Citation: Jensen, K. (2016). "Looks like we made it: 11 lessons from a makers space, one year in. School Library Journal. November, 2016. 38-40.

Summary: One year into running a makerspace, author Karen Jensen, of the Teen Librarian Toolbox blog, shares what she learned from the experience with readers. In the beginning Jensen thought the makerspace would be technology focused, but she quickly learned not to discount arts and crafts. Teens crave these activities, and adding pens for drawing and coloring, as well as tape crafts and string art was a hit with her students. This was also key for keeping things fresh. Her second tip is to constantly mix things up by rotating what is available to students. This also includes hosting thematic days, such as a Star Wars Reads Day, where students create all things Star Wars related (thumb-print buttons, LEGO challenges, and string art). Thematic days like this are a great way to prompt students’ creativity-- which is her third tip. At first she thought that students would just sit down and dive in, but quickly learned that kids need a place to start. Providing books, how tos, and visual examples is a necessity.

Some of the author’s other key tips relate to budgeting-- both time and money. Jensen quickly learned that the budget for a makerspace is never enough. Her initial start up budget was $6000, but since then has spent over $4000 on consumables to keep things up. Students are always requesting new items, and fulfilling their requests are essential to creating a student centered place to create. Another aspect related to the budget is staffing. Makerspaces require supervision. To meet this need, Jensen hired to part-time staffers to help after school and on the weekends. Having this staff is also helpful because of the help they provide to students. Each staff member brings his/her own unique gifts to students and have helped students develop their own passions.

Her final tips are related to keeping the space student centered, allowing them not only a space to create, but also a space to publish their work. Students need to have ownership over the space and this includes giving students input on what they want added. Finally she reminds readers that the makerspace is a new way to connect with and teach students. Although it’s a labor intensive effort, it’s well worth the work!

Evaluation: This article is essential for anyone interested in creating a makerspace. Reading this piece, made me realize how much time, work, and effort goes into creating a successful one. Even so, I found it inspiring and hope to create one in  my own library someday!