Makerspaces are turning up all over the country.  These are do-it-yourself workshop spaces encouraging tinkering and creating. Think shop class, science lab, home economics and art class all mixed in one. Often they involve a technological leap beyond knitting and crafts. Think community centers with sewing machines, circuit boards, hard drives, wood burning tools, and soldering irons. Many include advanced technology such as 3-D printers and digital recording and mixing devices. Often set up with assistance from corporations, makerspaces incorporate science, technology, education, art, and math, what educators call "STEAM," to encourage participatory learning.

Libraries serve diverse cultural, informational, educational, and recreational needs of the community. In addition to the items libraries lend, they function as community centers, a gathering place with activities for adults, teens and children. Many see makerspaces as a logical next step: libraries as centers for creating content as well as consuming content.

Already, libraries provide public access to computers for job applicants, copiers for tax filers and printers for students.  Using community dollars to invest in something that may be beyond the reach of individual homes can fulfill a library's mission to serve the informational, educational and recreational needs of the community.    

Some libraries, such as Fayetteville Free Library in NY, Westport Public Library in CT, Allen County Public Library in IN, offer 3-D printing to their patrons. These printers use melted plastic to form a three dimensional object. Replacement parts, puzzle pieces, even a coffee cup can be formed using a 3-D printer. One parent used the 3-D printer at Johnson County Library in KS to print out the parts for a prosthesis for her son's missing fingers (Christian Science Monitor, July 7 & 14 2014, p. 29). Websites such as thingiverse offer pre-made designs or people can design their own. Although there are no immediate plans for purchasing a 3-D printer for KFL, there may come a day when patrons will utilize one here.

Our Annual Appeal ended on June 30th.We are thankful to individuals, businesses, foundations and the Towns of Kennebunk and Arundel; we exceeded our goal of $61,000 with $62,255 in donations received.

Libraries are the one place where people of all ages and backgrounds can find and freely use a variety of resources, along with the expert guidance of librarians. We strive to continually strengthen our community by keeping library resources and programs current. Your generous support allows us to continue to provide the collection, programs, services, and events that make KFL such an important and valued part of our community.

We are ramping up publicity of our events to let the community know all that we offer! KFL staff may take photos or videos of participants, individually or in groups, attending Library programs and activities. Photographs or videos may appear in Library publications or other Library publicity. If a Library patron does not wish himself/herself or his/her child to be photographed, the patron must notify the Library staff.