Makerspaces support library goals like equity of access, community development, creating meaningful relationships and promoting lifelong learning.
In a 2013 report, high school users of the Chicago Public Library’s YOUmedia studio listed the following effects of their experiences with a digital media learning center, as summarized by Elizabeth Hartnett for Public Libraries Online:
- Feeling of safety, community and belonging.
- Greater involvement with chosen interests.
- Improvement in at least one digital media skill.
- Improved academic, communication and writing skills.
- Better understanding of opportunities after high school.
In exploring “How Maker Education is Impacting Student Cognition,” USC Rossier’s online Guide to Maker Education notes a University of Virginia study on science education which found that "students who engaged in hands-on activities every day or once a week scored significantly higher on a standardized test of science achievement than students who engaged in hands-on activities once a month, less than once a month, or never." Research is ongoing regarding the specific benefits of makerspaces in learning environments, but there seems to be a general consensus that they are beneficial to improving cognition and fostering a love for learning.
Experience the hands-on learning and exploration first hand at FCPL’s dedicated makerspace, the Sherwood Regional Library TechLab.
