Maplewood Library Hilton Branch (1688 Springfield Ave., Maplewood) will host a launch party for its exciting new “Create Space” on Saturday, March 21 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event is being held in conjunction with the First Annual NJ Makers Day, a day dedicated to celebrating and sharing Maker Culture across the state.
“The Maplewood Library is proud to be a participating site for the first ever New Jersey Makers Day,” said Irene Langlois, Head of Teen Services. “Community members of all ages are invited to join us for an exciting day filled with activities focusing on maker culture.”
The Create Space is a place for innovation, creativity and discovery, providing access to new technologies such as the 3D printer, Raspberry Pi and circuitry kits. The library runs programs in 3D modelling software, coding workshops and STEM programming for kids in the Create Space, and is seeking to expand its equipment and training programs.
The launch party is also part of the Maplewood Library Ideas Festival; read more about that here.
There will be programs for all ages and all tech levels on Saturday, including:
*Custom Duplo Brick Building
*Lego Building Station
*Circuitry Test Kitchen
*CD Loom Weaving
*Raspberry Pi Station
*DiY Light Bulb
Experts will be on hand to guide participants through the projects.
Visitors can also take part in the Shine a Light Challenge to benefit the American Brain Tumor Association. Read about local efforts here.
Read more about NJ Makers Day:
The maker movement in the United States isn’t just a hobby; it’s having a significant impact on school curriculum development and growing local economies. To celebrate making and maker culture, residents throughout New Jersey will come together on Saturday, March 21, 2015 in libraries, schools, museums, homes, and other community locations.
NJ Makers Day is designed to be a statewide single-day event that celebrates, promotes, and in many cases may introduce maker culture, as well as the values associated with making, tinkering and STEM-based learning. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “employment in occupations related to STEM — science, technology, engineering, and mathematics — is projected to grow to more than 9 million between 2012 and 2022. That’s an increase of about 1 million jobs.”
Maker spaces across the state are having a significant impact on education and job skills development by providing access to people, information, resources, and tools that facilitate making to a wide variety of skill levels. Popular equipment in these spaces include 3D printers, single board microcontrollers like Arduino and Raspberry Pi, robotics, digital media production, computer programming, textile and handicrafts and more.
“We are thrilled to be able to bring this type of programming to the Maplewood community,” said Langlois. “We are committed to finding ways to help people to learn new skills and to work collaboratively on exciting hands-on projects.”
