To me, public libraries — the availability of free education for all — represent the collective commitment of a community to their future. They symbolize what is most important, a commitment to educating the next generation. The role of a public library should also adapt over time, and that time is finally here. It’s time to plan how we’re going to build the future and what place public libraries have, should have, or won’t have. The goal of this article is to get everyone talking about one of our great resources, the public library, and its future.
If you’re reading this, you’re likely not reading it in a public library. Computers are cheap, and internet access is pretty good for most people. The majority of people do not get their online news from terminals at the public library. At one time the library was “the living internet” — you went there to look up something hard to find, to do research — now it’s all at our fingertips through search engines, Wikipedia, and the web.
So where does this leave libraries? Last week I walked by the Borders on Broadway in NYC — it’s going out of business. There are many reasons, but I think most people will agree giant collections of books in giant buildings do not make as much sense (or cents!) any longer. Not commercially, and likely not publicly, such as in a library setting. So where does this leave the library? Maybe they’ll move more and more to eBooks with some weird library-DRM, collections of DVDs, and other media outside of books. But again, it’s usually better online, and available in our homes.
Let’s explore what could be ahead for public libraries and how we could collectively transform them into “factories” — not factories that make things, but factories that help make people who want to learn and make things. Will libraries go away? Will they become hackerspaces, TechShops, tool-lending libraries, and Fab Labs, or have these new, almost-public spaces displaced a new role for libraries? For many of us, books themselves are tools. In the sense that books are tools of knowledge, the library is a repository for tools, so will we add “real tools” for the 21st century?
Before we dive into the future, let’s take a look at the current public library scene now. Feel free to skip this part. I think it’s pretty interesting though.
First up:
How are public libraries used in the USA?
Nationwide, visits to public libraries totaled 1.50 billion, or 5.1 library visits per capita. There were 2.28 billion circulations of library materials (7.7 per capita), and 1.21 uses of Internet PCs per capita during fiscal year 2008.
Source: Public Libraries in the United States: Fiscal Year 2008
How many public libraries are there in the USA?
If you add up public libraries and public school libraries, it’s about 100,000, but if you just look at public libraries (ones that are not part of a school), it’s about 9,000.
Source: Number of Libraries in the United States, ALA Library Fact Sheet
To put a 9,000 locations number into perspective:
There are currently (in the US) 650 Golds Gym locations, 1,750 Target locations, 2,300 Home Depot locations, 4,500 RadioShack locations, 10,000 Curves International Fitness locations, 17,000 Starbucks locations, and 32,000 McDonald’s locations.
How many people are paid/employed in libraries? These include part-time positions.
Librarians:
47,926
Other Paid Staff:
97,318
Total Paid Staff (Public Libraries):
145,244
Source: Number Employed in Libraries, ALA Library Fact Sheet
How much does it cost to run these 9,000 public libraries?
Total operating expenditures in public libraries steadily rose during the study period, going from $8.29 billion in FY1999 to $10.72 billion in FY2008 (figures are in constant 2008 dollars), an absolute increase of $2.43 billion and a percentage increase of 29.4 percent… Per capita operating expenditures increased during the period as well. Per capita operating expenditures increased from $31.56 in FY1999 to $36.36 in FY2008, an absolute increase of $4.80 per person and a percentage increase of 15.2 percent…
Source: Library Operating Expenditures: A Selected Annotated Bibliography
Let’s say it costs about $10 billion to run about 9,000 public libraries, that’s an average of about $1 million per year, per library. That’s not accurate, of course, but let’s deal in averages. In the same report(s), 24% of public libraries had operating expenditures of less than $50,000; 42% expended $50,000 to $399,999; and 34% expended $400,000 or more.
Where does the money come from?
Total operating revenue of public libraries and percentage distribution of revenue, by source of revenue and state: Fiscal year 2008, which reports that an estimated 83 percent of public libraries’ total operating revenue of $11.4 billion came from local sources; 9 percent from state sources; 0.4 percent from federal sources; and 8 percent from other sources, such as monetary gifts and donations, interest, library fines, fees, and grants.
OK, so for the most part it’s a local effort, paid for by each community.
Source: Library Operating Expenditures: A Selected Annotated Bibliography
And lastly:
Where does the money go (not including staff)?
…69 percent was expended for print materials; 11 percent was expended for electronic materials, such as e-books, e-serials (including journals), government documents, databases (including locally mounted, full text or not), electronic files, reference tools, scores, maps, or pictures in electronic or digital format, including materials digitized by the library, which can be distributed on magnetic tape, diskettes, computer software, CD-ROM, or other portable digital carrier, and can be accessed via a computer, via access to the Internet, or by using an e-book reader, and includes expenditures for materials held locally and for remote electronic materials for which permanent or temporary access rights have been acquired, and also includes expenditures for database licenses; and 19 percent for “Other materials,” such as microform, audio, video, DVD, and materials in new formats.
Mostly print books. That makes sense — they’re libraries. This will likely change over time, but it’s unclear how eBooks will be managed at this time. At least when a physical book is purchased it can last years, but DRM systems for eBooks have always seemed problematic to me, more so with multiple users, devices, and “lenders.”
Source: Library Operating Expenditures: A Selected Annotated Bibliography
Another bit of history that’s interesting is “The Carnegie Library”. More than half are still around, and 31 of the 39 in New York are still in use.
