Massachusetts School Library Association
            MEMBER PORTAL                
​Join or Renew     Member Directory​
  • Home
  • About Us
    • MSLA Leadership 2022-23
    • Executive Board Meetings
    • Joint Statements: MLA, MassCUE
    • Spotlight Archive
    • Strategic Plan 2016-22
    • MSLA Constitution
  • Membership
    • Member Portal
    • Join or Renew Your Membership
    • Members Map
    • Email List
    • Regions >
      • Boston
      • Northeast
      • Metrowest
      • Southeast
      • Central
      • West
  • Conference
    • MSLA and PDPs
  • Resources
    • DESE Rubric
    • Certification & Licensure
    • Program Standards & Rubrics
    • Job Description: School Librarian
    • Job Listings
    • MLS Strategic Planning
    • Intellectual Freedom
  • Advocacy
    • MA School Library Study for Equity & Access
    • Everyday Advocacy
    • ESSA
    • Exemplary Programs
  • Newsletter
    • 2023 MSLA Forum Issues >
      • February 2023
    • 2022 MSLA Forum Issues >
      • February 2022
      • May 2022
      • October 2022
    • 2021 MSLA Forum Issues >
      • February 2021
      • May 2021
      • October 2021
    • 2020 MSLA Forum Issues >
      • February 2020
      • May 2020
      • October 2020
    • 2019 MSLA Forum Issues >
      • February 2019
      • May 2019
      • October 2019
    • 2018 MSLA Forum Issues >
      • February 2018
      • May 2018
      • October 2018
    • 2017 MSLA Forum Issues >
      • February 2017
      • May 2017
      • September 2017
      • October 2017
    • 2016 MSLA Forum Issues >
      • February 2016
      • May 2016
      • October 2016
    • 2015 MSLA Forum Issues >
      • April 2015
      • November 2015
    • MSLA Forum 2002-2013
  • Awards
    • Judi Paradis Memorial Grant
    • Archive: History of Awards
    • 2019 Awards Pictures
    • 2018 Awards Pictures
    • 2017 Awards Pictures
    • 2016 Awards Pictures
    • 2015 Awards Pictures
  • Bookmark Contest
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
    • 2020 Winners
    • 2019 and 2018 Winners
    • 2016 and 2017 Winners
    • 2012 to 2015 Winners
    • 2009 to 2011 Winners
    • 2004 to 2008 Winners
    • Bookmark Judges

Maker-“Spaces” Don’t have to take up Space: Start a Library Go-Cart!

10/17/2017

0 Comments

 
Leslie Lomasson is the Librarian at Amherst Regional High School
and the recipient of a 2017 Web Seal of Excellence.


Not all school libraries are conducive to makerspaces. Perhaps, as a librarian, you need to preserve your limited space for the academic classes that come in; perhaps the noise from a makerspace section could disrupt other classes simultaneously meeting in the library. This was certainly my dilemma when considering a makerspace in a library which hosts up to three academic classes at a time. So, I simply tucked the idea of a makerspace into the back of my mind, thinking that it probably would not work in the ARHS Library.

Seeds, unexpectedly, grow new ideas:
But it’s those seeds of new ideas that are planted (by my amazing librarian colleagues) that sometimes pop up unexpectedly as a solution to a new problem. ​


Here, at ARHS, our 9th grade Social Studies curriculum was revamped and a new component had students re-create Medieval Asian art. While talking to the department chair about this unit, I asked him how students would be accessing the materials for their art reproductions. The department had not had the time to figure this out, so I suggested we write a grant to our Parent Guardian Organization (PGO) to request funding for a cart and art materials. Thus, was born our makerspace “Go-Cart” and the beginning of a complex and intensely satisfying collaboration that involved not only myself and the Social Studies department chair and teachers, but that of my two talented library paraprofessional colleagues. The project grew and evolved to also tap into one of our less-used state database resources, the BiblioBoard “Content Creator”, which we used to publish photographs of the students’ reproductions.

