Hackerspaces and Libraries

Should Hackerspaces Replace Libraries?

Technology has made accessing information more equal but as it develops we need to ensure that access to the software and hardware is possible for all and not just the wealthiest. Converting public libraries into hackerspaces might be our way to do that.

James Coe | October 12, 2015

Library use is on the decline. Since 2009, the number of branches open in Britain has fallen by 8%. In the same amount of time the number of total visits have dropped by 40 million. The amount of titles available, number of paid staff and size of budgets have also decreased. Despite this, 8 in every 10 people still see libraries as valuable. Why is it that they can be both valuable and under-used at the same time?

Makerspaces (AKA hackerspaces, hackspaces, and fablabs) are creative, do-it-yourself (DIY) spaces where people can gather to create, invent, and learn. Source: http://www.serendipity35.net/index.php?/archives/2015/03.html

<more at http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/james-coe/hackerspaces_b_8277576.html; related links: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/where-are-the-books-libraries-under-fire-as-they-shift-from-print-to-digital/2015/07/07/eb265752-1525-11e5-9518-f9e0a8959f32_story.html (Where are the books? Libraries under fire as they shift from print to digital. July 7, 2015) and http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/04/makerspaces-are-remaking-local-economies/390807/ (How Makerspaces Help Local Economies. New technologies like 3-D printers and laser cutters have boosted entrepreneurial activity in American communities. April 7, 2015)>