This document discusses potential strategic partnerships for a university makerspace. It identifies three key partners: a chemistry professor who will demonstrate a steampunk coffee brewing device, a robotics professor who wants to hold robotics competitions in the library, and a professor of management information systems who wants to introduce classes to 3D printing and physical computing. It also contrasts public libraries, which serve local communities with diverse demographics, versus academic libraries serving more homogeneous university communities and able to obtain internal funding. It encourages understanding community needs and strengths and making lists of available resources.

1. Strategic Partnerships in the
Library Makerspace
Edward Iglesias
Systems Librarian
Central Connecticut State University

2. Who do we partner with?
• The Mad Scientist
• The Inventor
• The Computer (Remember people used to be
“computers”, it was a job title.

3. The Mad Scientist
• Dr. Thomas Burkholder,
• Professor of Chemistry
at CCSU
• Secret Project…

4. The Florence Siphon
• A very Steampunk way
of brewing coffee.
Dr.Burkholder has
agreed to do a demo
perhaps involving a pith
helmet and brass
goggles.

5. The Inventor
• Dr. Thamma Ravindra
• Professor in Robotics
Department at CCSU
• Want to stage FIRST
Robotics competitions
in library.

6. The Computer
• Dr. Robert Shumaker
• Professor of MIS
• Wants to introduce his
classes to 3D printing
and physical computing.

7. Public vs Academic
Public
• Community described by
geography.
• Able to tap local civic and
charitable organizations.
• Community highly diverse in
age, education etc…
Academic
• Community described by
membership.
• Able to get funding
internally or from grants.
• Community more
homogeneous.

8. Build To Your Strengths

9. Understand what your community
wants.

10. You decide.

11. Make a List of What You Have

12. Suggested readings

13. Online Resources
• Makerspaces in Libraries Google Plus
Community
– https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/11727
4577818142707955
• Code4lib
– http://code4lib.org/
• LITA
– http://www.ala.org/lita/