Check out these business pc images:
Cool Toys Pic of the Day - #MAYker Monday
Image by rosefirerising
*Editorial note: Hi, folks, sorry for the brief hiatus. I've been out sick
with bronchitis for almost a month. Hope to get back on schedule this week.
*
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#MAYker Monday:
twitter.com/search?q=%23MaykerMonday&src=hash
Genesis story for #MAYker Monday c/o PC Sweeney:
pcsweeney.com/2013/02/11/introducing-library-maykermondays/
It is more than likely, if you are reading this blog, you are familiar with
the concept of maker- or hackerspaces. Unfortunately, the same cannot be
said for the population at large. MAYker Monday is an initiative that
culminated following a session at ALA Midwinter as outlined in P.C.
Sweeney’s post above. He makes a compelling case that libraries and
librarians are already participating in maker culture, but they just don’t
call it that.
I think a lot of libraries think that participating in maker- faires,
spaces, movements, culture requires a lot of ancillary equipment or special
tools. While that can be the case for some items, the spirit of the makers
is that of MacGyver. If a paperclip is involved anything is possible!
Often it is about using ordinary things in novel ways. Sometimes it is
just about taking things apart to see how they work. When I went to the
Detroit Maker Faire last year, there was everything from seed bombs and
gardening hacks to full size vehicles, robots, and 3D printers. That is
the beauty of maker culture. If you have a hobby or even just a curiosity
about the world, it is likely that you will be able to find some place in
maker culture.
Interested in gaming, why not try setting up your own Alternate Reality
Game (ARG)? It can be as simple as geocaching or as complex as Shadow
Cities. Don’t have the tech for ARG, try a multimedia scavenger hunt
instead. Interested in knitting? Find something to yarnbomb. What about
things the library is traditionally known for you say? How many of our
libraries already include programming with Legos, duct tape, jewelry or the
like? A good portion likely. What about a multimedia book club? If
you’re romance book club is reading a steampunk romance, try steaming up
jewelry, parasols, or other items mentioned in the book.
The idea here is that for every Monday in May (and there are only 3 this
year) we make an effort to introduce maker culture to our communities.
That might mean bringing in community members who are already a part of
the movement like All Hands Active in Ann Arbor. If you don’t have a
community partner like that, think about businesses that might benefit from
introducing making to the community and ask them to sponsor for the cost of
supplies (which can be as cheap as some LED lights, superglue and
batteries). Maybe it’s the Local Electrician’s or Pipefitter’s Union. You
might be surprised where your maker allies are hidden.
Maker and hacker cultures are evolving and may still be rough around the
edges, but that is why it is so important for us to be involved. Maybe a
patron will find out they are adept at building micro-robots and decide to
turn that into a job, or maybe a little girl will decide she wants to go
into science because she got to make a fruit battery. And all of this can
be tied to our resources. Create some passive displays around the area
where you do the programming that allow people to pick up CDs, DVDs, and
books about the types of making they are doing that day. The more people
understand about this movement, the benefits and the joy of lifelong
learning, the more likely it is that this type of culture will become more
mainstream and get some of its rough edges polished off.
*ARG Resources:*
Jane McGonigal:
janemcgonigal.com/
Library Journal: Toronto Public Library Enters Alternate Reality (Gaming):
lj.libraryjournal.com/2013/04/marketing/toronto-public-li...
Yarnbombing:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yarn_bombing
Facebook: Yarnbombing:
www.facebook.com/yarnbombing
Steampunk DIY:
www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Steampunk/
EpBot: Crafts & Tutorials:
www.epbot.com/p/tutorials.html
MAKE Television:
makezine.com/tv/
P.S. Why not make something for Mother’s Day? It’s just around the corner!
This is a guest post by Chris Bulin (@Arduanne), a graduate student
assistant at the Taubman Health Sciences Library.
[image: Inline image 2]
Day 24/ Mon 17 Aug 09
Image by JolieNY
Party in the front... Business in the back!
I drive a Mac and iPhone at home and a PC and Blackberry at work.
I have many friends and family who are NOT proud of this state of affairs.
