Blugold Makerspace Creation Process
The Blugold Makerspace didn't pop up over night. Library and other interested staff invested significant time to investigate and plan the makerspace. You can read about our process in the article The 'stone soup' approach to creating a library makerspace.
We started with a Makerspace Exploration Task Force. The purpose was to determine the feasability of a makerspace and create funding proposals. We presented the funding proposals and once they were accepted and we had secured funding, we created a Makerspace Implementation Task Force. The purpose was to hammer out the details of the makerspace and implement the new space/service.
The Beginning
Fall 2016- Broad plan
- Library Director approved an Exploration Task Force
Makerspace Exploration Task Force
The Task force met 6 times between February and May 2017- Task Force Charge/Outline
- Task Force Minutes
- Useful resources
- Task Force Deliverables
Securing Funding
March and April 2018- Presented Proposal to ITC
- Secured about $15,000 from Information Technology Commission (ITC)
- Presented Proposal to SOS
- Secured about $15,000 from Student Office of Sustainability (SOS)
Makerspace Implementation Task Force
The task force met 16 times between February and September 2018Blugold Makerspace Opens 2018
- Sept 10 - Soft opening. We start staffing the makerspace
- Sept 21 - Grand opening with Davy Sumner
- Open hours and staffing
- Fall 2018: 24 hours per week, no student workers
- Spring 2019: 30 hours per week, 3 student workers
- Fall 2019: 32 hours per week, 3 student workers
- 2020 and 2021 were sad years
- Spring 2022: 39 hours per week, 5 student workers
- Makerspace Usage Statistics as of 2022-03-23