Wright State’s University Libraries demonstrate Maker Spaces to delegation of Serbian librarians

Lisa Rickey, archivist for digital initiatives and outreach, right, talking to Serbian librarian Mirko Masic about building an archival box. Librarians from Serbia visited Wright State’s Dunbar Library to learn about Maker Spaces in libraries. (Photo by Erin Pence)

A group of librarians from Serbia paid a visit to Wright State University to learn how the growing concept of Maker Spaces is being developed in the United States.

Maker Spaces are areas where people can gather to create, invent and learn. In libraries, Maker Spaces often have 3D printers, software, electronics, tools, craft and hardware supplies.

The delegation spent Oct. 14 at Dunbar Library, where they tried their hand at Maker Spaces activities such as building archive boxes, learning the art of making oral histories, 3D scanning, 360-degree photography and music mixology. They also heard presentations on Maker Spaces from other area libraries.

Sue Polanka, head of reference and instruction for University Libraries, noted that the library is home to the Student Technology Assistance Center, which enables students to be creative with their assignments through the use of multimedia.

“We offered to host the Maker Spaces conference today because the University Libraries has a number of different technologies that we could show,” she said.

Wright State’s Center for Teaching and Learning and the Educational Resource Center also participated in the event.

The delegation’s trip was sponsored by the U.S. Library of Congress. Friendship Force of Dayton was selected by the Open World Leadership Center to host the delegation, which spent a week in the region.

Joe Scullion, a volunteer with the Dayton Friendship Force, helped organize the Maker Spaces visit.

“Their goal is to see what the libraries here in the States are doing,” he said. “They want to see it in action.”

The delegation included five librarians and a facilitator. The facilitator — Jasminka Aleksandar Kunic, director of the Information Resource Center at the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade — coordinates the operation of eight American Corners in Serbian libraries.

The American Corners program is a U.S. State Department initiative that provides information to foreign populations about American culture, history, government and current events through books, videos, the Internet and other channels.

“We’re here to see the wonderful Maker Spaces that exist in the U.S.,” said Kunic. “We’re hoping that we will be able to bring these ideas to Serbia and maybe to implement some of these projects.”

Kunic said the mission of the visit is to show Serbian youths what their American peers are doing and encourage them to be innovative in hopes it will result in more entrepreneurs who will boost the economy.