A Change To the Library
A “Maker-Space” is now being offered for student use
November 17, 2021
As intervention is re-implemented into Oakmont’s schedule this year, students may notice a difference in the structure of it in the library.
While, in previous years, the library has been a completely silent workspace during intervention, now it has become a place for creativity and student connection.
Librarian Megan Blue has been a librarian at Oakmont for two years and has also been a librarian at Woodcreek High School for seventeen years. She works split between the two libraries, which both have Maker-Spaces run by her.
“I have a lot of different activities,” Blue said. “There’s simple coloring pages. There’s word puzzles. We have board games like Uno, Connect 4, Jenga, Chess and Checkers. We have puzzles. We also have different arts and crafts that I bring in during specific times of the year.”
Oakmont’s new Maker-Space is located on the left side of the entrance in our library. In a small cubby, Blue stores many different activities for students to use.
“Maker-Spaces is a huge movement and they have really found a home in the libraries,” Blue said. “I don’t have the budget to do a traditional Maker-Space, which is often robotics, playing with circuitry and things like that such as a 3-D printer.”
Although Blue does not have a typical Maker-Space, she still works with what she has to create a space that aids creativity in students. These activities can also give them a break from school work, friends or other stressors that occupy their thoughts.
“I call this our Maker-Space Lite,” Blue said. “The whole purpose is just to have a little time out because we can get overloaded.”
Students can use the new Maker-Space Lite during intervention, lunch, and before or after school.
However, it should be remembered that many people go to the library to work, so respect is a top priority to Blue when it comes to using the activities.
“At Woodcreek there was a time that I took everything away. All the board games, puzzles, everything. I just put it in the backroom and waited for them to settle down,” Blue said. “It was just a reminder of ‘Hey, if you can’t be respectful of my belongings in our space, you’re not going to have access to these.’ But, I hate to do that.”
So next time you step into the library, feel free to take a break from working and explore your creativity with our Maker-space.