A Carnegie library is a library built with money donated by Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. 2,509 Carnegie libraries were built between 1883 and 1929, including some belonging to public and university library systems. 1,689 were built in the United States… When the last grant was made in 1919, there were 3,500 libraries in the United States, nearly half of them built with construction grants paid by Carnegie.
Carnegie believed in giving to the “industrious and ambitious; not those who need everything done for them, but those who, being most anxious and able to help themselves, deserve and will be benefited by help from others.”
The design of the Carnegie libraries has been given credit for encouraging communication with the librarian. It also created an opportunity for people to browse and discover books on their own. “The Carnegie libraries were important because they had open stacks which encouraged people to browse….People could choose for themselves what books they wanted to read,” according to Walter E. Langsam, an architectural historian and teacher at the University of Cincinnati. Before Carnegie, patrons had to ask a clerk to retrieve books from closed stacks.
Source: Wikipedia. To get funding, the formula was simple, demonstrate the need for a public library, provide the building site, annually provide 10% of the cost of the library’s construction to support its operation, and provide free service to all.
There are modern-day “Carnegies”: “Historically, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has been the largest single private foundation granting source for libraries. While the Gates Foundation led in 2000 and 2001″. Chart above, source: Worldwide education and library spending
I have a favorite story about someone who visited a library. It’s not exactly upbeat, but I think you’ll understand why it’s a good one, even more so on the 25th anniversary of the Challenger explosion.
The boy walked to the counter of the Lake City Public Library through a gantlet of stares in 1959. Ronald E. McNair, then 9, wanted to check out books on advanced science and calculus, but the librarian wouldn’t release them. “We don’t circulate books to Negroes,” she told him.
Library patrons laughed at McNair’s behavior, and the librarian threatened to call the police — and his mother, Pearl.
McNair didn’t budge.
Instead, he hoisted himself onto the counter, his spindly legs dangling, and waited, because he wasn’t leaving without the books. After two police officers determined that McNair wasn’t causing a public disturbance, and when Pearl said she would pay for the books if McNair didn’t bring them back, the librarian acquiesced.
“Thank you, ma’am,” McNair, prompted by his mother, said before he walked out of the library. McNair, always a precocious student, would become an astronaut and a hometown hero…
Then, 26 years later, Ronald McNair, the second African-American in space, died at age 35 in the Challenger explosion on Jan. 28, 1986. What an amazing story and what amazing changes happened in one person’s short but spectacular life. Obviously the public library was a big part of Ronald’s life. It’s interesting to think about the 9-year-old kids now who want to build or learn something — where will they go? Who will they ask and what will they become in 26 years given the right “tools”?
One more note (since it will be mentioned in the comments): tool-lending libraries. There are about 25 or so in the USA, and this is an excellent start.
…tool-lending libraries allow library patrons to borrow tools, equipment and “how-to” instructional materials, usually free of charge. A tool-lending library was started in Columbus, OH in 1976. Originally run by the City, the Tool Library is now operated by Rebuilding Together Central Ohio, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization that works to preserve and revitalize homes and communities in Central Ohio. The RTCO Tool Library makes available over 4,500 tools free of charge to both individuals and non-profit organizations. One of the first tool libraries was the Berkeley Tool Lending Library, which started in 1979 with a $30,000 community block grant.
I know the fellow who runs a tool-lending spot in NYC — I should try it out. As far as public libraries go, I live in NYC, and there are 2-3 public libraries within a 15 minute walk. I really tried to use them, but the online interface wasn’t that great — most of the things I wanted to checked out were always taken, and it’s hard to beat “instant” since I have a computer and web connection. After the Kindle and Kindle apps came out, I haven’t visited the library. I realize not everyone has a device that read eBooks, but I think most of us will agree that’s where it’s heading. There are even predictions that eBook readers will be free and books will ultimately be 99 cents. That’s less than a fine, and I was always late with physical books.
So, if you’ve made it this far you have a rough idea of the public library landscape. I think for a lot of people, we visited the public library as kids or students, and later not as much. I work with younger folks, and from what they tell me, it’s rare for them to have ever used a public library. Internet access and cheaper computers have replaced a lot of that, and the libraries they have been to recently were at schools, not public ones. The are a handful of tool-lending libraries, but it certainly isn’t a national effort (yet).
But, looking back, where have I visited in the last few years that’s a “public-like” space for learning? Hackerspaces, FabLabs, and TechShops. If you’re a MAKE reader, you’re familiar with these, but let’s quickly talk about each one.
Hackerspaces
Image: “DIY Freaks Flock to ‘Hacker Spaces’ Worldwide,” Wired.com
A hackerspace is usually a membership-based location featuring workshops, tools, and people who generally like to make things.
A hackerspace or hackspace (also referred to as a hacklab, makerspace or creative space) is a location where people with common interests, usually in computers, technology, science or digital or electronic art can meet, socialize and/or collaborate. A hackerspace can be viewed as an open community labs incorporating elements of machine shops, workshops and/or studios where hackers can come together to share resources and knowledge to build and make things. Many hackerspaces participate in the use and development of free software and alternative media and can be found in infoshops or social centers.
There are hundreds of hackerspaces that have appeared, almost overnight, around the world. From my recollection over the last decade, the ones in Europe were really appealing, many makers were traveling around the world (Mitch Altman, for example), and eventually word spread. Now, just about every state in the USA has one, and most large cities have hackerspaces.
Hackerspaces usually revolve around everyone paying the rent (part of the membership, the largest cost of a space) and shared costs. It’s not really possible to estimate the average cost to get one started, but it’s usually whatever the rent is for a year in your local area for a pretty good-sized location.
