Earlier this month, a few MAKE staffers ventured to Boise, Idaho in response to an invitation to meet with librarians from across the state and to lead an afternoon training session for the pilot project, Make iT at the Library (begun in 2012 by The Idaho Commission for Libraries.) The project focused on supporting the creation of five makerspaces in libraries. MAKE customized a training curriculum that aligned with the commission’s charter: creating and teaching STEAM-based programming for tweens and teens that could be easily implemented in library programs.
The training highlighted basic analog circuits and e-textiles with hands-on projects curated by MAKE, with an introduction to soldering. The four electronic projects were packaged in a format that could be easily replicated for future training sessions for the Commission. At the end of the training, the participating librarians returned to their communities, armed with the knowledge, confidence and materials from MAKE they needed to continue the transformation of their libraries into makerspaces.
During the course of the training, we also helped librarians navigate the procurement process, including purchasing tools and materials for their projects, pointing to a variety of supportive resources including the Makerspace Playbook. It was a full afternoon, but everyone left feeling enthusiastic and inspired about the prospects . . . and planning the next training module.
For more information contact us at library@makermedia.com.
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