An essential resource for intermediate, middle, and high school librarians that guides the planning, learning, and implementation of a school library makerspace. The roles of school library media specialists and school libraries themselves are ever changing in response to the needs of the community and the evolution of human thinking, interaction, and learning processes. A school library makerspace can provide patrons with a place for learning, doing, and creating. It offers a location for tackling inventions, fine arts, crafts, industrial technology, hobbies, e-textiles, foodcrafting, DIY couture, fabrication, upcycling, and STEM right in the middle of the information gateway—the library. This book completely explains the makerspace concept and supplies real-world implementation guidance and inexpensive programming ideas that can be used as-is or adapted to suit a specific library or community's needs. Readers will be able to hit the ground running to implement their own makerspace with practical project ideas they can put to use immediately.

Librarians Graves et al. discuss challenge-based learning in school library makerspaces. They describe how to create a maker community in a school; expand learning with the local and global maker community through Maker Fests, digital media, local events, and other means; craft interactive spaces; use the workshop model to teach students a new skill; use design thinking, design challenges, and crowdsourced research methods to help students think like designers; create design challenges for elementary and secondary students; and use crowdsourced research and maker journals. --Publisher.

A must-read for elementary school librarians interested in starting a makerspace at their school, but who are concerned about the cost and are looking for curriculum links for getting started. Makerspaces are a powerful way to expand a school library's influence as an educational partner in the school community. However, many elementary school librarians and educators are hesitant to consider adding a makerspace to their programming due to concerns about costs. This book focuses on effective ways to start a makerspace in your school on a shoestring budget while simultaneously supporting curriculum standards and inviting the collaboration of other members of your school community. Today's school librarians have many responsibilities and often face a shrinking budget. The Elementary School Library Makerspace: A Start-Up Guide is a one-stop shop for learning the specific steps to successfully starting an elementary school library makerspace, without getting behind on managing your current school library tasks and responsibilities or blowing your budget. You'll learn how and where the makerspace movement started, and why; understand why today's young students crave hands-on experiences; and receive dozens of makerspace examples for each grade level by content area, including ones for language arts, math, science, engineering, arts, social studies, and technology. The book also covers how and why to track particular numbers regarding program performance, explains how to use creativity to start your makerspace with minimal dollars, and outlines how to make your PR efforts in letting others know about your school library makerspace effective in engaging many possible audiences.

"Examines the limitations and challenges emerging from the "maker movement" emphasizing the critical work that is being done to cultivate anti-oppressive, inclusive and equitable making environments. Makerspaces in libraries are especially focused upon"

Maker learning spaces in schools and public libraries are made real through the narratives of professional librarians around the world, comprising the collaborative activities, experiences, and perspectives of librarians as they have implemented makerspaces for students of all ages. School Library Makerspaces in Action is for any librarian looking for inspiration for their own makerspaces, hackerspaces, fablabs, or DIY locations and how to use these spaces in libraries and educational settings. Contributions from authors around the world address the needs of most all readers, including how to provide the staff training necessary for a successful makerspace. Each chapter is written from an author's personal experience, and with only a little fine-tuning and imagination, many of these ideas can be used throughout all levels, disciplines, and subjects in K–12 education and carry over into higher education. The successes and optimism shared in this collection will inspire librarians and educators to think positively about how to implement maker learning locations, train staff, and use makerspaces in their libraries and classrooms to promote and share new ideas.

A must-read for elementary school librarians interested in starting a makerspace at their school, but who are concerned about the cost and are looking for curriculum links for getting started. Makerspaces are a powerful way to expand a school library's influence as an educational partner in the school community. However, many elementary school librarians and educators are hesitant to consider adding a makerspace to their programming due to concerns about costs. This book focuses on effective ways to start a makerspace in your school on a shoestring budget while simultaneously supporting curriculum standards and inviting the collaboration of other members of your school community. Today's school librarians have many responsibilities and often face a shrinking budget. The Elementary School Library Makerspace: A Start-Up Guide is a one-stop shop for learning the specific steps to successfully starting an elementary school library makerspace, without getting behind on managing your current school library tasks and responsibilities or blowing your budget. You'll learn how and where the makerspace movement started, and why; understand why today's young students crave hands-on experiences; and receive dozens of makerspace examples for each grade level by content area, including ones for language arts, math, science, engineering, arts, social studies, and technology. The book also covers how and why to track particular numbers regarding program performance, explains how to use creativity to start your makerspace with minimal dollars, and outlines how to make your PR efforts in letting others know about your school library makerspace effective in engaging many possible audiences.

Makerspaces: Your questions answered here! Get the nuts and bolts on imagining, planning, creating, and managing a cutting-edge Makerspace for your school community. Nationally recognized expert Laura Fleming provides all the answers in this breakthrough guide. From inception through implementation, you’ll find invaluable guidance for creating a vibrant Makerspace on any budget. Practical strategies and anecdotal examples help you: Create an action plan for your own personalized Makerspace Align activities to standards Showcase student creations Use this must-have guide to painlessly build a robust, unique learning environment that puts learning back in the hands of your students!