Fab Labs
Image: “Fabrication labs let student and adult inventors create products, solve problems,” Cleveland.com
Next up, FabLabs. As of July 2010, there were 45 labs in 16 countries. Similar to a hackerspace, but Fab Labs were started before the hackerspaces really took off, and Fab Labs generally are associated with MIT, so it was more of a sponsored/academic effort and not a self-forming organic one like the hackerspaces. One of the things I really like about Fab Labs is they’re all similar in terms of the equipment they promote and use. This standardization of laser cutters, CNCs, and computers is a good base to work from if you’re going to do something in one area of the world and want others to be able to do it somewhere else, all using the same tools.
A Fab Lab (fabrication laboratory) is a small-scale workshop with an array of flexible computer controlled tools that cover several different length scales and various materials, with the aim to make “almost anything”. This includes technology-enabled products generally perceived as limited to mass production.
While Fab Labs have yet to compete with mass production and its associated economies of scale in fabricating widely distributed products, they have already shown the potential to empower individuals to create smart devices for themselves. These devices can be tailored to local or personal needs in ways that are not practical or economical using mass production.
Getting a Fab Lab started can be as low as $25,000, but realistically it’s likely a few hundred thousand.
TechShops
“A TechShop Snapshot, Much inventive thinking takes place during a typical day at this community workshop.” IEEE
And finally, TechShop. A TechShop is a commercial venture that’s almost a combination of a hackerspace and a Fab Lab. A TechShop is membership-based, has pretty much all the equipment you need to make anything, and there are workshops, classes, etc.
TechShop is a membership-based workshop that provides members with access to tools and equipment, instruction, and a community of creative and supportive people so they can build the things they have always wanted to make. You can think of TechShop like a fitness club, but with tools and equipment instead of exercise equipment. It is sort of like a Kinko’s for makers, or a Xerox PARC for the rest of us. TechShop is designed for everyone, regardless of their skill level. TechShop is perfect for inventors, makers, hackers, tinkerers, artists, roboteers, families, entrepreneurs, youth groups, FIRST robotic teams, arts and crafts enthusiasts, and anyone else who wants to be able to make things that they dream up but don’t have the tools, space or skills.
There are currently three locations (Menlo Park Calif., Raleigh NC, and San Francisco). They have over 1,500 members between the 3 open locations and a few already committed to San Jose. TechShop also had over 200 people signed up for SF before opening. They are working on San Jose, Calif., right now (lease signed, interior demo, and construction underway). After that, New York and Detroit are locations to follow after San Jose opens. TechShop hopes to have 100 locations in five years. Across all the locations they have about 50 people working for them.
I asked the TechShop folks how much it cost to get a TechShop started, and they said between $1.5 and $2.5 million, depending on the market. That’s not too much above the average yearly cost to keep a public library going.
Can libraries be TechShops?
And here we are, the part where I propose we think about what role the public library can or should have. I’m really interested in what everyone thinks, so please post in the comments. I have more questions than answers, but my “gut” says we’re not going to see public libraries as the centers of learning state-to-state that they once were.
If the only public space where 3D printers, laser cutters, and learning electronics happens is in fee/memberships-based spaces (TechShops, hackerspaces), that will leave out a segment of the population, who will never have access. FabLabs often are geared towards under-served communities, so perhaps it will be a combination of FabLabs and hackerspaces.
What if we were to convert just 1% or even 10% of the 9,000 public libraries in the USA to TechShops? I say TechShop because I think they could get it done with the right amount of funding, or at least coordinate the effort. Since 1% of the USA’s public libraries is about 90, that’s close to the TechShop goal in 5 years; 10% would be 900 locations — not a bad goal.
But why does it matter? Some of you will likely say that hackerspaces and TechShops are filling the void where a public library could have evolved to — that’s probably true. I think public libraries are one of those “use it or lose” it things we have in a society. Given the current state of budgets all over the USA, I think unless they’re seen as the future, we might just lose them.
- How can we encourage American innovation?
- How can we get kids access to laser cutters, CAD, 3D printers, and tools to design and build?
- How can we train each other for the jobs and skills needed in the 21st century?
- How can we spark the creativity and imagination of kids?
- How can America be a world leader in design and engineering?
I think many of these things could be helped by the re-tooling of one of our greatest resources, the public library. It wouldn’t be easy, but that’s the point — it would be a challenge and worth doing. We can wait and hope every state thinks about this, or that a hackerspace can support something like this (and allow kids to be part of it). But why wait? I think libraries and librarians are underutilized for skill-building. It’s not fun to talk about, but that’s the impression I get from everyone I talk to: they love their town to have one, but they never use it. They have the space, they have net connections, they’re in great locations — why not evolve? If space/rent is always a challenge for hackerspaces, perhaps libraries can provide this space as books go digital.
It’s scary — laser cutters, CAD stations, CNC, 3D printers. Training needed, equipment purchases, a safety class, workshops — I’m sure there are lots of reasons it could never work out, but there are also many reasons it could. Besides, how often do you hear people talking about lining up outside the local library because the new 3D printer has arrived and they want to use it?
I certainly do not know what the public library will be like in 10 years or 20 years, but I think the conversations we all have here may help shape some of the thinking. Post up in the comments: what do you think the public library should be in the 21st century?
It’s great to have maker spaces, and I’d love to have one in my town. But I wouldn’t want to see them supported by tax dollars and I don’t think the general public will see them as a logical alternative to libraries.
