ContactCon Notes: 10-20-11
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Meg Backus
Oct 24, 2011, 10:39:48 AM10/24/11
to Hackifying Libraries
WHY Hackerspaces in Libraries?
>Access to information requires more than shelves of books, DVDs, computers with Internet. Bring the community technology like Makerbots! Facilitate literacies of code, programming, learning by making/breaking/fixing.
>Libraries are undervalued as places for learning and collaboration. We do too much virtually, not enough physically.
>Libraries and hackerspaces share a similar learning/sharing ethos.
CONCERN: Lots of regulation in libraries, funded by the public, scared
of the word 'hacker'.
RESPONSE(s): Historically, librarians have championed freedom of
information and access, and resisted privacy invasions of the public.
They stood up to FBI demands for patron records. Librarians are,
historically, badasses.
>There's a precedent for hackerspaces in libraries: The Toronto Public Library was established as a mechanics' institute for technical/adult education.
>Hackerspaces have a kind of openness about them but are also kind of closed (often for safety reasons). A Public Library hackerspace allows zero barrier to entry.
HOW to get hackerspaces set up in libraries?
>Lauren Britton-Smedley is a librarian raising money for a remodeling/construction project to make the Fayetteville Fab Lab inside the Fayetteville Free Library. Sekai is a Contact Participant talking with the Harlem Public Library about creating a lab for makers/innovators/inventors/entrepreneurs in some underused space there. These represent current efforts, one led from the inside, the other from the outside. Both can work.
INITIAL STEPS TO TAKE:
>Introduce library staff to the culture and value of makers/making. Call for librarians to attend Craft Night or other public events at hackerspaces. NYC Resistor has Craft Night every Thursday (87 3rd ave, 6:30~10p). Tell the librarians to bring cookies or beer, and breaking the ice with hackers is easy: just ask to help.
>If you are a maker/hacker, approach the branch manager or programming director at the library. Most libraries are very eager (understatement) to discover new people & new desires/needs in their communities. Some have small budgets that could buy some supplies for a workshop, BYO tools. You could hold a hackathon (temporary hackerspace, a hack-in) or even just a show-and tell maybe. The point would be to demonstrate the insanely stupid and wonderful things that happen when people get together and work on making stuff together, to develop a local audience excited to dig in, start making.
>Link Hackerspace Resource Page (what do I need, what can I do?) with libraries. Develop explicit points of common interest or symbiosis (e.g. people already bring their broken computer problems to libraries, who right now can not help them).
>Join the Google Group Hackifying Libraries
. Stay in touch. Invite other hackers and librarian-types to join too.
Let us know what and how you're doing. We'll help.
IMPORTANT POINT: You don't need money to start a hackerspace, you need
*people*. Money without people is worthless. As few as 3 committed
people can do it: money can be found, equipment will show up.
Libraries are non-profits that qualify for many grants; there's money
for STEM initiatives, which would fit this project. If 4-5 people
agree to camp out one night each week to make stuff, the rest will
fall into place.
Threats: What particular challenges face a library Hackerspace?
>Ownership/identity: People need the freedom to do whatever they want, improvise, change things, the do-er is always right. Libraries may not be comfortable handing over that much control, i.e. consider restrictions on computers at libraries. Such restrictions would be a problem. People need to identify with the space, as members who belong not users with permissions. If a community decides that they own the space, it will never run out of anything. Everyone will contribute, provide, even if it requires some degree of sacrifice.
>>Note: Hackerspaces are different from makerspaces or techshops. Hackerspaces are a bit more feral than the others, techshops assume more responsibility for maintaining the infrastructure. A library 'hackerspace' might fit blend the makerspace/techshop models.
>Noise. Safety. Probably not as huge of a problem as one might think. Libraries used to be quiet place with special areas reserved for louder activities, but now they are becoming loud places with special areas reserved for quietness. Also, libraries have lawyers and insurance and if public schools can have shops, there's a way to let people use tools in public libraries. Blah blah blah.
Resources:
Join the Google Group: Hackifying Libraries
Blog posts and comments:
MAKE: Is It Time to Rebuild & Retool Public Libraries and Make
“TechShops”? Phillip Torrone, 2011.
Libraries and Hacker Spaces, Convergence versus Convention. Matt
Joyce, 11.24.2009.
Here's a video we made on this idea, watch and/or use it to introduce
librarians to 3D Printing and the compatibility of such technology
with libraries. Meg Backus and Thomas Gokey, 2011.
Books:
Program or Be Programmed. Rushkoff, 2010.
Hackerspaces: The Beginning. Bre Pettis, Astera ____, 2011.
Check in on Lauren's progress with her library fab lab.
>Access to information requires more than shelves of books, DVDs, computers with Internet. Bring the community technology like Makerbots! Facilitate literacies of code, programming, learning by making/breaking/fixing.
>Libraries are undervalued as places for learning and collaboration. We do too much virtually, not enough physically.
>Libraries and hackerspaces share a similar learning/sharing ethos.
CONCERN: Lots of regulation in libraries, funded by the public, scared
of the word 'hacker'.
RESPONSE(s): Historically, librarians have championed freedom of
information and access, and resisted privacy invasions of the public.
They stood up to FBI demands for patron records. Librarians are,
historically, badasses.
>There's a precedent for hackerspaces in libraries: The Toronto Public Library was established as a mechanics' institute for technical/adult education.
>Hackerspaces have a kind of openness about them but are also kind of closed (often for safety reasons). A Public Library hackerspace allows zero barrier to entry.
HOW to get hackerspaces set up in libraries?
