Lisa M.

Winchell & Kris Sumner

Field Trip Presentation and Final Paper

August 10, 2015

LIS 805:10

Times are changing. No one who works in a library or goes to one these days, for that
matter, could deny that. STEAM programming, makerspaces, and more emphasis on
experiential learning rather than traditional research are the new mainstays of library
programming. But, how do small town libraries, with limited resources and equally limited
budgets keep up with this new trend? The answer is simplethey do what they can with what
they can get.
As an example, Helen Plum Library has done an excellent job providing STEAM and
maker programming even without a dedicated space as evidenced below.

Opened in 1927
Delivering the world of ideas to you.

110 W Maple St, Lombard, Illinois 60148

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Lisa M. Winchell & Kris Sumner

Field Trip Presentation and Final Paper

August 10, 2015

LIS 805:10

Mon-Fri:
9:00 am - 9:00 pm
Sat:
9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Sun:
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm

A library card is available to anyone who lives

within the corporate limits of Lombard. Cards may be obtained by presenting proper
identification and completing the application form. A parent's signature is required for all
children under the age of 18. These cards have a three-year expiration.

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Lisa M. Winchell & Kris Sumner

Field Trip Presentation and Final Paper

August 10, 2015

LIS 805:10

Helen Plum Library Reactions

Kris Sumner
At first, I was a little taken aback by the offerings at Helen Plum. I got there early to
explore a bit and could not find anything that looked remotely like a makerspace. The
children/youth section was amazing in its offerings, but I was expecting to see a separate room or
area tucked in a corner that housed maker activities. There was a separate room, called the
Robins Nest, but it contained play tables and play kitchen sets for babies and toddlers. Once we
met up with our contact, Cate Loveday, however, it became clear that the Helen Plum library
embraces the ideas of flexibility and movability in the maker programming.
The Youth Services division is on the main floor, but most of their maker programming is
done in their multipurpose room in the basement. One of the closets in the multipurpose room
houses several giant bags full of Legos for their Lego Club and other general equipmenttables,
chairs, easels, etc. The remainder of their maker equipment is locked away on the second floor
in the staff lounge/office area. Whatever programming they do requires the staff to bring the
materials down from the second floor office to the basement room. Cate mentioned that there
are sometimes scheduling issues with that space because it is the only space available for
programming and it needs to serve both the adult and youth populations.
We really didnt get to make anything while we were there, which was a little
disappointing. There was no programming going on, and Cate needed to get back to work the
desk. She didnt rush us through the tour or anything, but there simply wasnt time for us to go
into depth with any of the equipment. That doesnt mean we didnt get to play, however. Cate
was more than happy to pull out all of the fun things they use in their maker programming. We
got to connect LittleBits, Snap Circuits, Squishy Circuits, and try to play a game using Osmo.
We were terrible at it! The 3D doodler was not charged up, so we couldnt use that, but we got
to mess around with programming the Bee Bot and the Sphero.
The Helen Plum library seems to have a wide range of tools and gadgets for children of
all ages, and they advertise their offerings in a newsletter for children called Plum Jam. There
didnt seem to be much programming done for adults, but we were focusing primarily on youth
services for this visit.
The library has an extensive collection of other neat and useful tools in the Youth
Services division. iPads for checkout, sensory packages for special needs patrons, puzzles,
games, laptops with preinstalled software, puppets, and, of course, books, movies, and
magazines. In addition, they have six computers set up with basic programs geared toward
children, complete with headphones and easy-to-use mouse and keyboard setups.
After getting over my initial concerns about the space and how it fit into our class subject
matter, I was duly impressed by what the Helen Plum library is able to accomplish with their
limited space. They really do offer a lot of maker opportunities throughout the year.