The purpose of libraries was to make knowledge available to those who could not otherwise obtain it. If they’re no longer necessary, they should close and government spending should be cut; the program has served its purpose and is no longer needed.
Let’s not look at surplus tax revenue as a problem that needs to be solved by finding things to spend the money on.
where is there surplus tax revenue in the USA at the moment?
If libraries were to fall into disuse and be closed, there would be surplus tax revenue at the local level.
@rea5245 – what you’re saying makes much sense to me. can you discuss what you think the library of the present and future should or shouldn’t have? more ebooks? 3d printers? workshops to learn electronics?
That’s an interesting question because, surprisingly, it’s the wrong question!
I don’t want to dictate what a library offers. A library, like any organization, should serve its customers. A private organization either figures out what its customers need, or goes out of business and is replaced by an organization that does a better job.
But a PUBLIC LIBRARY is different. It’s immune to market forces. It’s subject only to political forces. It leads to thinking like “let’s get a group together and petition the government to put a hacker space in the library” and arguments like “it’s good for the community, so the government should do it.”
But even though that second sentiment sounds noble, it’s just one group’s opinion. Success depends on how loud that group is, not how big the market is. So it’s the wrong way to run an organization.
As for today’s public libraries: their purpose is books. If that purpose is obsolete (and I don’t think it is yet) they should close. Government programs that have outlived their usefulness should end. Give the money back to the people who worked hard to earn it. And it they want workshops to learn electronics, they’ll open and/or patronize private workshops.
@rea5245 – you said “As for today’s public libraries: their purpose is books” – really? libraries do not and cannot offer more than “books” ?
give what money back, to which people?
Obviously, they do offer more than books. Whether they should is another matter. Their original charter (their “social contract”, so to speak) was limited to printed matter.
By “give money back” I was referring to tax cuts: in the event that libraries are no longer worthwhile (and again, I don’t think that’s the case) the taxes that are raised to support them are no longer needed and taxes should be cut. The government should not look for new things to spend money on simply because it has the money.
you said “Their original charter (their “social contract”, so to speak) was limited to printed matter.”
what social charter or contract was that? are you saying libraries shouldn’t have internet access? or DVDs?
you also said “The government should not look for new things to spend money on simply because it has the money.”
what do that have to do with this discussion? if you don’t think libraries will be no longer worthwhile why mention this?
can you discuss what you think the library of the present and future should or shouldn’t have? more ebooks? 3d printers? workshops to learn electronics?
It’s relevant to the discussion because you suggested in your article that the government should be subsidizing hacker spaces. I mention it not because I think libraries will no longer be worthwhile but because your article suggests they’re already losing their value.
(BTW, I think libraries as brick and mortar collections of printed materials will, eventually, be useless. I just don’t think we’re there yet.)
please re-read the article, i never said governments should subsidize hackerspaces – you’re projecting some anti-tax/government stuff
again – can you describe what you’d like to see future libraries offer? what they can be, what they could be? since you said “libraries as brick and mortar collections of printed materials will, eventually, be useless” here is your chance to talk about what they can become.
don’t say “retail space” again
http://www.music-piracy.com/?p=108 I wrote something similar a while back.
wow, this is a great read! openfly, i think we both had similar observations – i think the challenge is convincing people to consider these as ideas and build on them.
Very nice – although I think STEM is/was misguided in its exclusion of the Arts. Science without Art is sterile and lacks creativity. I much prefer the acronym STEAM – (http://www.forbes.com/2010/04/08/john-maeda-design-technology-data-companies-10-keynote.html)
Yes. One of my students at Syracuse University’s School of Information suspects Phillip Torrone has been snooping around our class. Not in a creepy or threatening way, just that we’ve been insisting on this very transformation of public libraries all semester (we blog about it here). I’m a librarian in Upstate NY and my artist partner and I, in addition to putting techshops and FabLabs in public libraries, also want to model library programming off the example of The Public School,
Elated to see this article written up so well. I’m on your side and will do what I can to make this happen.
Public librarian here. Love the idea of a hackerspace fablab library. Has anyone analyzed the economic benefit to the community of having such a resource? If that benefit could be quantified, it would help get local governments on board.
Is It Time To Rebuild & Retool Public Libraries And Make “TechShops”?
My answer is “Yes” and add Food preparation into this too.
So many people need a safe place to Learn and Make, yet do not want to join a Hacker space or TechShop.
I would love my tax dollars to go to support these ideas!
You’re free to have your dollars go to a hacker space. You can do that now. That’s not the issue.
The issue is, are you going to force your neighbor’s dollars to go to a hacker space?
“our” tax dollars mostly fund social security / benefits and military spending now, correct?
Yes, for federal taxes. Libraries are primarily funded through local taxes.What’s your point?
who decides how your local taxes are spent?
Of course, the spending is determined by politicians elected by the people. I’m still not sure where your (I suspect) rhetorical questions are headed. (I have some guesses, but I don’t want to put words in your mouth.)
that’s right, spending is determined by politicians elected by the people.
So? Is that your point? How does that relate to my initial comment?
you said “are you going to force your neighbor’s dollars to go to a hacker space?” and you also said “spending is determined by politicians elected by the people” – it appears not one person can “force their neighbor” to do anything – so i’m really not sure why you said that.
can you describe what you’d like to see future libraries offer? what they can be, what they could be?