Recognizing my colleagues’ skills, knowledge, and talents:
Writing the grant for the PGO required knowing exactly what we needed so we could present an accurate request for funding. I knew how to research mobile makerspace carts, but I knew nothing about art or the materials to reproduce it. Luckily for me, my coworker, Annie Figliola, is very knowledgeable in this area. She researched images of Medieval Asian Art from various regions of the world and then studied art supply catalogs carefully to select the materials to duplicate art from that period. She took into consideration colors of the periods, media to reproduce certain effects, and materials that would not leave stains in clothing or on furniture and floors. We presented this list of materials, with art images and explanations as to why they were selected, in our grant to the PGO. Happily, we were awarded a “Big Idea” grant for $1,200 and could proceed with the project! While Annie was researching the supplies the students would need, I put together a libguide which included a tab to help students search for art by region and timeline.
​
PictureAnnie Figliola, “Ms. Fig”, demonstrating to students how art materials from the Library Go-Cart can be used to reproduce certain kinds of Medieval Asian Art.
For each class section starting out on the project, Annie Figliola introduced the contents of the Makerspace cart and the various ways the materials could be used to reproduce effects student were trying to achieve. For example, she explained how the colors for the modeling clay were selected to approximate glaze colors of the period, also including flesh-tones for figure sculptures and neutral colors for re-creating unglazed clay sculptures. Two specific colors, red and green, were chosen for students who might want to re-create lacquerware and jade objects coming into prominence in the period.  She chose watercolor pencils that could be used both for a colored pencil effect or with a water wash to create a watercolor effect common in the paintings of the period. I was especially impressed with the level of detail she brought to the project by adding gum erasers to the supply list: because red ink seals are often used on Asian calligraphy works and paintings of the period, these were purchased for students to carve and stamp with a red ink pad to approximate the look of these seals in their painting/calligraphy artwork.​​

PictureKen Ramos photographs students’ art reproductions.
Taking it one step further: Publishing!
“Content Creator” is a feature in the state database, BiblioBoard, that offers a publishing option*. Students were informed at the beginning of the project that they could have their work photographed and published online. Thus began the next major phase of this project. Again, I am lucky to have skilled co-workers, and this time my other paraprofessional colleague, Ken Ramos, put his photography talents to work. Ken set up our small professional library as a photography lab and proceeded to photograph student creations. (Students signed permission forms to have their work published and those forms are kept on file in the librarian’s office.) The results were uploaded to BiblioBoard and were (in my opinion) spectacular! Here is the link to our students’ published work.

What’s next for our Makerspace Go-Cart?
The Makerspace Go-Cart is now available for all departments to “check out.”  Any department may write a small PGO grant to stock it with supplies for a class project and use it to integrate hands-on activities into their curriculum units!
​

*Unfortunately, Biblio Board's Content Creator is no longer paid for by the state and must be purchased as an add-on to BiblioBoard.
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Forum Newsletter

    Co-Editors
    Reba Tierney and
    ​Luke Steere

    Reba is the School Librarian at Waltham High School; Luke is School Librarian at  Wilson Middle in Natick

    Click to set custom HTML

    Categories

    All
    AASL
    Academic
    Advocacy
    ALA
    Authors
    Book Bans
    Book Challenges
    Book Trailers
    Cataloging
    Censorship
    Column
    Conference
    Copyright
    Culture
    Databases
    Dewey
    Digital Citizenship
    E Books
    E-books
    Elementary
    ESSA
    Ethics
    Evaluation
    Graphic Books
    Graphic Novels
    Inquiry
    Leadership
    Learning Commons
    Legislation
    Literacy
    Maker Space
    Nonfiction
    Orientation
    Planning
    PLN
    President's Remarks
    Professional Development
    Reading
    Research
    Science
    Secondary
    Standards
    Technology
    Union
    Volunteers
    Weeding

    Archives

    February 2023
    October 2022
    May 2022
    February 2022
    October 2021
    May 2021
    February 2021
    October 2020
    May 2020
    February 2020
    October 2019
    May 2019
    February 2019
    October 2018
    May 2018
    February 2018
    October 2017
    September 2017
    May 2017
    February 2017
    October 2016
    May 2016
    February 2016
    November 2015
    April 2015

    MSLA Forum Past Issues:
    January 2015
    April 2015
    ​
    2002-2015 MSLA Forum
The Massachusetts School Library Association  works to ensure every school has a school library program that is fully integrated at all grade levels across the curriculum and has a significant and measurable impact on student achievement….Read more…..and Learn more about MSLA

Contact MSLA:
Emily Kristofek, Office Manager/Event Planner
P.O. Box 336. Wayland, MA 01778
ekristofek@maschoolibraries.org
​
508-276-1697 

Massachusetts School Library Association. All Rights Reserved.  Copyright 2023.