Abstract
Public library makerspaces are said to empower users, yet this empowerment has
been undefined and unresearched. Is empowerment occurring, how, and for whom? Libraries need to unpack empowerment, defined here as “the processes by which libraries support people’s capacity or capabilities to achieve their self-defined goals," evaluate their support for users’ goals and the success of a makerspace. This paper addresses this need with a checklist developed from ethnographic research and Illich’s theory of “convivial tools,” which forward power to their users to decide how, why, and when to use them. Findings show that makerspace librarians claim convivial power relationships their spaces, but need help to follow through with this claim. This checklist can assist librarian assessments of service impacts, and facilitate power-sharing
from the users’ perspective, and develop spaces, programs, policies and practices that equitably support users’ needs. Such tools can help sustain makerspaces, given libraries’ limited resources.
been undefined and unresearched. Is empowerment occurring, how, and for whom? Libraries need to unpack empowerment, defined here as “the processes by which libraries support people’s capacity or capabilities to achieve their self-defined goals," evaluate their support for users’ goals and the success of a makerspace. This paper addresses this need with a checklist developed from ethnographic research and Illich’s theory of “convivial tools,” which forward power to their users to decide how, why, and when to use them. Findings show that makerspace librarians claim convivial power relationships their spaces, but need help to follow through with this claim. This checklist can assist librarian assessments of service impacts, and facilitate power-sharing
from the users’ perspective, and develop spaces, programs, policies and practices that equitably support users’ needs. Such tools can help sustain makerspaces, given libraries’ limited resources.
Original language | American English |
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Journal | Library Quarterly |
State | Accepted/In press - 2024 |
Keywords
- makerspaces
- public libraries
- assessment
- convivial tools
- empowerment
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Library and Information Sciences