Date of Award

12-1-2022

Language

English

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

College/School/Department

Department of Information Science

Content Description

1 online resource (viii, 195 pages) : illustrations.

Dissertation/Thesis Chair

Mila Gascó-Hernandez

Committee Members

Sonya Abbye Taylor, Meryle Weinstein, Jeannette Sutton

Keywords

adoption, consequences, drivers, innovation, makerspace, school library, Makerspaces in libraries, School libraries, Diffusion of innovations, Activity programs in education

Subject Categories

Education | Library and Information Science

Abstract

In 2005, Dale Dougherty and O’Reilly Media founded Make Magazine, and coined the term Makerspace, which is broadly defined as a community workspace where people come together to solve problems using materials and tools they might otherwise not have access to (Dougherty, 2012). Recently, schools have allocated funding and resources into creating and maintaining maker programs in classrooms and libraries. Despite the overwhelming discussion of making and makerspaces in library practitioner-oriented publications, there is little scholarly discussion of maker programs in PreK-12 school libraries. This research addresses that gap by examining makerspaces in libraries in PreK-12 public schools in New York State using an embedded case study approach. This study positions makerspaces as an innovation in school libraries and examines the drivers and consequences of implementation. Two qualitative data sets are used in this study: open ended responses from a survey of school librarians and transcripts of semi-structured interviews with school librarians and other school personnel where maker programs have been implemented in the library.The analysis shows that there are two main drivers of maker program adoption – 1) the beliefs of school librarians, and 2) the visibility of maker programs in communication channels. The analysis shows five desirable consequences – 1) improved social emotional skills for students, 2) changing perceptions of school libraries, as well as 3) school and learning, 4) increased usage of the library, and 5) increased support for student learning through a) improved resource access and utilization, b) improved relationships with students, and c) increased collaboration with teachers. The analysis further identifies two unanticipated, but desirable consequences – 1) a change in attitudes and beliefs of school librarians and other educators, and 2) school librarians positioned as change agents. The analysis identifies three main undesirable consequences – 1) increased workload for school librarians and others in the school, 2) changing financial costs for the school and librarian, and 3) increased risk. These consequences are related to a) obtaining, managing, and maintaining materials and equipment, b) designing and implementing activities, c) renovating or modifying the library space, and d) training. The results indicate that maker programs have far reaching consequences, and the potential to affect not only students, but also librarians, libraries, schools, and the wider community. The results of this study have several important implications for future research, as well as for practitioners.

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