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Digital Media Labs and Maker Spaces. New Roles for the Public Library Karen Hartman U.S. Embassy, Rome November 26, 2012. 21 st Century Challenges. Rapid economic, social and educational change Participatory learning Lifelong learning Multidisciplinary approach Government funding cuts
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Digital Media Labs and Maker Spaces New Roles for the Public Library Karen Hartman U.S. Embassy, Rome November 26, 2012
21st Century Challenges • Rapid economic, social and educational change • Participatory learning • Lifelong learning • Multidisciplinary approach • Government funding cuts • Globalization • Movement from a manufacturing/factory-based to a knowledge-based society • Technological advances • 24/7 Access to Internet on handheld devices • Digital design, manufacturing
21st Century Workforce Changes • Jobs in a lifetime • 20th Century: 1-2 • 21st Century: 10-15 • Job requirement • 20th Century: Mastery of one field • 21st Century: Simultaneous mastery of many fields • Job competition • 20th Century: Local • 21st Century: Global • Work model • 20th Century: Routine, fact-based • 21st Century: Non-routine; technical; creative; interactive
Educational/Organizational Culture Changes • Education Model • 20th Century: Institution centered; formal degree attainment is primary goal • 21st Century: Learner centered; self-directed; lifelong learning is primary goal • Organizational Culture • 20th Century: Top down • 21st Century: Multi-directional (bottom-up, top-down, side-to-side, etc.) (from: Institute of Museum and Library Services, “Museums, Libraries, and 21st Century Skills”)
Digital Media Labs: Learning Places • Scheduled classes and one-on-one teaching • Equipment and software • Video production • Photography • Music production • Web site design • Game design • App design • Equipment check-out
Digital Media Lab at Skokie Public Library, Illinois The lab offers group workshops and one-on-one instruction Cutting edge equipment for video creation, music recording, and more. Participants are urged to post their projects on the lab’s website.
YouMedia: http://youmedia.org • Digital media center for youth • Started at Chicago Public Library • Dozens more planned throughout U.S. with funding from MacArthur Foundation • Heavily dependent on mentors to help with projects • “Teens learn by making and doing” • Based on research at Carnegie Mellon University
YouMedia ChicagoHarold Washington Public Library Teens hanging out and messing around at the YouMedia center in Chicago. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRG2Bf-me6k
Maker Spaces • Community-operated physical places where people of all ages can meet and work on their projects. • Often referred to as hackerspaces and techshops. • Maker spaces can have 3-D printers, laser cutters, and more. • MIT’s Fab Lab (fabrication laboratory) project begun by Dr. Neil Gersonfeld’s course “How to Make Just About Anything.” • Maker spaces help fill the “opportunity gap.”
Tekventure Maker Station at Allen County Public Library, Ft. Wayne, Indiana Tekventure, a non-profit organization, partners with the public library. The space is in a trailer outside the library. In addition to a 3-D printer, it also has a CNC router, and many power tools. Located in a city that is suffering from the economic downturn.
Maker Space in Westport Public Library, Connecticut The Maker Space opened July 2 as a place for people to connect, invent and create.
3-D Printer at Westport Public Library, Connecticut 3-D printers create computer designed plastic pieces Can be used for prototyping http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnChn7vtWHU
Arduino Arduino is an open source electronics prototyping platform Based on flexibile, easy-to-use hardware and software It senses the environment by receiving input from a variety of sensors It can affect its surroundings by controlling lights, motors and other actuators.
Arduino Workshop at Allen County Public Library’s Tekventure Maker Station http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUR5NjsR1JQ
The Library is Changing its Focus • … from education to learning • … from consumption of information to participatory learning • … from institutions to networks* • Connie Yowell, Director of Education, MacArthur Foundaton: “…focus on fostering passion, creativity, innovation, and the skills that are needed to compete and thrive in a global, connected world.” *MacArthur Foundation, http://macfound.org/reimagine/learning
References • “Museums, Libraries, and 21st Century Skills,” Institute of Museum and Library Services, http://www.imls.gov/about/21stcskills.aspx • YouMediahttp://youmedia.org • MacArthur Foundation http://macfound.org • “Providing the Tools,” by Meredith Farkas, American Libraries Magazine, http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/columns/practice/providing-tools • “Content Creation, Media Labs, and Hackerspaces,” by David Lee King, http://www.davidleeking.com/2011/12/15/content-creation-media-labs-and-hackerspaces • “Hanging Out, Messing Around, and Geeking Out:” Kids Living and Learning with New Media,” by Mikuzko Ito, etal. (free online)
Thank you very much! • Karen Hartman • Hartmankp@state.gov