One of King's strategic educational aims is to develop graduates that are active, discerning participants in their information ecosystems, and not merely consumers of other peoples' ideas. I see maker spaces as an underutilised kind of space in which to teach information literacy in an engaging and supportive environment. In these spaces students will act as designers and creators of information, making judgements on the design software they use to the storage methods and access rights they employ with their work. This way we can support students to invest in the idea of themselves as active agents in their information landscape, and to reflect on how they see themselves in relation to their peers across society.
Maker spaces are often attached to specific departments at King's, and untangling the details around ownership and access continue to be a challenge. It is my aim to at least present a case for starting a maker space attached to the Library to the Senior Management team, to start the discussions, and to link this initiative to the Library's strategic plan for the next few years.