72 · Survey Results: Survey Questions and Responses
year. 1. A device library has been established. Devices available for check out include cameras, tablets, microcontrollers,
superdrives, keyboards, motion and gesture controllers, etc. 2. Funding has been secured for the recording studio
component through the Hornraiser crowdfunding initiative. As of this report, $15,695 has been raised. 3. A Media
Technician position has been approved and will be recruited over the summer. This will be a support and training
position. 4. The UT Libraries is considering the addition of an Arts and Creative Technologies Librarian to provide the
vision, outreach, and programming for the UT Foundry. 5. A Graduate Research Assistant position will be transferred
from another area within the Fine Arts Library to support the work of the UT Foundry. 6. A project assessment plan
has been developed so that we will be able to solicit feedback and fine tune this important new initiative To completely
build out the UT Foundry, approximately $300,000 is needed for facilities upgrades, improvements, and equipment
purchases. For more information see: http://news.utexas.edu/2015/02/02/beyond-textbooks-high-tech-tools-help-
students-build http://blogs.lib.utexas.edu/texlibris/tag/creativity-commons/
This survey is limited in scope and language, given its focus on fabrication and makerspace functions. Academic libraries
will be involved at a higher level, I think, in digital scholarship and design learning activities. Libraries should be involved
in all aspects of the end-to-end knowledge creation process. I see a number of ARL libraries offering collaboration
spaces and equipment, visualization walls and services, data analysis tools, data management support, and design
technology software and equipment, including 3-D printing and scanning.
Utilize your students. Some of them have a deep interest in building and making, and they will be invaluable in figuring
out what settings, filaments, code, etc. works, and what doesn’t. Do not expect to start a makerspace without at least
one person who enjoys taking equipment apart, fixing it, and putting it back together. The printers especially, even
though they purport to be consumer-ready, do require a DIY ethos, and manufacturer support can be sparse.
We are actively involved in gathering information and becoming more aware of the services on campus, and growing
demand for them. We are also involved in investigating the appropriate policies necessary for responsible use of these
services, and learning more about how other departments that currently host these services set policies at their sites.
We offer a user-mediated service-- this means that anyone who wants to use our printer (and has a library card) must
become certified (attend safety training, sign a waiver, pass a knowledge test). Then they book time on the printer
during our open hours and then they print their object in a relatively unsupervised, secure space. We DO NOT supervise
the printer, offer consultations on design (although we do help with the makerbot desktop software part), or print the
object for people. Right now our service is focusing on teaching people how to use the printers (makerbot replicator 2)
safety and effectively.
year. 1. A device library has been established. Devices available for check out include cameras, tablets, microcontrollers,
superdrives, keyboards, motion and gesture controllers, etc. 2. Funding has been secured for the recording studio
component through the Hornraiser crowdfunding initiative. As of this report, $15,695 has been raised. 3. A Media
Technician position has been approved and will be recruited over the summer. This will be a support and training
position. 4. The UT Libraries is considering the addition of an Arts and Creative Technologies Librarian to provide the
vision, outreach, and programming for the UT Foundry. 5. A Graduate Research Assistant position will be transferred
from another area within the Fine Arts Library to support the work of the UT Foundry. 6. A project assessment plan
has been developed so that we will be able to solicit feedback and fine tune this important new initiative To completely
build out the UT Foundry, approximately $300,000 is needed for facilities upgrades, improvements, and equipment
purchases. For more information see: http://news.utexas.edu/2015/02/02/beyond-textbooks-high-tech-tools-help-
students-build http://blogs.lib.utexas.edu/texlibris/tag/creativity-commons/
This survey is limited in scope and language, given its focus on fabrication and makerspace functions. Academic libraries
will be involved at a higher level, I think, in digital scholarship and design learning activities. Libraries should be involved
in all aspects of the end-to-end knowledge creation process. I see a number of ARL libraries offering collaboration
spaces and equipment, visualization walls and services, data analysis tools, data management support, and design
technology software and equipment, including 3-D printing and scanning.
Utilize your students. Some of them have a deep interest in building and making, and they will be invaluable in figuring
out what settings, filaments, code, etc. works, and what doesn’t. Do not expect to start a makerspace without at least
one person who enjoys taking equipment apart, fixing it, and putting it back together. The printers especially, even
though they purport to be consumer-ready, do require a DIY ethos, and manufacturer support can be sparse.
We are actively involved in gathering information and becoming more aware of the services on campus, and growing
demand for them. We are also involved in investigating the appropriate policies necessary for responsible use of these
services, and learning more about how other departments that currently host these services set policies at their sites.
We offer a user-mediated service-- this means that anyone who wants to use our printer (and has a library card) must
become certified (attend safety training, sign a waiver, pass a knowledge test). Then they book time on the printer
during our open hours and then they print their object in a relatively unsupervised, secure space. We DO NOT supervise
the printer, offer consultations on design (although we do help with the makerbot desktop software part), or print the
object for people. Right now our service is focusing on teaching people how to use the printers (makerbot replicator 2)
safety and effectively.
