Libraries add "maker spaces" to attract patrons

"A $4,200 recording booth, $5,400 worth of movie animation software and two $750 sewing machines. No, it’s not the wish list of a particularly spoiled, artsy kid. It’s a plan for the future of the Dakota County libraries.

The county is looking to join several Twin Cities libraries that have added “maker spaces.” The areas filled with technical equipment for do-it-yourself projects have grown in popularity over the past few years, and are changing libraries’ roles in their communities.

People are visiting libraries less as e-books become more popular, Deputy Library Director Ben Trapskin said. So communities are rethinking how to use the buildings. “We really want to breathe some new life into what we’re all about,” he said. “This is a good reason for people to come back into the space.”...

While Hennepin County libraries do not have a maker spaces for adults, they have added programming, like a knitting group, to fill that niche, Turner said...

Equipment and furnishings are expected to cost $55,000 and will be covered by a grant and a donation. The county is still figuring out how to cover future expenses like repairing equipment and training staff, Trapskin said.

Staffing the area will require a balancing act, said Darcy Schatz, who is on the county’s Library Advisory Committee. Employees will need to help run the equipment without sacrificing other services, she said.

But as communities’ needs have changed, Trapskin said libraries have gotten used to shifting staff and resources — like the donation that will help fund Dakota County’s maker space. That money was originally designated for print reference books."

See also this article about libraries that lend tools (to be blogged separately later).