School Library Makerspaces: Grades 6-12

Leslie B Preddy

3.67 · Rating details · 15 ratings · 5 reviews

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, in ...more

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Paperback, 193 pages

Published October 24th 2013 by Libraries Unlimited

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Aug 27, 2018 Alanna King rated it liked it

Shelves: making

As a secondary librarian, without planning time, without my own students focused on design/construction/creativity, I'm launching a full-time makerspace this fall that is filled with mostly donated items from the now-extinct home economics and fashion programs at my school. We have a severe shortage of electricity because we were built when libraries contained only books and the occasional microfiche reader. Nonetheless, after successfully executing at least 1 makerspace per semester for the fir As a secondary librarian, without planning time, without my own students focused on design/construction/creativity, I'm launching a full-time makerspace this fall that is filled with mostly donated items from the now-extinct home economics and fashion programs at my school. We have a severe shortage of electricity because we were built when libraries contained only books and the occasional microfiche reader. Nonetheless, after successfully executing at least 1 makerspace per semester for the first two years, I'm confident that a full-time makerspace will bring two qualities to my library learning commons (LLC) culture that I struggle to maintain on a daily basis: creativity and community. What I mean by that is that libraries were made for consuming information and to truly understand the nature of manufacturing/designing/inventing we need to shift to becoming as much creators as we are consumers....in life, in general, for all people, but certainly for the students in my LLC. The other thing that students (if not all people) are sorrily missing is community. They need to have places to hang out and learn from each other while enjoying the company. Flashback to the quilting bee, the hunt club, or as I experienced it, the 4-H homemaking club.

So with these ideas already in mind, I approached this book, particularly excited because it's aimed at grades 6 - 12 whereas so many other resources on makerspaces are targeted at elementary folks. I purchased the book after having listened to author Leslie Preddy speak at a library research conference called Treasure Mountain in Connecticut a few years back. Maybe I read it already, maybe I've picked up most of what Preddy has to say through other means, but I found that for a book devoted to secondary makerspaces, that it was lacking in innovation. I suppose what I wanted most was to feel a reassuring hug with a few sure-fire strategies for success and didn't. In fact most of the book is devoted to Pinterest-style pages of what to do with very little. I already thought of that.

The meat of this book is in the first 8 pages where Preddy suggests creating library-style pathfinders with instruction videos on how to get started. This is an idea I'll definitely take away. She suggests that signage and mentoring are the best ways to get students started. She also says that it might take some time for students to move to independent experimentation and to just keep the students coming back and soon it will take off. She briefly mentions some sort of badging or achievement system where students can move from novice to mentor, but doesn't really expand on it.

I'll be continuing my quest for secondary makerspace guidance as Preddy's book, for me and my needs, fell short of the mark. ...more

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Jul 05, 2017 Hilary rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Offers a short history of the Maker movement in school settings and a variety of tried-and-true projects to get enthusiasts started.

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Jun 09, 2014 Marcia rated it liked it

Shelves: education, professional, nonfiction, grown-up-books

Lots of ideas and step by step projects for a school maker space. This book has a decidedly arts and crafts feel, rather than high tech, so it's a good balance and reminder of all that a maker space can accommodate. ...more

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