University of Illinois (University of Illinois, School of Information Sciences)

The University of Illinois Board of Trustees and the Champaign-Urbana Community Fab Lab, with the American Library Association, Nation of Makers Library Makerspaces Working Group, and Library Makers, will host a forum to solidify and leverage current networks, projects, and expertise in library makerspaces (collaborative work spaces for making, exploring, learning, and sharing) and chart future directions for advancing library makerspaces. Key stakeholders encompass library maker professionals, prospective library maker professionals, library and information sciences educators, and higher education researchers. Through online and in-person forum activities, stakeholders will engage in dialogue, reflect on and consolidate existing knowledge, and envision the future of library makerspaces. The intended project results will be a collaboratively developed vision and strategic direction for library makerspaces. The project will enhance the capacity of library makerspaces to meet the evolving needs of their communities while advancing the goals of the maker movement on a national scale.