We are all forced to pay taxes; it is not voluntary. And while no single person can impose a tax, every person who supports a tax is participating in an effort to force others to pay. My point is that it’s disingenuous for someone to justify that effort by saying “I’m willing to pay”.
A library is “a repository for literary and artistic materials, such as books, periodicals, … kept for reading and reference.” That’s what it is and that’s what it should be.
If you put a hacker space in a building used by a library, that doesn’t make the hacker space a library any more than putting a swimming pool in would make the swimming pool a library.
If library usage declines, move the library to a smaller building and repurpose the old building. I don’t care what you repurpose it as. In my old town, libraries have been repurposed as retail space, assisted living facilities, and other things. If there’s a market for a hacker space, let someone buy the building and open it up. I’d certainly go there and check it out.
@rea5245 – you said it’s “disingenuous for someone to justify that effort by saying “I’m willing to pay” – just like it’s disingenuous for someone to say they don’t want to support something like saying “i don’t want my tax dollars going to that” right?
you also said A library is “a repository for literary and artistic materials, such as books, periodicals, … kept for reading and reference.” That’s what it is and that’s what it should be.”
that’s not what a library is any longer – hasn’t been for years, it has changed. read all the comments here and visit your local library – it’s internet access, dvds, computers, workshops and more. just because you have a narrow view of what a library should be and refuse to consider what a library “could” become do not continue to try to twist the conversations here towards some anti-tax arguments.
so again, keep on topic – can you describe what you’d like to see future libraries offer? what they can be, what they could be?
thanks!
It’s not disingenuous to say “I don’t want my tax dollars going to that” because you’re not preventing your neighbors from contributing to it. It IS disingenuous to say “I’m willing to pay” for a cause as a justification for levying a tax, since you’re ALREADY free to contribute to the cause without forcing your neighbor to. The real motive behind voting for a tax is to get EVERYONE to pay, not just you.
I stated the dictionary definition of a library. The fact that the building the library is in provides other services doesn’t mean that those things constitute a library. Yes, libraries host community meetings. But take all the books out of the building, and just have meetings there, and people will stop calling it a library. The word “library” comes from the Latin for “book”.
So you’re asking me what other things the building can be used for. And I answer “anything”. Hacker space, gymnasium, what-have-you. I have no opinion on that. My only concern is that things other than a library are outside of the government’s legitimate role.
And (to consolidate two threads into one) your article did indeed strongly imply that government should subsidize hacker spaces (or “TechShops”). You expressed concern that the expense of TechShops would limit their accessibility, then you proposed converting public libraries to TechShops. Now, if you meant “government sells the buildings and private TechShops open in them”, then I apologize. But it sure sounded like you meant “the government uses library buildings to make public [as in tax-supported] TechShops.”
@rea5245 – if you’re going to only attempt to turn this in to a tax or “government’s legitimate role” debate please do not continue to participate in this discussion about the future of libraries. thanks.
otherwise, please impress all of us with your great ideas on what the future of libraries could be, reading the definition from a dictionary does not count
To be fair to rea5245, you’re not being very clear. You talk about ‘public libraries’ and then ask what ‘libraries’ can become. Are we to assume you mean “what is to become of libraries funded by tax dollars?” Because without being more precise, that sounds an awful lot like “Where can we redirect existing tax dollars that may be underutilized in the future?”
This is a direct quote from the article: “What if we were to convert just 1% or even 10% of the 9,000 public libraries in the USA to TechShops?” Do you understand where the confusion is arising?
Why mention libraries at all? Why not simply extol the virtues of TechShops and leave it at that? “TechShops are great; here’s why; we should build more of them.” Why do libraries need to be converted into TechShops?
@TrudeauTheJust – again, this is about what the future of libraries could be – this isn’t about anti-taxes or anti-government, there are plenty of other sites for that debate.
asking if converted just 1% of public libraries to “techshops” is a reasonable thing to ask to get people thinking, i outlined the costs to run a techshop and a public library – instead of people speculating how much it would cost, i put it out there to avoid arguing how much it could cost – the goal is to get you talking about what a library *could* evolve to – please stick to that.
I don’t think rea5245 is concerned with how much it costs, it’s about who is paying for it. And I’m only suggesting that “what could the future of libraries be?” is a very broad question. Certainly the future of libraries involves funding, and radical changes may involve significant funding questions.
And your choice of words: “rebuild & retool public libraries” and “converting” libraries into TechShops. Again: why do they have to be converted or even added on to libraries? Is the library so unsuccessful that it needs to be converted to something else? Why does the TechShop need to be joined with the library instead of existing on its own?
@TrudeauTheJust – people know what “hackerspaces” “fablabs” and “techshops” are – these are words to describe what a library “could” evolve to – please read the article carefully, and again – everyone – keep the anti-tax and anti-government stuff on other sites.
please add what you think they could evolve in to.
You’re still not understanding my point. Maybe you’re just ignoring it, but I’m probably not being clear enough, so I apologize for that. You’re asking what they could evolve into and I’m questioning the premise that significant evolution is desirable. An analogy:
There are thousands of movie theatres across the country. They used to be small, one or two-screen theatres, but many have evolved over time to be large cineplexes with dozens of screens. Is it time to retool some of these theatres and convert them to opera houses? Opera has a long history and there are many people who enjoy it. There’s also nothing quite like the experience of seeing a performance live instead of prerecorded on the screen. Even if we converted just one theatre in each large cineplex, that would be a significant step in the evolution of movie theatres. What are your ideas on what movie theatres could evolve into?
