The Library as a Maker-space

Just finished reading a story on NPR about libraries making "hackerspaces." I am always put off by adding the "hacker" in front of words but that is a whole other post entirely.

Anyway, one of the standouts of this article is the quote from Library Director, Jeff Krull,

      "We see the library as not being in the book business, but being in the learning business and the exploration business and the expand-your-mind business," he says. "We feel this is really in that spirit, that we provide a resource to the community that individuals would not be able to have access to on their own."

I love that public libraries have the opportunity to create these kinds of spaces. I think, this has been done in the craft world, with places like the now-closed Home Ec. Shop (I LOVED this place and I met the most wonderful Mrs. Jenny Ryan there), Urban Craft Center, and Tech Shop SF, places where people can rent equipment and hangout and create with like-minded people. It also reminds me of the Makery, which I learned about at http://www.punahou.edu/page.cfm?p=3238 this past summer. These are places where people learn and collaborate, just like a library.

Maybe I can use this to justify teaching kids how to bind books. :)

What Is The Point of the Children's Library?

Today, a patron came and was really upset with me because I told him he could not use the computers in the Children's Library. This got me thinking about why there is a special area set up for the children's collection and I thought I should post about it for the benefit of all those adults who think there is no reason for the children's library except to keep them away from using computers and making their life difficult. (excuse the snark but I really am irritated at how entitled adults are)

In 1895, American libraries started building separate areas for their childrens books and media, later this innovation spread to Europe. The mission of these spaces were to provide a distinct area for children to use. It was to provide a space where children can learn about what the library has to offer, promote literacy, and provide other sources to enhance their interest in life-long learning. These spaces would be separate from the adult collection and also be distinct in their construction, layout, and decor. This mission has not changed, but I think, it's been forgotten by some of the people who come in to use the library, especially those people who do not have children.

So, this long established space now has dvd and cd collections and computers. Computers that are set up for children 14 and younger. There are reasons that kids have their own area with their own computers to use. And one of them is so that kids do not have to sit next to the older guy who decides he can look at porn on the library computers. It is set up so that kids can do their homework without interruption. It is also here so that kids do not have to battle adults for a library computer to use. You might laugh at that one but there are adults who use these computers all day long, steal other patrons card numbers and use them, and just are online for those 2 hours they have alotted under the library policy. It is also a "safe" area for kids to be.

So, I'm sorry if you think I'm being unreasonable because I won't let you use these computers. It's moments like these when I remember the father who came up to me and thanked me for enforcing the policy set up in this room. He said "My daughter would not be comfortable using a computer next to a man."