#critlib: Makerspaces
Storify of the #critlib chat from March 10, 2015 about Makerspaces, moderated by @foureyedsoul. For more about #critlib, please see http://tinyurl.com/critlibx
- [I tried to include all of Tweets from the chat and string Tweets from the same thread together as best as I could. Retweets, favorites, & tweets without the hashtag omitted on purpose. Lacunae, misreadings, or other mistakes my own.]
Tonight's #critlib is about #makerspace opportunities & shortcomings! 6pPT/ 7pMT/ 8pCT/ 9pET http://tinyurl.com/critlibx pic.twitter.com/O21P8n3Vsf- Let's start with introductions!
Thanks for moderating this week's #critlib @foureyedsoul, esp. after stepping in to run the last one. Jenna here, from Barnard College, NYC
@foureyedsoul Hello! I'm Mita from Windsor, Ontario and I'm interested in this intersection of makerspaces and #critlib
@collingsruth Hope you feel better. That's one of the best "tl;dr"s I've seen in a while. #critlib
Allison from @UMiamiLibraries lurking on tonight's #critlib chat re:makerspaces, b/c I am super interested in participatory library programs
Showing up late to #critlib! Andrew here, 1st timer, @PrattSILS- Question 1
- What aspects of #critlib mesh well with #makerspaces - access, approach, pedagogy, technology, etc.?
- Okay: Q1 What aspects of #critlib mesh well with #makerspaces - access, approach, pedagogy, technology, etc.? (remember to tag yr answers)
@plutoHimself Yes! And maybe solving/exploring individual problems inspires them to look at problems affecting their communities. #critlib
@PeaBriddy @barnlib I just talked with @filarwilliams abt this at lunch today -- tech gets the buzz, but can be more inclusive. #critlib- @PeaBriddy @barnlib @filarwilliams I have mixed feelings about that -- say, preexisting spaces being *claimed* as makerspaces. #critlib
A1: #makerspaces mesh with #critlib because they (can) make space for non-mainstream voices.- If your love for definitions knows no bounds, here's a nice quick taxonomy of spaces from Make Magazine http://makezine.com/2013/05/22/the-difference-between-hackerspaces-makerspaces-techshops-and-fablabs/ … #critlib
- . @foureyedsoul Looks like a room full of mostly white dudes, presumably with money, not interacting much. #critlib #cynicalaboutmakerspaces
A1 #Makerspace as anarchist space, neighborhood space. #critlib- Q1: #makerspaces provide an opportunity to look at library programs, space, and governance with fresh eyes. #critlib
- @foureyedsoul Me too. We make it what it is. Others make it what it is. #critlib
.@foureyedsoul depends on the makerspace, i suppose. many [oft opposing] genealogies are condensed into one term. #critlib- . @foureyedsoul Makerspace as anarchist infoshop/zine distro--I would like that to be true, but makerspaces feel inaccessible. #critlib
@foureyedsoul I disagree. #makerspace typic institutional. can be derived from infoshop ideals. ultimately lib space are corporate #critlib- I'm afraid I don't have much to contribute to this #critlib disc'n on #makerspaces other cynicism & snark. Pls tell me why I shd love them.
- Question 2
- What aspects of #makerspaces could benefit from substantial critique? #critlib
- Great! This lack of consensus on spaces brings us to: Q2 What aspects of #makerspaces could benefit from substantial critique? #critlib
.@foureyedsoul #makerspaces often spend a large % of time to learning/experimenting with a tech/tool; limits other critical aspects #critlib- @vin_alyssa A2: THIS. People make their own barrier to entry when just shown as tech or 3D printing that's very not #critlib
- .@foureyedsoul well said. A nice product is good, but in terms of learning, that intentional focus on process/method is key #critlib
- Perhaps not in libs but #makerspaces sometimes seem like another avenue to consumer culture. #critlib
- @librarybell that is totally beautifully phrased! also, bummer. #critlib
- .@kellymce @librarybell Are #makerspaces yet another iteration of the "open" culture that produced a 90% male #wikipedia ? #critlib
@foureyedsoul The plastic crap made by 3D printers I've seen demo'd at library conferences? #critlib A2- a2. this feels like cheating a bit, but primacy of 'things' over people. #critlib borrowing from Deb Chachra's piece: http://tinyletter.com/metafoundry/letters/metafoundry-15-scribbled-leatherjackets …
- @awlibrarian was recently chatting w/tech svcs lib, he doesn't see point in having 3D printer b/c what do people do with it? #critlib
- .@awlibrarian +1 imo tied to larger discourse that values "more/better tech" over political solutions to complex problems. #critlib
- .@biblioclast_ADP @awlibrarian for sure. just thinking about how innovation/ethical consumerism come to displace collective action #critlib
@foureyedsoul Q2 worrying about the social relationships reinscribed in 'tech culture' as panacea #critlib- .@bohyunkim make make make -- make more things! Growth economy -- yeah, I see it. I fear it. #critlib
- .@bohyunkim but imagine a #makerspace where we make fewer things, but more useful things, socially conscious makerspace #critlib
- @adamheid @bohyunkim part of #makerspace use in lib is getting the very idea of one into ppl's heads. Allowing them to explore #critlib
- .@bohyunkim The parallel would be/could be the neg. side of consumer culture could generate a more meaningful #makerspace culture #critlib
- @plutoHimself @bohyunkim That's a hard one. Though, the inverse - in not posting guidelines, do you instill libertarian values? #critlib
- Q2: Like @lisaflepore said, who gets to use the makerspace? who gets excluded, or simply isn't marketed? #critlib
- @foureyedsoul Yeah! Lots of cool subcultures have this going on. #critlib
- @plutoHimself @awlibrarian @edrabinski If a 3D printer can't make Thin Mints (now vegan), what's the point? #critlib
- @foureyedsoul Q1 and Q2 stealing copies is a makerspace! #critlib
- Question 3
- What might a #critlib version of a #makerspace look like? Do you have experiences with #makerspaces that you'd suggest others emulate?
