Published: October 9, 2017

Don’t miss this professional development opportunity to network and hear from experts in the field on October 11.

The third and final mini-conference in the Library 2.017 conference series, “Makerspaces,” is almost here! We’re all busy with work, life, and most of all assignments, but trust me on this one, you’ll want to clear your schedule on October 11 from 12-3pm PDT. Conferences aren’t always easy to attend due to the significant cost and time commitment (though it’s well worth it I might attest). Thankfully, there’s another way: the Library 2.0 Virtual Conferences are free and you don’t have to go any further than your living room.

Not sure if conferences are for you? Professional conferences are a great way to:

• Enhance your knowledge and extend your learning beyond the classroom and iSchool curriculum 
• Stay current in your field
• Network and learn from peers
• Solidify your interest in an information career
• Spark ideas
• And lastly, have fun!

Here’s the scoop on the upcoming mini-conference:

What’s it All About?
The last web conference for 2017 will discuss different types of makerspaces and how they can benefit our global communities. Moderator and keynote speaker Heather Moorefield-Lang, Assistant Professor at the University of South Carolina, describes makerspaces as “creative locations for tinkering, collaborating, problem-solving and creating in a library or educational space.” Participants will investigate how librarians can extend new services to meet their community’s needs. The three-hour conference will consist of an opening and closing keynote session and crowd-sourced presentations on the topic of makerspaces.

Who Will Be There?
Joining Heather for the opening keynote will be Drs. June Abbas and Kyungwon Koh (University of Oklahoma), Dr. Leanne Bowler (University of Pittsburgh), and Kristin Fontichiaro (University of Michigan). This will be followed by multiple 30-minute sessions that you can choose from including:

• “Volunteers at Your Library Makerspace”
• “Low Cost Tools to Bring Making into Your Library”
• “Sending the Invitation: Getting Kids to Use Makerspaces”
• “From Zero to System Wide Makerspace in Three Grants and Four Years”
• “Finding What Fits: Approachability of Makerspaces and Making in the Library.”

Click here for the full line-up. If you’re interested in makerspaces, look out for Professor Hammond’s INFO-287 class “Innovation and Participatory Practice in Libraries” in a future semester.

How Can You Attend?
Register here to attend live in Blackboard Collaborate or to receive links to watch the recordings afterwards. You can also register as a member of the Library 2.0 network to stay informed about conference news and updates. Join in the conversation leading up to and during the event by using #library2017 and #librarymakerspaces on your social media posts. 

Where Can You View Recordings of Previous Conferences?
Catch up on the first two mini-conferences from this year: on March 29 the topic was Expertise, Competencies and Careers and on June 1, futurist Bryan Alexander led the conversation about Digital Literacy & Fake News. For recordings of these events and prior years, head on over to the Library 2.0 YouTube channel.

See You There!
I hope I’ve convinced you to take part in the conference on October 11. Conference co-chairs Dr. Sandra Hirsh and Steve Hargadon are already preparing for Library 2.018. More information to come on that next year, for now, get yourself registered for “Makerspaces” and comment below to let us know what you are most looking forward to.