63 Ready-to-Use Maker Projects

by Ellyssa Kroski (Editor)

Overview

This new compilation from editor and maker Kroski spotlights a multitude of creative projects that you can tailor for your own library. Librarians and makers from across the country present projects as fun as an upcycled fashion show, as practical as Bluetooth speakers, and as mischievous as a catapult. Included are projects for artists, sewers, videographers, coders, and engineers. The handy reference format will help you quickly identify the estimated costs, materials, and equipment; and because several projects don’t even require a dedicated makerspace, every library can join in. Inside you’ll find how-to guidance for projects like

• a foam rocket launcher;
• stop-motion animation with 3D print characters;
• found-object robots;
• glowing ghost marionettes;
• Arduino eTextiles;
• magnetic slime;
• yarn painting;
• fidget flannels;
• an LED brooch; and
• cardboard sculpture.

With takeaways like origami tea lights or a t-shirt tote bag, your patrons will be sure to remember how much fun your library can be.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780838915912
Publisher:	American Library Association
Publication date:	10/10/2017
Pages:	368
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Ellyssa Kroski is the Director of Information Technology and Marketing at the New York Law Institute as well as an award-winning editor and author of 60 books including Law Librarianship in the Age of AI for which she won the AALL's 2020 Joseph L. Andrews Legal Literature Award. She is a librarian, an adjunct faculty member at Drexel and San Jose State Universities, and an international conference speaker. She received the 2017 Library Hi Tech Award from the ALA/LITA for her long-term contributions in the area of Library and Information Science technology and its application. She can be found at http://www.amazon.com/author/ellyssa

Editorial Reviews

03/01/2018
Do you have a maker space at your library? Are you looking for new maker project ideas or expanding your favorite maker projects? Grab your 3-D printer, sewing machine, and laptop and start creating. This assortment of projects is well organized and easy to follow, with sections such as "Paper, Cardboard and Crafts," "Sewing and Textiles," and "Circuitry, Wiring and Wearables." Step-by-step instructions, descriptions, lists of necessary materials, and costs (which range from free to a few dollars per participant to several thousand dollars, in the case of more complex projects) are included, and readers will especially appreciate the description of learning outcomes. Whether readers are new to maker spaces or have been implementing them for years, they'll find these examples inspiring. Kroski offers fun options, such as holding an upcycled fashion show or creating magnetic slime—and patrons won't be able to resist the "chocolate lollipop" project (making a 3-D chocolate replica of their head). Recommendations for follow-up projects are provided after each entry, and the index is extensive. At times it's difficult to make out details in the black-and-white photos, but overall the images are helpful. VERDICT Recommended for librarians, teachers, camp leaders, and those who run after-school programs.—Paige Bentley-Flannery, Deschutes Public Library, Bend, OR

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