Blog entry by Gary Green (Digital Services Lead, Surrey Libraries)
Over the past few years Surrey Libraries have been working towards a permanent makerspace at Guildford Library. This includes focusing on a number of groups in the community, one of which is aimed at developing the skills of children in relation to creative technology, digital and STEM activities.
As part of this we have either run the events ourselves, making use of the interests and skills of library staff, hosted events provided by external organisations and individuals within the local community, and also run events as part of national initiatives.
We’ve seen that there has been a shift in the way that people learn over the past few years, with hands-on and making approaches being particularly effective for subjects around the STEM agenda and technology.Events we’ve either run or hosted for children, include:
- Robotics sessions using Mbot, Ozobots, and Meccano Meccanoids.
- Electronics sessions using Little Bits, Raspberry Pi, and Makey Makey controllers
- Coding activities including Code Clubs, IAmTheCODE clubs, Micro:bits sessions.
- Minecraft, which have also included elements of coding.
- Interactive fiction writing session for looked after children.
- Game Making
We originally decided to focus on these areas after running a maker day in January 2016 with much of the technology mentioned above. The day was a success, with over 120 adults and children attending. Following on from this we were given funding to buy a mobile Makercart, which included most of the kit we have mentioned already, as well as a 3D printer and digital paper cutter. We recently also ran a crowd-funding campaign with support from MBA students at the University of Surrey to raise money for a film studio. Children will be able to use this studio to film and share their own maker projects.
Maker and STEM activities were a new concept for Surrey Libraries, but by signing up to the Maker Corps program (a U.S. based initiative) we were able to provide a focus for our activities. We also had guidance and support from educator and maker Carlos Izsak.
As well as coding courses and stand alone maker sessions we’ve also used some of our maker kit for events with a broader focus, including a local arts festival, Always the Sun; The Big Draw; Fun Palaces; and a thank you event for our Summer Reading Challenge volunteers.
Benefits of running these activities include:
- Supporting the development of children’s skills in relation to the STEM agenda in a creative way, with a focus on coding and technology.
- Developing our learning and educational offer in relation to technology within libraries, and demonstrate our value in this area.
- Engaging with the local community to highlight our desire to support learning in this way, and encourage the local community to support us in this endeavour in either a formal or informal partnership role. We have had such a positive response to this from the local community.
The project in Guildford continues to develop with the support of a steering group made up of library service representatives, local interest groups, the University of Surrey and both county and borough councils. Again this highlights both the support and partnerships we are building up around this concept and this has been key to developing the offer.
Though much of the maker focus has been on activities in Guildford Library, we have started to expand the activities to many of our other libraries. Guildford Library acts as a space to pilot ideas, which we can then share with other library staff around the county and give them the skills to run their own activities in other locations. This ensures that our support of the STEM agenda happens in other locations and more children have the chance to participate.
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