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Local Governments Serve Makers Too

Writer's picture: J.A. SheltonJ.A. Shelton

Updated: Jan 22

Makerspaces can be economic development tools for a community, but do you know who will be served and their needs? Successful makerspaces are usually developed bottom-up, so a top-down approach can backfire on public officials.

In a newly renovated public library in a town in North Carolina, there is a tidy room with industrial tables, lots of storage space, floor-to-ceiling north-facing windows that allow light to flood the space without being harsh, and giant letters that spell out MAKERSPACE on the floor-to-ceiling glass panels that separate this room from the stacks and beautiful art on display. There is, or at least there was, a 3d printer, some sewing machines, a "Maker Cart" with electronic gadgets, and an assortment of art supplies packed away in beautiful cabinets. For years this space was used as an additional meeting room, but rarely as a makerspace.


I attended a conference a few years ago and was super excited to be included in a presentation about local makerspaces. I shared information about Mixxer, and listened intently with notebook and pen ready to take notes of what I would learn from the other two presenters. When the public library representative began her presentation, she began with all of the rules that she had to implement to protect the community asset, which is the makerspace resources in the public library. As a matter of fact, the entire presentation was about the responsible stewardship of community assets, but there was no mention of activity in the makerspace. That's because there had been no programming in the makerspace.


Today, several years later, that makerspace is still woefully underutilized. Why? Because in planning the space's renovation, administrators checked off the box marked makerspace on the room schedule and allowed the architects to pick out the furnishings. At no point in the process were the makers in the community asked, in an effective way, what they wanted or needed in a makerspace.


I get daily Google Alerts about makerspaces and read numerous stories of local government offices announcing the new makerspace in their community. I am all for makerspaces in public places, and a library may be a great venue to host one, but that is not true for every community. The design should account for the makers who have been a part of the planning process. These are not only the best source for determining what the space should provide, they will be the champions for the future success of the makerspace.


I would love to learn more about the makerspace being planned for your community. I hope to hear some success stories. However, I am convinced that many communities need a makerspace expert, like myself to help them find the citizens who will be served by their careful planning to avoid the unused, yet pristine, MAKERSPACE.


You can reach me by email at alan@venturcats.tech

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