Make Good Things | Make Things Good - Our Library rules for 3D Printing

Make Good Things

Make Things Good

Our library service has purchased a 3D printer and we're in the process of making it available to our community. We need some sort of rules / guidelines / policy / procedure to ensure the service is used safely and equitably. 

I've always been inspired by these kind of 'rules', which got a lot of press about 5 years ago. It looks like they originally came from the Library Loft teen space at the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County;

 “Respect yourself, respect others, respect the space.” 

They've been repeated and adapted for many other similar spaces since. 

The rules are short and simple, but pack a punch when it comes to being able to manage a space/service in a flexible, kind and equal manner.

With this in mind, I've proposed the following rules for our 3D printing service.

Make Good Things

Make Things Good

What do you think these mean? Please comment below.

My unpacking of these rules are along these lines:

Make Good Things

• this is about making designs, objects and things that are useful, constructive, helpful, creative, beneficial and rewarding. 
• it indicates a discouragement to make things that could harm - both physical harm and emotional / intellectual harm

Make Things Good

• this has two meanings
• to 'make good' is to fix things up, to repair things, to adapt and change them so that they work better than before. 
• as well as fixing physical objects, it's about fixing the designs and ideas behind objects to improve on them
• the second meaning is reference to making things in a quality manner - spending time doing a quality job, taking some pride in the work that you do

Keen to hear your thoughts and any changes or adaptations you might make to these rules.

You're in the Right Place

Last night I read the excellent piece that the Chattanooga Times Free Press did on the staff and programs at the Chattanooga Public Library. Congratulations to the library staff, but even bigger congrats to the local press for such a detailed feature on the local library.

In late June I spent three days there with Nate Hill  and Justin Hoenke, plus other great staff that work throughout the library, especially on the 4th Floor. A few days later I shared the stage with Corrine Hill, Nate and others on a panel about Gigabit Libraries, at the ALA Annual conference.

Everything I read in the article read true to my experiences. Chattanooga Library is an exciting place, with some wonderful people and amazing ideas. The 4th Floor is the single most exciting library space I have seen in my life. 

One thing troubled me though; the super-heroes pose photo at the top of the article. (Not the actual pose, I can forgive Nate for gazing off in the distance like that. Did you know he can actually see into the future when he looks like that?) No, what troubled me was the huge caption looming over the Chat Library heroes;

YOU'RE IN THE RIGHT PLACE

(thanks Meg for the pic)

That's a cool sentiment and all, but I'm here. Not there. I'm not in the right place. I should be there. Where all the great things are happening. Where all the library super heroes are.... 

Then I slept on it.

This morning brought fresh, more sensible thoughts of course. I am in the right place. I'm here. It's where I am that I can make the most difference. Not there, or there, or even way over there. But here.

Nowhere is perfect. I know Chattanooga Public Library isn't perfect. I was told many stories of things/services/programs that are broken. But that's the same story with every library, ever, everywhere. But the Chattanooga folks get the good press because they're getting on with it and making great things happen. I have a lot to be thankful for where I am, and am definitely reminded that I'm in the right place, right now.

A long time ago I read advice that a seasoned scientist gave a young researcher. It went something like this. When asked "Where can I study/research, in order to discover things that no-one else has found?", the old-hand replied "Start where you are, wherever you are, and look closely, more closely than anyone else has ever looked."  New things are right under our noses. Treasures wait to be unearthed, or crafted, wherever we are.

So, time to stop making excuses for myself. I'm in the right place. Let's get on with it!

A personal visit to The Urbana Free Library

Yesterday morning (Tues 17th June 2013) I found myself at the Urbana Free Library, which is the focus of a lot of attention in library land at the moment. I count it as a professional privilege to have spent two hours with some of the most inspirational public library staff I have ever met. Here I offer a few observations and opinions based on my visit to the library.

I’m travelling through the USA for the next two weeks on a VALA Travel Scholarship, investigating existing and planned projects where fibre-broadband rollouts affect libraries. The twin cities of Champaign and Urbana in Illinois were my first stop, and I met with lots of people from the Graduate School of Library and Information Science, University of Illinois, The Champaign Public Library, the University’s library service, UC2B (the Champaign-Urbana broadband company) and The Urbana Free Library. It was a wonderful and inspirational two days.

That morning the local paper’s front page had a story about the library issue creating a lot of news and concern with some people. At the library, I toured the building and spent about an hour speaking with Joel Spencer and Amber Castens, both Adult & Teen Services Librarians. While touring the library, I acknowledged that I had read the news and was aware of the comments about the library. They didn't shy away from the issue, and it came up briefly several times during our discussion. I didn't press them on any details, because I was there for other reasons. So we had no in-depth discussion about details, people, decisions, and repercussions.

Two things stood out for me.

1) Joel and Amber are two of the most quietly committed, passionate, caring public library staff I have ever had the privilege to meet. I only spent two hours with them, but you know the feeling you get about people – it’s the way they talked about their jobs, their community, the people they served. You know these people are here for the love of the job, not the pay or conditions.

2) That afternoon as I skimmed some of the ‘news’ and opinions about the issue at Urbana Free Library, I quickly became concerned that some decisions, by some people, and the reactions and responses by some people involved in the library has tarred the whole library staff and service with a similar brush. 

We all know that issues are complicated, and it’s easy to oversimplify. It seems this issue has a way to run, so before taking up the pitchforks and racing to the barricades, please take a moment to consider that this is a real workplace, with real people. From my visit, some staff appear to me to be doing a wonderful job delivering some amazing library programs to a community with more than its fair share of challenges. It’s OK to make observations and constructive criticism, but please tread carefully and professionally. 

Joel and Amber; Rock on – you’re my new library heroes.

Warren 

**Update, Tues 24th Sept 2013 - I've just come across this post by Martin Wolske about Urbana Free Library. The piece is a considered and mature reflection on the Urbana Free Library, and I'd encourage you to read it: http://mwolske.wordpress.com/2013/06/19/conversations-about-space-at-the-urbana-free-library/
Martin is a Senior Research Scientist in Community Informatics at the Graduate School of Library and Information Science, University of Illinois. I had the pleasure of speaking with Martin (via Skype) while I was visiting Champaign-Urbana. 

Experience Info Online

My work colleague Neal (@nealthorley) and I are trying something a little different at Information Online 2013.

As well as photographing, tweeting and hopefully blogging about our experiences and impressions of the conference, we will try to talk to as many people as possible and do mini video interviews.

Keep an eye on http://experienceinfoonline.tumblr.com/ and make sure you come and say hi to us at the conference!

ALIA Information Online 2013 conference

I'm thrilled to be attending and presenting at the ALIA Information Online conference next week.

With help from experienced facilitator Richard Sayers, my presentation/workshop on Thursday 14th (10.15am - 11.15am) is titled: 

Australian Libraries and the National Broadband Network: What, So What and What Next?


Firstly – it’s not a presentation. It’s an interactive session where you’ll be asked questions. Lots of questions. Questions about questions. The aim of the session is in fact, to develop a list of questions. Confused yet? Please take a moment to watch this video: 

There is also an overview of the session here, with a list of links to useful websites. 

Please start asking questions now! 

• Leave a comment below
• Send me a tweet: @warrencheetham including the conference hashtag #ALIAonline and #bblib (for broadband libraries)
• Leave a comment on the YouTube video 

Can't wait to see you at the session!