What I am trying to understand is why you think movie theatres (libraries) should evolve into anything. Why not keep move theatres and opera separate? If there is a demand for more opera houses, let’s just build more opera houses. There’s no need to arbitrarily join them with movie theatres just because they have a roughly similar experience.
There are lots of community-based services that you could randomly incorporate into a library if you chose to, but the question remains: why? We could add a kitchen into libraries and offer cooking classes and when the classes aren’t going on, we could serve food to the homeless as a soup kitchen. That would serve an important function in the community, but a reasonable question would be: why does it have to be in a library?
Similarly, I’m asking: why should TechShops be added onto libraries or why should libraries be converted into TechShops? Where is the added benefit that would come from having both in the same building that wouldn’t come with having two separate buildings in two different locations? I hope this elucidates my point more clearly, and I apologize for not being clear enough before.
Excellent idea.
No.
Libraries are about borrowing books and being quiet.
Even today, they are about so much more then borrowing books and being quiet. They provide access to digital resources and hardware that people can’t or don’t want to afford. They provide educational programs and information specialists to help with both academic and research needs… they are so much more then just books and quiet!
Great article, I had thought about setting up a shop a few years back before the HackerSpace explosion, in fact there was only one I could find in existence, based out of Silicon Valley. I have felt that this is one of those “Community” buildings that any good community should provide to it’s members. Can’t say the thought of retrofitting libraries crossed my mind. I believe that as Hackers, and one of them is to Hack in a properly ventilated environment since plastic and all the other materials produce less then healthy fumes. Maybe a parent organization to provide assistance to some of the smaller hackerspaces would get some success. I really wish my day job didn’t take away from my ability to create and inspire, if anyone in a hackerspace or creative field could find me a way to pay my mortgage and still be able to afford the “tools to tinker” I’d be forever indebted to you.
I think this could go beyond public libraries and use tech shops and fablabs as a potential filler for any underused building. My town has a lot of creative and technically proficient people as well as a lot people who appreciate craftsmanship. I think fablabs and tech shops are facilities that my town doesn’t know it needs. I will hopefully be teaching full time within the next few years, and once I have the time and resources, I would love to attempt to open a location like this.
A lovely idea, but just an ideal. Although I would love to have access to a place like this, it would never work in the real world. Books are hard to break, tools are not. Also, can you imagine the insurance liability costs of letting the unexperienced public near power tools like laser cutters and CNC machines? Lawsuits would shut the place down in no time.
@dupree – techshop, fablabs and hackerspaces all operate, have insurance and work out. millions of people drive cars, accidents happen, but we’ve figured out a way to balance the risks with the benefits. going to the moon was risky too.
It’s unfortunate that you cloud your very interesting and valid questions with the assumption that US libraries are not actually being used. Have you actually been in a public library recently? At mine, the public PCs are constantly in use by people who do not have home computer or internet access. And the tables are full of people with their laptops, working and studying. And the Reference Desk is slammed with people doing research, and the Circulation desk has a constant line of people waiting to check things out.
It would help tremendously if you looked at the reality of library use – not just the statistics – and attempted to bring the Maker world into the Library (and vice-versa) instead of assuming that the one needs to supplant the other. Questions of smart evolution are on the mind of nearly every Librarian and Library staff person I know, and I’m planning to share this article around to my coworkers. But you don’t do anyone any good by assuming that just because you’re not using the Library no one is.
@alexzealand – i want to add *more* to libraries like electronics workshops, CAD, laser cutting, 3D printing, etc. i posted the statistics that show libraries *are* being used, i specifically said they’re being underutilized for skill-sharing and building. they’re certainly not training people how to use laser cutters, 3d printers, CAD, etc – at least not yet. that’s the goal here, figure out what a library could be, should be and what it might be 5,10 and 15 years from now.
then why do you propose *converting* libraries to workshops -sounds like what you really mean to say is there should be public funding of tech/build/DIY spaces, but the model there is not like the library: when someone is done with a book, another patron can read it and get 100% of the value, so the initial investment is shared without loss for the years and years that books remain in good condition. whereas when someone fabricates themselves a doohickey, they get to keep it, at least I assume that’s how these pay to play tech centers work. in that case the next person gets nothing out of the effort of the first patron. if anything, they get slightly worn tools.
no my friend, the publicly supported tech spaces you are thinking of are what used to be called ‘shop class’ -so I think what you’re really driving at is supporting public education.
no, i mean we need to think about what libraries can evolve in to – what are your suggestions? what do you think about the 25+ tool lending libraries so far?
I have been spending a lot of time at the mid-Manhattan NYPL lately, and it appears to serve several important public functions.
One, the mid-Manhattan NYPL is a place for people who cannot afford internet access to check their e-mail and correspond with others for free.
Two, it provides a space to rest for those who do not have a permanent home. A hefty percentage of those inside the library appear to be homeless or otherwise living in poverty. Some appear to be on drugs. Others may be mentally ill.
Three, the NYPL provides a wealth of incredible reading material.
As many people inside the mid-Manhattan library have no place to call home and a variety of ailments, social workers could visit this building every day to directly offer help. I think this would be a positive step in the right direction. Instead, there is a constant security patrol haranguing these folks who are destitute or just plain out of luck.
Other thoughts….The library teaches elementary computer skills to people who need these skills to find work. So let’s take care of the basics there, and bring more of these ideas for “TechShops” directly to the schools. It’s just one step at time. The libraries can’t become high-tech labs if New Yorkers need to learn MS Word first.
