Sharing your work and finding others to learn with and from has never been easier.
At the beginning of each workshop, we introduce the free software used in the lab and talk about local maker organizations. We also introduce some online communities for sharing your work and finding classes or groups that share your interests:
Online communities connect makers, learners and instructors globally and locally.
If the Maker Lab is your first experience with the Maker Movement, you can get up to speed with this 17-minute documentary that seeks to “explain the Maker Movement.” At the 10:35 mark, the discussion turns to access, resources and democratization—systems familiar to us in libraries—and one that we think answers the question, “Why a maker lab in the library?” The maker movement offers everyone the opportunity to make the leap from consumer to creator.
Make Magazine, a blog and subscription-based magazine. is a great place to learn and stay informed about new, exciting projects and technology, new and old, that you can take apart and put back together in your living room, workshop or local makerspace.
You can share your work and celebrate the work of others at the hugely popular and growing Maker Faires. (We just missed Detroit and the Chicago South Side Mini, but Fort Wayne, Ind., happens September 14 and 15).
For an overview with historical context and an insider’s view of the technology offered in the lab, check out the book Makers by Chris Anderson. The book, published in 2012, is still timely, and Anderson’s enthusiasm is infectious. You can watch Chris Anderson talk about much of the same content.
Whatever it is you make and do, there’s a place to share and talk about your work. We’re excited to learn with you.
