Graduate Student Helps University Libraries Expand Awareness of Makerspaces and Their Use in Libraries

Corrine Luthy is an example of one of the outstanding students who are working in the University Libraries while earning their MLIS (Master of Library and Information Studies) degrees at UNCG.  A former journalist in eastern North Carolina, Corrine recently completed an independent study/practicum expanding awareness and knowledge of the use of makerspaces in libraries, such as the one in Jackson Library.

A website she has designed to be part of her capstone project for the degree describes her work on Makerspaces.  For the Fall 2014 semester she worked with a three-person team at UNCG's Jackson Library - Beth Filar-Williams (distance education librarian), Brown Biggers (server administrator), and Michelle Folkman (graduate student/curriculum coordinator) - on a project funded by an LSTA grant through State Library of North Carolina. The goals of the grant were to provide makerspace training to Library & Information Studies students and collaborations with other departments on UNCG's campus. These goals were primarily accomplished by the team using a mobile makerspace (3D printer, Arduino circuitry kits, etc.) during online and in-person workshops at various locations on and off campus throughout the semester.

As a practicum/independent study student, one of her primary duties was to assist the team with their outreach activities to LIS and other academic departments. During the semester, she served as student liaison to academic departments on campus (anthropology), designed and constructed assessment tools using Qualtrics, wrote a proposal for a poster presentation at the annual ALISE conference (presented in January), participated in virtual and in-person makerspace workshops, and co-presented with the team at the North Carolina Library Association's College and University Section mini-conference.

Her colleagues at the University Libraries were especially impressed with Corrine’s writing skills and thoughtful, reflective approach to her work.  We invite you to browse her independent study journal of her makerspace experience at http://corrineluthy.weebly.com/makerspace-independent-study.html

Planning to graduate in May, Corrine is continuing to work with the Makerspace project during the spring 2015 semester.  Her career interests include special collections and archives, public libraries, and (not surprisingly) makerspaces.