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Lisa M. Winchell & Kris Sumner

Field Trip Presentation and Final Paper

August 10, 2015

LIS 805:10

Lisa Marie Winchell

It would be putting it lightly to say I was surprised upon entering Helen Plums
Childrens Department. I have gone on a tour of Harold Washingtons makerspace and have
done countless presentations, slideshows, have taken webinars, and led makers programs that I
suppose I had a fairly high standard of what I would see when I got there.
When childrens librarian Cate Loveday walked into the Robins Nest room- a small,
square room with a few tables filled with toddler toys, and said, This is the room you came to
see!. I was worried. Not to sound horribly rude, but my first thought was, why would we
drive for an hour to see a small, plain, open room? There was nothing hanging on the walls,
nothing exciting to seeliterally a couple tables at toddler height, with toys. I read Kris emails
to Cate and knew that she had made it very clear why we were coming. I was completely
befuddled. I then asked if she would mind taking us on a tour of the department. It was
decorated nicely with the superhero theme that many public libraries have loved getting into (we
did last summer and it was a big hit)! The department feels warm and inviting, a fun place to
explore. I was surprised that there werent many places to sit down with a book and get cozy. In
fact, I saw a few chairs by the main desk, but that was it, if my memory serves me correctly.
What a shame. I love settling in when spending a nice chunk of time at the library. That should
have been my first clue. While the collection is admirable (especially the resources for special
needs children and the games that families can check out, thanks to grants!), the department is
not inviting in the way of offering space to settle in, read, think, build, or create. This goes right
into the maker mentality. While they dont have the space to have a regular make and take or a
smaller space to dedicate to making, I will say that I absolutely appreciate their effort.
Cate led us downstairs where she showed us the meeting room that the various
departments of the library share for programming. She unlocked the doors along the wall to
reveal the Legos (in the Lay N Go bags) that they use for competitions and free play. However,
the most fun we had was when she took us into their offices upstairs to look at the toys they use
in their different makers clubs. We got to ask her about her thoughts and patrons reactions to the
following gadgets:
*Snap Circuits Jr.
*Little Bits
*Squishy Circuits
*Sphero
*Bee Bot
*3Doodler
*Lego Education (We Do)
*Osmo
For their lack of space, I applaud their intentionality in embracing STEAM activities and the
maker mentality!

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Lisa M. Winchell & Kris Sumner

Field Trip Presentation and Final Paper

August 10, 2015

LIS 805:10

Designing Our Own Space

Using what we learned from visiting Helen Plum, we designed our own makerspace for
an imaginary library. Our library is located in a small town of about 6,000 people. The
community just built a new high school with a state-of-the-art digital media lab and creation
space. But, the elementary school children and adults are not able to use the space. The
community has been requesting maker programming for a few years, but the librarys operating
budget is extremely limited. In fact, the only thing that is not limited at the library is space. In
response to the communitys request, the library has decided to convert a first floor room,
currently being used for storage, to a makerspace using a budget of only $5,000.
The room in question is 629 square feet of white cement brick, with three windows along
the east 37 wall and one door on the north 17 wall. The south wall has built-in cupboards
already. To renovate the space, the library will use staff and volunteer time to paint the east and
west 37 walls bright colors as outlined in the accompanying presentation. The bright color
motif will continue on the 17 north and south walls. The top half of the north wall will be
painted with dry erase paint, and the cupboards on the south wall will be painted with chalkboard
paint. The library will then commandeer tables and chairs from around the library for use in the
space. Because the electrical and fiber optic cable work was completed several years before,
these small renovations will run less than $250.
Once the renovations are complete, two Windows computers and one iMac computer will
be moved to the makerspace from the underused computer lab in the basement. Inkscape, Gimp
2, SketchUp, netFabb, and Sculptris will be loaded onto each machine. In addition, several
helpful websites will be bookmarked for easy patron access, including TinkerCAD, Lynda.com,
makeszine.com, and makerspace.com.
Using roughly $4,000 of the budget, the library will purchase a SenseTM 3D scanner, six
LittleBits starter kits, six Arduino starter kits, a WeDo STEM Classroom pack from LEGO for
eight students, six Raspberry Pi 2s, a Bee Bot classroom set for four students, an UP! Mini 3D
printer, and six colors to start of ABS filament. In addition, the library will solicit craft material
donations from the community and use a small portion (around $100) for supplies from yard and
estate sales.
With this equipment to start, the library will be able to provide STEAM programming for
school groups and offer classes on software, 3D printing, and circuitry. In addition, the library
will be able to host a Makers Club and a Circuit Club for adults and children, as well as craft
nights for all ages.
The space will be staffed at all times by representatives from each department on a
rotating schedule. Prior to opening the space, staff members will be given an opportunity to
learn the available software and technology through online tutorials and hands-on experience.
Staff will also be invited and encouraged to explore options on their own.
All told, it should only take a few months to get the space up and running. Prior to
opening, and to build excitement in the community, the library will host a naming contest for the
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Lisa M. Winchell & Kris Sumner

