‘Makerspace’ in the making at Cooroy

Cooroy is set to gain its own makerspace.

Makerspaces, also called hackerspaces, hackspaces, and fablabs, are places where people gather to work on joint creative projects, typically involving technology.

The makerspace will provide an opportunity for people to access new and emerging technology, which they may not otherwise have had access to.

“It will be a place to test drive all sorts of high tech equipment including 3D printers, 3D modelling, robotics such as Arduino kits, and Virtual Reality technology,” Ms King said.

Noosa Library Service won a grant to fund and develop their own makerspace within Cooroy Library.  The traditional training room will be re-designed into the Makerspace and will include areas for making, learning and socialising.

“The makerspace will be a place where people can gather and share ideas and use emerging technologies to explore, tinker, invent and discover and through this exploration new ideas and new ways of thinking will emerge,” says Literacy and Learning Coordinator Tracey King.

The library will encourage people who use the space to document what they learn and share it by way of workshops and lectures, and by contributing to online library and maker websites.

The makerspace, developed in partnership with local tech groups, will be established over the coming months. The library hopes to open it to the public in early 2018.

Cooroy Library will continue to provide computer and internet access for customers alongside the creation of this new digitally-creative space.

The Cooroy Makerspace will be designed to grow as momentum builds around the increasingly popular concept.

This project has received financial assistance from the Queensland Government through State Library of Queensland.

For more information contact Noosa Council libraries on 5329 6555 or email libraries@noosa.qld.gov.au

22 August 2017