Why Your Library May Soon Have Laser Cutters and 3-D Printers

http://www.wired.com/2014/09/makerspace/

“Chattanooga and Cleveland aren’t the only cities giving this new kind of library a try. A survey by John Burke at Miami University found that 109 libraries in the US had a makerspace or were close to opening one. Others are hosting events like Wikipedia edit-a-thons, where residents plumb the library’s resources to create articles about local history. (One library even has its own farm.) This ferment is attracting patrons; a Pew Internet survey found that these new modes bring in folks who normally shun libraries, typically men and people with limited education.”

“You have to give the librarians credit. Stereotype says they’re fusty, but the reality is absolutely the opposite. Over and over they’ve adapted to new information tools, from microfiche to CD-ROMs to the Internet. Now this—possibly the best example I’ve seen of how a storied institution embraces change.”

Stephen