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Ask Slashdot: How Should I Build a Maker Space For a Liberal Arts College?

Posted by Soulskill on from the build-it-out-of-LEGO dept.

XxtraLarGe writes: I work for a small liberal arts college, and have been asked to research makerspaces. I have done a bunch of initial research which tells me a lot about equipment being used, as well as location, etc., but what I'm not finding are what to know before you start, or what it takes to make the effort worthwhile.

I'd be interested in hearing from other educators, staff, students and other maker community members on Slashdot that had makerspaces at their schools or community — can be any level — and what was the experience like? 3D printer, 3D scanner & Laser cutting machines seem to be a given, so I'd like to hear what kinds of think-outside-the-box equipment/materials did you have? We are considering putting it in our library, which seems to be a popular choice with most schools. There's also the possibility of having it somewhere in town that it could be more accessible to members of the community, maybe even as a co-op.

6 of 167 comments (clear)

  1. Makerspace.... by Brett+Buck · · Score: 4, Informative

    It's been called a WORKSHOP or some close equivalent in various languages for something like 2000 years now! Why the heck do we need to make up a stupid name for it?

    1. Re:Makerspace.... by NicBenjamin · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Because if you call it workshop upper middle class guys will think it's a place where dirty. low-class, lowlifes work with old techniques like welders and stay away. As a makerspace they know none of that riff-raff will be around to question their choice of Sci-Fi/pop culture toys reproduced in plastic; so they will come. And since it's at a Liberal Arts college, most of the potential market are those annoying upper-middle-class white guys.

    2. Re:Makerspace.... by PopeRatzo · · Score: 4, Insightful

      And if you show up, and you actually know how to make shit with your hands, they don't say "great, does your experience with real world physics give you any insights into how we can make building stuff with our computers easier?" they say "what could somebody who bends metal know about the latest 3d printers that are designed to bend metal?"

      As the son of a machinist, I still have a little trouble with the too-precious culture surrounding "makerspaces". My first job was sweeping up around his tool and die shop and if you wanted to see dudes who could make stuff, that was the place.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    3. Re:Makerspace.... by Mashiki · · Score: 5, Interesting

      As the son of a machinist, I still have a little trouble with the too-precious culture surrounding "makerspaces". My first job was sweeping up around his tool and die shop and if you wanted to see dudes who could make stuff, that was the place.

      Reminds me of a story my dad told me, he worked a lathe operator back in the 80's, and they had a few old guys who used to do all the tapping and die cuts by eyesight alone. They could turn out a threaded bolt that was so tight it would strip out the tapped hole from the air pressure. Or feel by touch whether or not there were imperfections in stuff they'd made. Something similar as my grandfather who was a bodyman, he could see and feel imperfections in a repair job that other people would miss even the guys who were doing repairs now.

      The guys before all the computerized stuff were artists in their trade, because they had to be just that good.

      --
      Om, nomnomnom...
  2. Staffing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I work at an art school. The equipment you choose is important, but not as crucial as the level of commitment from your institution. Building a space isn't just picking and buying the equipment. The institution also needs to look at the cost of staffing the space with knowledgeable, dedicated staff who can help manage expectations and keep things running. Layman think that laser cutters, 3D printers and CNC machines are like laser printers, they're not. There are safety regulations to consider, as well as proper ventilation and dust filtering. In academic spaces, "maker" devices get beaten to hell and are constantly breaking down. Grad students can only be expected to do so much. If your school is committed to "making," then then need to commit an annual budget to build an appropriate home as well as staff and maintain the facility with at least one full timer who can train faculty, and manage grad students and work study.

  3. People, not tools by inzy · · Score: 4, Informative

    I've been involved with my local makerspace, Tangle Ball in Auckland NZ, for about five years now. The most important thing we have done has been to focus on the social aspect: we're mostly interested in how members and guests behave and relate to each other. So, obviously no discrimination, abuse or other bad behaviour is allowed. We do not focus on any particular technology or tools or activity, but instead think about how we run the place, who gets to make decisions (anybody can take part in debates, no committee with any real power) and who has access or doesn't. We don't exclude any particular activity, anything is permitted so long as it doesn't monopolise any of the resources, discriminate or exclude others.

    That said, there are a wide range of activities, mostly around physically making things:
    * Sewing
    * Boat building
    * Electronics
    * Robotics
    * Art
    * Debate of social issues such as democracy, privacy, capitalism, urban development
    * Software development
    * Car painting
    * Tool tutorials and safety
    * A co-housing group
    * A cycle repair group - tumekecyclespace.org.nz
    * Cooking and baking
    * Collectivism

    There is a 3D printer, but suggesting a makerspace must have one is an odd and rather arbitrary decision: why would you focus on that one technology, it's terribly limiting? Why not sewing or brass casting or something else?

    The question is this: what are you trying to achieve, and why? In our case it was to provide a social space for members, who then provided whatever resources were required. The tools or whatever will follow from there; trying to predict what members and users want will straight away close down what can and can't be done.