The library also should be a safe place for children and students to read. Right now, the midtown library in Manhattan is not that and perhaps it would be best if those who obviously require more than a good book to read were directed to a special office in the space. I don’t mean to demean anyone who is living in poverty, but in my opinion, it is unsafe for children to intermingle regularly with homeless and mentally ill adults. If I feel unsafe there, which I do, I can’t imagine how a parent would feel.
Anyhoo, if I missed some big news about the laser cutting industry’s rapid growth, fill me in yo. I don’t own a Nook yet and I don’t plan to….
I know it’s not the same as a children’s space inside Mid-Manhattan, but there is a new children’s space right across the street in the schwarzman building that is beautiful and inviting to children and caregivers.
http://www.nypl.org/locations/schwarzman/childrens-center-42nd-street
When someone is done with a tool, another patron can use it and get 100% of the value, so the initial investment is shared without loss for years and years that tools remain in good condition…. When someone fabricates themselves an idea (using a book) they get to keep it…
When someone is done with a tool, another patron can use it and get 100% of the value, so the initial investment is shared without loss for years and years that tools remain in good condition…. When someone fabricates themselves an idea (using a book) they get to keep it…
When someone is done with a tool, another patron can use it and get 100% of the value, so the initial investment is shared without loss for years and years that tools remain in good condition…. When someone fabricates themselves an idea (using a book) they get to keep it…
Until libraries become empty buildings with internet access and quiet study rooms due to some eventual conversion to all-digital books, laser cutters and the like would have to be housed somewhere other than the big room full of flammable material
I feel that that author is very ignorant about how valuable libraries are to communities across the United States, especially since he compared them to a bankrupted corporation. This very simple infographic provides a lot more information about how libraries improve communties.
http://www.oclc.org/reports/pdfs/214109usf_how_libraries_stack_up.pdf
Contrary to the author’s opinion, computers (and internet access) are not cheap for many, many people in this country. For these people, they choose food and shelter over the internet so the library is still an important access point for information. If the author actually visited his local library, rather than just passing by Borders, he would probably see most, if not all, of the computers being used.
@saint_buddha – i said “To me, public libraries — the availability of free education for all — represent the collective commitment of a community to their future. They symbolize what is most important, a commitment to educating the next generation. ”
i never said get rid of internet access or computers, i want to add *more* to libraries like electronics workshops, CAD, laser cutting, 3D printing, etc.
the folks you described should also have access to these things, right? they’re certainly not going to form a hacker space or get a techshop membership right?
if you read the article you would have seen that i’ve used the many many libraries here in NYC for the last few years as well, only recently i stopped going as much – i wanted everyone to think of what the future of libraries could be, will it just be a room with ebook readers? really?
Will it be a room with just machines? Really?
of course not, read the article – it might be offering more tool lending in more libraries, it might offering 3D printing classes / CAD. for the people who think libraries should only be “quiet and books” – their future sounds like a room with ebook reads, i don’t think that’s what a library should or could be.
michael, what you think the library of the future should have?
You sound hooked on the idea of eBooks taking over libraries. Don’t count on it. One publisher is already limiting the loans on its eBooks. Many people don’t want to pay for books. Libraries provide eBooks for patrons to check out–but they can have “holds” on them. I don’t see the death of the paper book just yet.
A community center might be the better home for your idea. Libraries don’t tend to have the space for a room that may not get a lot of use, yet can’t be used for other purposes. (Most library auditoriums and program spaces can be used for a variety of activities).
I believe that will require more than just the equipment. There will probably need to be a separate building. Just the requirements for the tools, AC, and power will require a different class of building than a Library. Building code for a Library would be a B, this facility would be an F. The fire rating is higher, and the building allowable area is different. there are other costs for the community than just the tools and equipment.
I don’t know yet. The difference between the libraries I’ve worked at and this article is that our future thinking is based on what our community wants. If it wants a space where more tech is collected, we’ll do our best to provide it (although it’s hard to imagine where the money is coming from at this point). Ours has a darkroom because a significant part of our community asked for one. We’ve expanded our ebook holdings because people wanted them. We’re doing oral history projects because there’s a demand for it. Libraries are already generally not a quiet place with books and haven’t been for a long time (I’ve even been shushed by a patron!). Short answer: We’ll do our best with the money and the mandate we’ve been given to do what we can for our communities. So far, we have yet to have anyone approach us and ask for any tool lending whatsoever.
mike, how do you feel about the 25+ tool lending libraries, would you like to see your library have that?
If we did, I think it would be great; however, a tool lending library is not a library with a tool shop in it, as you are proposing.
not correct, i said tool lending is a start – and maybe for some that’s about as imaginative as they’ll get. what are *your* ideas mike?
Hey. I’m jumping threads. This is a great conversation. I think he’s making the point that he believes local libraries and librarians should respond to the ideas of the community they serve, over those of the librarian.
Also, in some ways, a library is too narrow. ‘Free education’ sounds more like school. My two cents is that changes in technology and culture are causing a convergence of the library and the school, that a library will necessarily have to become a pedagogical site as it adapts to information technologies. In this context a hackerspace (and a science lab? a film/recording studio?) would be another location of learning. We could put them all together and call it a ‘praxis space’!
Not likely. However, library budgets are pretty slim. The cost of technology is very high. It has a major impact on what libraries can provide.
The nice part about tools is that they can generally be used for years and you don’t need to get the latest and greatest constantly.