- Q3 What might a #critlib version of a #makerspace look like? Do you have experiences with #makerspaces that you'd suggest others emulate?
- @foureyedsoul Curious in a few years how makerspaces will have to justify themselves as line items on budgets #critlib
@biblioclast_ADP @foureyedsoul #critlib maybe b/c I just found that link, but I think the best parts of extension service are a good model.- @foureyedsoul A3: Needs to have strong emphasis on mentorship, one that builds reflection into the process of making #critlib
- A3 #critlib #makerspaces might frame themselves as ways for patrons to take a bit of the lead in an institution's programming/resources
- #critlib like things like a gardener's cooperative where there is tool & labor sharing & sharing expertise like this! http://watauga.ces.ncsu.edu/spotlight/high-country-seed-swap-growers-school-3/ …
- Q3: I feel like @ZAPPSeattle was a #critlib makerspace when I volunteered there a zillion years ago. FreeSkull FTW!
- @bohyunkim When really you'd get more learning out of bad tech and good teachers (no surprise). #critlib
- .@plutoHimself @bohyunkim interesting, I haven't thought about gamification in relation to AR. Hmm... #critlib
- @adamheid @bohyunkim AR is early & basic #gamification & hella problematic for any of its benefits (I think) #critlib
- @bohyunkim @plutoHimself Oh certainly. I've taught coding to elementary kids, and I felt that tension every lesson. #critlib
- .@plutoHimself @bohyunkim yes, Make, critique, remake, re-critique, and repeat ad infinitum #critlib #makerspace
- @adamheid @bohyunkim The #critlib struggle is never done. #reflection informs #praxis informs #reflection
- Question 4
- What policies, actions, or programming would you recommend for #makerspaces seeking to be more inclusive and socially aware? #critlib
- Q4 What policies, actions, or programming would you recommend for #makerspaces seeking to be more inclusive and socially aware? #critlib
- @foureyedsoul Maybe a clothing repair seminar. Teach how to sew basics #critlib
- @plutoHimself @foureyedsoul many current machine don't need foot pedal; instead have throttle & start button like lawnmower #critlib
- @RachelMFleming building sustainable #makerspace, nay, library practices instead of just jumping on trend. #critlib
- .@plutoHimself @bohyunkim exactly, and it's when one project is done and another is immediately begun that worries me #critlib
- .@plutoHimself @bohyunkim that seems to reinforce the myth of a disposable culture (probably for progress or some shit) #critlib
- @librarybell but what if it is just that? #critlib
@biblioclast_ADP I'm reflecting on the history of collective "making," like knitting circles and quilting bees. 1/2 #critlib- @librarybell totally. I know! These things predate the trend #critlib
- @librarybell @biblioclast_ADP Quilting waned in 1970s and saw resurgence in late 1990s I think. Member of a local guild #critlib
- #critlib I think you gotta believe that stuff is already there. as professionals it's our job to draw it out of our users? @foureyedsoul
- @filarwilliams So like a coffeeshop? Makerspaces aren't new, then? Let's think about @foureyedsoul 's Q about rhetoric (&naming)#critlib
- @filarwilliams DIY movement might stem from wanting to learn skills and info? #critlib
@filarwilliams Are doing and making the same? Do you have to make in order to do? i.e. learning by making = learning by doing? #critlib- Question 5
- What workshops could libr* lead at #makerspaces to forward #critlib ideas? If unable to affect policy, how can we become involved?
- Q5 What workshops could libr* lead at #makerspaces to forward #critlib ideas? If unable to affect policy, how can we become involved?
