' to attract DIY crowd
While some libraries do not have a maker spaces for adults, they have added programming, like a knitting group, to fill that niche.
The Library as a Community Makerspace
‘Makerspaces’: should South Africa join the hype?
The need for both makerspaces and incubators in Africa
Well managed makerspaces are a missing component in the African technology ecosystem and we need more of them.
Edmonton Public Library MakerSpace - an Introduction [Videoclip - 6:00]
Edmonton Public Library Makerspace is a creative and collaborative environment where library customers can print their work books, design their own website, convert VHS to DVD or play video games on consoles. Makerspace Assistants are on hand to help and no Edmonton Public library card is needed
Public Libraries, 3D Printing, FabLabs and Hackerspaces [Videoclip - 10:00]
This is a description of a proposal to create a FabLab in the Fayetteville Free Library and gives a brief introduction to what 3D printing is and how revolutionary it will be for those who are unfamiliar with it.
Maker Communities [Videoclip - 10:18]
The Arts & Makerspaces: Creativity for the Win!
There are many ways to incorporate the arts into your makerspace and to provide your clients with the creative outlet that they need. Quite a few of them will cost you nothing at all, and all of them can create valuable experiences for your clients.
Open Source Creativity - Hackerspaces: Science on the SPOT [Videoclip - 5:08]
Inspired in part by the open source movement, public spaces are emerging where people congregate to share ideas, make cool projects, teach, and brainstorm with collaborators on everything from coding to cooking.
Hackerspaces as 21st Century Libraries [Videoclip - 10:57]
Public Libraries, 3D Printing, FabLabs and Hackerspaces [Videoclip - 1.5]