Field Trip Presentation and Final Paper

August 10, 2015

LIS 805:10

space. The winner will receive a $100 in Downtown Dollars, donated by the Chamber of
Commerce, to be used at any business in the Downtown area.
Once the space is open to the public, the library will evaluate the spaces effectiveness by
having patrons sign in if they are attending a program or for open shop. Minimal information
will be required; it will be mostly for tracking purposes. Staff will also monitor space usage on a
spreadsheet as a supplement to the sign-in sheets. Once a program is finished, participants will
be asked to fill out a survey via SurveyMonkey. The library will also solicit feedback from the
community via a Suggestion Box.
Because of the importance of technology and the increasing emphasis on experiential
learning, the time is right for the creation of a space like this, even in small community libraries
around the country. It is surprising how much can be accomplished with even a small budget of
$5,000. We were able to give our little library a good start with our limited budget, with $500
left over. We reserved that amount for incidentals and unforeseen issues with the technology or
renovation plans. If that is not used, however, that money will go toward the following years
budget. We hope that the space proves itself to be successful and therefore garners additional
funding, from the librarys operating budget, grants, and future donations.
The world is what we make it. We hope our new library makerspace will make it a
good one.

Page 6

The Plan
for our small town public library as we turn a storage area into
a makerspace!

Room dimensions: 37x17 with cement block, white

walls, three windows, and one door

Furniture: Existing chairs and tables will be used. Two

Windows computers and one iMac will be kept, previously kept
in the underused computer lab in the basement.

Staffing: Current staff and volunteers will help with the

renovation. Each department will be on a rotating schedule to
maintain the space.

Electrical needs are up-to-date

Keep the Old

Storytime
Homework Help
Movie Nights
Music Programs
Arts and Crafts Programs

Images courtesy of Our Library Folk Festival (top) and Kalamazoo Public Library (bottom)

But Bring in the New!

3D Printing
Programing
Circuitry
Enhanced arts and crafts
Experimenting
Exploring
And more fun, fun, fun!

Its All in the Name

Announcing

Image courtesy of AFT Local 243 (Madison Area Technical College)

Community naming contest!

Tech Budget
Item

Quantity

Cost

Total

SenseTM 3D Scanner

$399.00

$399.00

LittleBits Starter Kits

$99.00

$594.00

Arduino Starter Kits

$89.90

$539.40

WeDo STEM Classroom

Packs (8-student packs)

$1152.95

$1152.95

Raspberry Pi 2

$35.00

$210.00

Bee Bot Classroom Set (4

bots)

$499.95

$499.95

ABS Filament

$29.95

$179.70

UP! Mini 3D Printer

$599.00

$599.00

Total

$4174.00

Software

Logos available from each software company

Programming Ideas

Makers Club
STEAM
Circuit Club
Host school groups
Classes on software, 3D printing, and
other technological services

Web Resources
https://www.tinkercad.com/
http://www.lynda.com/
https://www.behance.net/
http://makezine.com/
https://makerspace.com/

Renovations
Room Dimensions: 37 x 17

East 37 Wall

West 37 Wall

Renovations Continued
South 17 Wall
(cupboards painted with chalkboard paint)

North 17 Wall
(top half painted with dry erase paint)

Budget
Item

Quantity

Cost

Total

Dry Erase Paint

$19.95

$39.90

Chalkboard Paint

$9.98

$9.98

Wall/Ceiling Paint

$28.97

$173.82

Total

$223.70

Supplies
Craft Supply donation drive
Yard sales
Current stock

Evaluations
Sign-in sheet for programs
Name and contact information

Sign-in sheet for open hours

Name, general age range, resource used,
time in/out

Staff to keep track as well

SurveyMonkey surveys for each program
Paper surveys available for open hours

Facing the Music

Total Budget
Technology
$4174.00
Renovations
$225.00
Supplies
$100.00
Incidentals
$501.00
$5000.00