- .@foureyedsoul makers should always be able to identify the need and articulate the social benefits of their project #critlib
- .@foureyedsoul or additionally/alternatively, maker should clearly identify the costs (inc. human/env.) that went into making #critlib
@foureyedsoul I'd like to use them to help community re-gain skills that offer more self-sufficiency and less purchase reliance #critlib- Q5: How to actually run #makerspace program. Forget about the content. what models/resources lead to success/how we define success? #critlib
- .@bohyunkim Just carpooling and Couchsurfing. Thx but no thanks world not everything is a transaction, not every person a consumer #critlib
- @filarwilliams This is also where the definition of makerspace starts to fall apart for me...cuz I make stuff all over the place! #critlib
- @kellymce @filarwilliams but do ppl see these activities as critical actions? I feel no. #critlib #makerspace encourage sharing of expertise
- @filarwilliams @plutoHimself And I recognize the need to make *just for fun*, which doesn't have to dilute the empowering, #critlib part...
- @awlibrarian 2/2 Sort of, recognize need and then give it to the patrons to work over and come up with solutions #critlib
- @awlibrarian like, use lib's kitchen and cookware to feed homeless in lib? #critlib
brilliant idea! @awlibrarian like, use lib's kitchen and cookware to feed homeless in lib? #critlib- @awlibrarian how about the community pitches the community problems? & then solves them? the further we step back, just facilitate. #critlib
- @RachelMFleming @awlibrarian that's a deliciously #critlib idea, & speaks to "reinvention" libs like to talk about these days
- @RachelMFleming @awlibrarian Makerspace as in making ourselves scarce while we provide space and whatever tools we can offer up. #critlib
- Time for #critlib pitches! Feel free to include links to about #makerspaces, diversity, pedagogy, etc.
- Q6 Wow, that hour went quickly. Time for #critlib pitches! Feel free to include links to about #makerspaces, diversity, pedagogy, etc.
- Of course, don't shy away from continuing our #critlib conversation about #makerspaces now B^)
- My #critlib pitch: you still have time to submit a proposal for the book that @pumpedlibrarian and I are editing! http://critlib.tumblr.com/cfp
- Also, all y'all MLIS students, please submit yr papers to the Braverman Prize: http://progressivelibrariansguild.org/content/award.shtml … #critlib pitch
- Turns out my frustration re: gender disparity in other parts of #OpenEd extends to #makerspaces as well: http://adamheid.com/2015/03/08/womensday-calling-female-authors/ … #critlib
- & for this interested, my attempt to turn something #edtech #makerspace-y into something #critlib / #critped: http://www.hybridpedagogy.com/journal/pedagogy-discovery-reflections-teaching-tech-elementary-students/ …
- @foureyedsoul Right! Engaging w/ text is creation! Walter Benjamin etc. #critlib
- @foureyedsoul reading is co-creation since it is decoding #critlib
- @awlibrarian @foureyedsoul we already live in "remix" culture, yeah? Also spirit of #DH philosophy. Def encorg this value of "play" #critlib
- .@plutoHimself @awlibrarian @foureyedsoul I am generally all for this, but also sometimes remixing intersects w/appropriation, etc #critlib
- @oksveta @awlibrarian @foureyedsoul absolutely. just reading about copyright violation (formal appropriation) in libr* 3D printing #critlib
- @oksveta @awlibrarian @foureyedsoul informal is even harder to educate on b/c passive, often unintentional, "but I'm not -ist" #critlib
- @foureyedsoul Also, from a #critlib perspective, academic essays are often more reproduction (of hegemonic knowledge) than 'making' new kwlg
- Wrapping up a productive chat
- Many thanks to @foureyedsoul for facilitating tonight's #critlib -- I learned *a lot*!
- Thanks, @foureyedsoul & everyone for a really great #critlib! :)
- Thank you @foureyedsoul for a great job & all you #critlib people. Read on.
- For right now #makerspace is something we all live with. Let's make them meaningful. #critlib
- Sasly, she had to duck out of tonight's #critlib, but I believe @collingsruth has worked with http://software-carpentry.org/ Might be a good model?
- They teach Unix / free software & their docs are all online. Although could be more #critlib, they focus on humans over tech @collingsruth
- Thank you thank you thank you @foureyedsoul! #critlib
- Thanks @foureyedsoul! Great #critlib y'all. Peace and good night.
.@TripleThreatLib ...but esp as librarians, we shouldn't think of only those 2 things. Ppl are more complex than make vs consume. #critlib- .@TripleThreatLib I agree! They can be great creative spaces but I'm skeptical of "maker culture" that takes us vs them attitude #critlib
- .@TripleThreatLib @fiiidget If you haven't seen it yet, you might really enjoy the http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/01/why-i-am-not-a-maker/384767/ … article's insights #critlib …
- @foureyedsoul By the way, thanks for your reading list for tonight's #critlib.
- FYI - The reading list is here, under the questions for the chat: tinyurl.com/critlibx
- Fin.
