2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

This study examines the creation of the University of Library’s fabrication lab or makerspace, conceived as part of the renovation of the Main Library - and begins with a review developments in the realm of makerspaces in academic libraries over time, beginning in the 2010s and up through the present. An emphasis is placed on the way that these spaces have been used in engineering programs and pedagogy. The maker studios in University of Arizona Libraries are a vital component of a multi-million dollar project to create a Student Success District, which was designed to collocate student support services with spaces designed to facilitate collaborative, hands-on learning that promotes engagement with technology. Some of the technologies available include 3D printing, virtual reality, computational and data visualization, CNC router and mill and more. After a pilot in Spring 2022, in the the Fall 2022 semester, the makerspace was utilized by a large required freshman course (500+ students) for a unit covering additive manufacturing. By receiving instruction and using the 3D printers in the library’s maker studio, this freshman cohort was exposed to all of the technology they have access to in the makerspace. One outcome of this was the development of ad hoc communities of practice, another was individual students returning to the space for personal creative projects. As Educause reported in 2013: “Used by students, faculty, and staff, makerspaces have become arenas for informal, project-driven, self-directed learning, providing workspace to tinker, try out solutions, and hear input from colleagues with similar interests.”