>Lauren Britton-Smedley is a librarian raising money for a remodeling/construction project to make the Fayetteville Fab Lab inside the Fayetteville Free Library. Sekai is a Contact Participant talking with the Harlem Public Library about creating a lab for makers/innovators/inventors/entrepreneurs in some underused space there. These represent current efforts, one led from the inside, the other from the outside. Both can work.
INITIAL STEPS TO TAKE:
>Introduce library staff to the culture and value of makers/making. Call for librarians to attend Craft Night or other public events at hackerspaces. NYC Resistor has Craft Night every Thursday (87 3rd ave, 6:30~10p). Tell the librarians to bring cookies or beer, and breaking the ice with hackers is easy: just ask to help.
>If you are a maker/hacker, approach the branch manager or programming director at the library. Most libraries are very eager (understatement) to discover new people & new desires/needs in their communities. Some have small budgets that could buy some supplies for a workshop, BYO tools. You could hold a hackathon (temporary hackerspace, a hack-in) or even just a show-and tell maybe. The point would be to demonstrate the insanely stupid and wonderful things that happen when people get together and work on making stuff together, to develop a local audience excited to dig in, start making.
>Link Hackerspace Resource Page (what do I need, what can I do?) with libraries. Develop explicit points of common interest or symbiosis (e.g. people already bring their broken computer problems to libraries, who right now can not help them).
>Join the Google Group Hackifying Libraries
. Stay in touch. Invite other hackers and librarian-types to join too.
Let us know what and how you're doing. We'll help.
IMPORTANT POINT: You don't need money to start a hackerspace, you need
*people*. Money without people is worthless. As few as 3 committed
people can do it: money can be found, equipment will show up.
Libraries are non-profits that qualify for many grants; there's money
for STEM initiatives, which would fit this project. If 4-5 people
agree to camp out one night each week to make stuff, the rest will
fall into place.
Threats: What particular challenges face a library Hackerspace?
>Ownership/identity: People need the freedom to do whatever they want, improvise, change things, the do-er is always right. Libraries may not be comfortable handing over that much control, i.e. consider restrictions on computers at libraries. Such restrictions would be a problem. People need to identify with the space, as members who belong not users with permissions. If a community decides that they own the space, it will never run out of anything. Everyone will contribute, provide, even if it requires some degree of sacrifice.
>>Note: Hackerspaces are different from makerspaces or techshops. Hackerspaces are a bit more feral than the others, techshops assume more responsibility for maintaining the infrastructure. A library 'hackerspace' might fit blend the makerspace/techshop models.
>Noise. Safety. Probably not as huge of a problem as one might think. Libraries used to be quiet place with special areas reserved for louder activities, but now they are becoming loud places with special areas reserved for quietness. Also, libraries have lawyers and insurance and if public schools can have shops, there's a way to let people use tools in public libraries. Blah blah blah.
Resources:
Join the Google Group: Hackifying Libraries
Blog posts and comments:
MAKE: Is It Time to Rebuild & Retool Public Libraries and Make
“TechShops”? Phillip Torrone, 2011.
Libraries and Hacker Spaces, Convergence versus Convention. Matt
Joyce, 11.24.2009.
Here's a video we made on this idea, watch and/or use it to introduce
librarians to 3D Printing and the compatibility of such technology
with libraries. Meg Backus and Thomas Gokey, 2011.
Books:
Program or Be Programmed. Rushkoff, 2010.
Hackerspaces: The Beginning. Bre Pettis, Astera ____, 2011.
Check in on Lauren's progress with her library fab lab.
Meg Backus
Oct 24, 2011, 10:43:20 AM10/24/11
to Hackifying Libraries
Live links.
Resources:
Blog posts and comments:
<a href="http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2011/03/is-it-time-to-
rebuild-retool-public-libraries-and-make-techshops.html">MAKE: Is It
Time to Rebuild & Retool Public Libraries and Make “TechShops”?</a>
Phillip Torrone, 2011.
<a href="http://www.music-piracy.com/?p=108">Libraries and Hacker
Spaces, Convergence versus Convention.</a> Matt Joyce, 11.24.2009.
<a href="http://youtu.be/HCXlJ36x-q0">Here's a video we made on this
idea</a>, watch and/or use it to introduce librarians to 3D Printing
Programmed</a>. Rushkoff, 2010.
<a href="http://www.archive.org/details/hackerspaces-the-
beginning">Hackerspaces: The Beginning.</a> Bre Pettis, Astera ____,
2011.
Check in on Lauren's progress with her <a href="http://
www.fayettevillefreelibrary.org/about-us/services/fablab.html">library
fab lab</a>.
Resources:
Blog posts and comments:
<a href="http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2011/03/is-it-time-to-
rebuild-retool-public-libraries-and-make-techshops.html">MAKE: Is It
Time to Rebuild & Retool Public Libraries and Make “TechShops”?</a>
Phillip Torrone, 2011.
<a href="http://www.music-piracy.com/?p=108">Libraries and Hacker
Spaces, Convergence versus Convention.</a> Matt Joyce, 11.24.2009.
<a href="http://youtu.be/HCXlJ36x-q0">Here's a video we made on this
idea</a>, watch and/or use it to introduce librarians to 3D Printing
and the compatibility of such technology with libraries. Meg Backus
and Thomas Gokey, 2011.
Books:
<a href="http://www.orbooks.com/our-books/program/">Program or Be
and Thomas Gokey, 2011.
Books:
Programmed</a>. Rushkoff, 2010.
<a href="http://www.archive.org/details/hackerspaces-the-
beginning">Hackerspaces: The Beginning.</a> Bre Pettis, Astera ____,
2011.
Check in on Lauren's progress with her <a href="http://
www.fayettevillefreelibrary.org/about-us/services/fablab.html">library
fab lab</a>.
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