2015 Charleston Library Conference

The greatest handicap that education in science, mathematics, and engineering faces today isn’t the difficulty of the subjects or even the unequal access to appropriate learning resources: it is lack of engagement. Too many students see science and math as irrelevant to their daily experience, and can only relate to them as passive consumers of technology.

The revolutionary rise of Makerspaces in libraries promises to change that. 3D printers, programmable lathes, and modular electronics make it easy even for the inexperienced to turn creative inspirations into useful, beautiful inventions they can share with others. For educators, the Makerspaces offer unique hands-on opportunities to show how knowledge of science and math can enrich students’ lives and to break down unnecessary barriers that isolate artistic imaginations from technical interests and skills (and vice versa).

John Rennie, editorial director of McGraw-Hill Education’s AccessScience, will lead this panel of Makerspace innovators and leading librarians as they discuss how best to encourage curiosity-driven STEAM learning for lifelong benefits.