Why public libraries should follow Chicago’s lead and build maker labs

I live in Chicago and I have to say that the Harold Washington Library is one of the few things I'm extremely proud of. I will definitely go check this out next time and I hope it spurs more Chicagoans to explore this treasure located in the heart of the city.

In principal, this is a fantastic idea.

In practice, sharing a lab is an uphill struggle when the people you share it with are your coworkers/fellow students. When they're just people that wandered in off the street, I could imagine that without very careful control of the situation the place will end up with piles of crap and absolutely no tools.

I suppose it completely depends what type of lab they've built. I hope this idea spreads (because I would like to have access to this kind of resource), and I hope it works!

We're getting one of these in the public library in Downtown Orlando, FL ... looking forward to when it opens :)

http://tic.ocls.info/

Title:

> Why public libraries should follow Chicago’s lead and build maker labs

Article summary (from the article):

> The lab will operate through the end of the year and offer 3D printers, laser cutters, a milling machine, a vinyl cutter and software.

Justification of the title (i.e., why libraries should build maker labs), as far as I can see, after reading the article:

> resources like Chicago’s maker lab will bring in people who might have never had the chance to build something otherwise.

My summary:

Why libraries should build maker labs: Because the author likes them.

Chattanooga has one as well, and a really cool startup incubator, but we have no hackerspace. There should be a daily time lapse gif soon.

http://4thfloor.chattlibrary.org/content/about-public-librar...

http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2011/10/the-un...

The library in my town (pop. < 5,000) has a reasonably well appointed maker lab.

http://fflib.org/learn/make/ffl-creation-lab/creation-lab-in...

I've yet to make use of it... but there a few projects I'd like to try out when I have the time.

As much as I like libraries and the services they provide, (books, internet, study and meeting spaces), I don't think this is a good match.

As a member and former member of various robot and ham radio groups, shared spaces are a pain to run. They work much better as a paid coop where everyone has skin/money in the game.

Okay, why? The title says "Why...", but the author does not offer us a "why".

And I don't necessarily disagree, but I was just hoping for an argument as to 'why', as the title promissed.

All the classes are pretty much full, they don't have very good infrastructure but I will camp out there if that is what it will take for me to use a 3-D printer to make an action figure.

I love these kind of "articles." I wonder who gigaom has money riding on?