However, remember the mission of libraries is to provide access to knowledge. Will the tools themselves provide knowledge? It’s a good topic for debate. Think of how you can market that. It also wouldn’t hurt to find a company to provide a grant to cover the costs.
Who would be the people who are available for them? Relying on volunteers? It can be done, but usually library staff would need to be around, especially with tools being used if they are at all dangerous. Liability issues!!
I think a lot of these comments are really missing the beauty of this idea. It’s like a community center for science and engineering instead of sports.
Libraries should stay libraries: quiet and filled with books and e-books.
However, in my opinion, libraries should definitively be THE place to have access to all advanced ressources about DIY, programming and tools knowledge. Maybe have a dedicated space inside hackerspaces and Techshops where you could find tons of books and ressources that you could borrow and bring home if needed.
In one word: Bring libraries in makerspaces, not makerspaces in libraries.
“Libraries should stay libraries: quiet and filled with books and e-books.” really? why couldn’t you have a section devoted to making things, or that section only open at night / certain hours?
you can have all the resources (books) you want, but eventually you need to apply this knowledge and make things, sometimes a workshop setting for electronics works even better. a public library is a great place to consider doing this.
Just saw that this already happens in France. Some libraries in Paris let people rent tools for 3 days for only 5 euros per year. Their name so far: bricothèque (like “bricolage” + “bibliothèque” = tinkering + libraries… tinkeries sonds great? )
Tools that you can rent there:
- drill
- hole puncher
- jigsaw
- circular saw
- cutting mosaic (I don’t know how to say)
- sander
- steam stripper
- glue gun
- tool to carpet
- carpet shampooer
- stapler
- voltage tester
It’s mostly little tools useful for little home projects, but it already a beginning! Some people says it’s a kind of “social tinkering”.
Read more about it (in French): http://www.oeilbylaser.com/179/bricolage-social.html
It’s funny, I’ve always thought of libraries as an institution for preserving human knowledge, and hadn’t really considered their role in cultural development. I like the idea that 21st century literacy requires more from us than just an ability to read and write. Modern literacy demands a capacity for innovative thinking, scientific inquiry and a personal commitment to engage in–and share the outputs of–creative exploration. Thanks Phil!
I know not what shall be contained in the next generation of libraries, but I know that these types of libraries would be loud and awesome. Study groups would need a new place of gathering.
I actually worked with the MC STEM school in Cleveland, they’re quite awesome. The kids there are working on projects for weeks at a time. I really hope the model (project based learning) is taken up by many more schools.
As for the feasibility? I dunno…let’s try it out! There would be resistance from the existing employees, but small programs would show the benefits to those who try the switch. I would think the best thing would be to find an underutilized branch, with many branches nearby (people still need books), and try it at that kind of location.
“There would be resistance from the existing employees”
And you are basing this assumption on???
…they’re people…at a workplace.
Perhaps it’s only been my experience but regardless of how many times I’ve seen change at a workplace–and especially when it changes the fundamental nature of the work or the workplace–there’s resistance.
The key would be like your awesome comment above, John–evangelists. But restaffing from the beginning would be difficult.
Well, there are always going to be a few luddites who resist any and all change. But in my experience in working in libraries, the folks who work there tend to be more open to change than most. This is the people on the ground that I’m talking about — the folks who interact with patrons all day. The management is a different matter entirely — they will see it as a threat to their authority.
I think the building full of books has a bit more life left in it. I don’t have enough spare cash for an e-reader. The only laptop I have access to belongs to my place of work. Without the portability and convenience afforded by an e-reader type device, physical books are the thing for me. I and my kids go through enough enough books that buying them isn’t ecologically sound nor cash efficient. Many of the people I associate with are in a similar circumstance. Our community library is very well utilized.
That being said, I agree that libraries are in great danger of losing their relevance. Many of them have just thrown computers on a couple of desks without a clear mission beyond making Internet access easy for the have-nots. Again, I think that is a very important application, but it falls way short of the potential.
Both of my kids have had school projects that they have chosen to create in Adobe Flash. If I can’t afford an e-reader, I’m certainly not going to be able to afford Flash. The library concept would be an ideal way to fulfill such a need. Skip the games, but install Flash, video editing, CAD (2D, 3D & electronic design), Spice, Compilers, Photoshop and other important tools such as that. The Ronald McNairs of today and tomorrow will not only be able to read books they otherwise could not access, but they’ll be able to learn and use tools that would otherwise be inaccessible.
Years ago, I could check out a Wollensak tape recorder/player from my local library. These were big, expensive commercial type units. What’s the difference between that and checking out any other tool, be they electronic or mechanical? I would love the opportunity to once in a while check out an expensive temperature controlled soldering station. Much of what I do can get by with an inexpensive iron, but there are times when I need the better tool. How many budding future engineers could benefit from the opportunity to now and then check out an o-scope?
Take this additional utility and add in some lab/workshop space and I most certainly agree that we then have a library that caters to today’s needs. I still see a place for books in a library for a number of years to come, but without changing with the times, libraries will become less and less utilized. They’ll disappear and a very important public service opportunity will die with the libraries.
Call it a hackerspace, techshop or even call it a library. Whatever, but let’s give the future Ronald McNairs a chance to learn, explore and create. Isn’t that what a library is for? I think that is exactly what our tax dollars and generous donation dollars are intended for. Few things are more important uses of our tax dollar than educating. The purpose/need for library will likely never go away. But, where’s the rule that says it has to be for books alone?