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Fab Lab Brossard, a digital learning place for the community

By Suzanne Payette, Sarah-Ann Brisson, and Maxime Saint-Jacques Couture

February 24th, 2017

Introduction

In early 2017, the Brossard Public Library launched the Fab Lab, a new digital learning space for its community. This presentation will give an account of the planning involved in the setup of the Fab Lab. It will explore the project’s vision to design a creative a space to support the development of skills and digital literacy with the potential of attracting new users to the library. This presentation will also include the discussion of perceptions people have about Fab Labs, and how such a space can complement a library’s mission.

Fab Lab Brossard, a digital learning place for the community 1

Context

Brossard City “Urbaine, contemporaine, ouverte sur le monde”A Canadian city, Brossard is located on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River. With a population of 87 215 inhabitants, Brossard is the twelfth largest city in the province of Quebec.

Rich in diversity, about 37% of Brossard’s population is made up of people of differing origins, the largest portion being those with an Asian background. With its 57 cultural communities, Brossard is the most multicultural city in Quebec. Brossard’s unique character constitutes an invaluable wealth. The Brossard’s residents are an educated population possessing high levels of scholastic achievements, resulting in a highly qualified and multilingual workforce.

Brossard is innovative in several sectors and defines itself as being a city that aspires to be a smart city. For example, Brossard offers, among other things, a numerical B-CITI card and application that allow its users to access numerous municipal services.

Brossard Public Library (BPL)

Citizens have enjoyed access to their library for the past 40 years, with 36.5 % of the City’s population being library card holders. In addition, more than one thousand citizens visit the library each day to consult the collection of 259 000 documents or take part in one of eight hundred activities offered each year in a variety of programs.

BPL is recognized as an innovative library by its peers. For example, created in 2014, SODA is a space in the library dedicated solely to teenagers. There, teenagers can work together in groups, eat, and converse with each other in a library setting. Since its launch, SODA has been met with resounding success. In 2016, the library added a collection of 2000 butterflies and insects to its holdings. Exhibited at the entrance of the library, this collection is enjoyed by everyone entering the premises, providing a perfect opportunity for all to discover new and interesting aspects of the library.

The year 2017 promises new and exciting developments for the library’s user community with the launch of Fab Lab Brossard, this being the focus of this presentation.


When?

It is 2016. Digital fabrication tools are more accessible than ever. Already committed to digital education and noticing the Fab Lab movement is gaining momentum around the world. We have decided to take a leap and create our own digital fabrication space.

What?

The first question we asked ourselves was: « Which kind of digital experience we would like to implement: maker place, media lab or Fab Lab? ». We understood that the set up would have been different for each of these.

After reflecting on the impact we wanted to have and taking into consideration that nearby libraries were setting up Media Labs, we decided to implement a Fab Lab.

According to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology:

Fab Labs provide widespread access to modern means for invention. They began as an outreach project from MIT's Center for Bits and Atoms (CBA). CBA assembled millions of dollars in machines for research in digital fabrication, ultimately aiming at developing programmable molecular assemblers that will be able to make almost anything. Fab Labs fall between these extremes, comprising roughly fifty thousand dollars in equipment and materials that can be used today to do what will be possible with tomorrow's personal fabricators.

http://fab.cba.mit.edu/about/faq/

While a wave of interest has swept across the province in recent years, there are still few Fab Labs in Quebec. Most of these are currently managed by community organizations or educational institutions (high schools, colleges and universities). Because most people are not familiar with the concept of a Fab Lab, user consultation could not be our main source of inspiration to guide the development of our project. Instead, we had to decide which avenues we wanted to explore and which kind of experiences we wanted to offer to the citizens of Brossard. We were facing a daunting challenge because no Quebec public library was at this time managing a Fab Lab.

Why a Fab Lab in a public library?


Despite the fact that some people may find it difficult to justify the implementation of a Fab Lab in a public library, we were convinced of its potential and were ready to demonstrate that it corresponds directly to several of the library’s missions. The library of the 21st century is, among other things, a public institution that:

Is open to all; Is a place of culture, knowledge and learning; Is closely linked to civic life; Promotes a participatory approach, collaboration and cooperation; Stimulates creativity and innovation; Promotes integration and social development; Provides democratic access to technology.

That the public library shares all these common points with the Fab Lab culture demonstrates why they form an obvious and happy marriage. In addition to these considerations, we want to point out that the public library has always supported citizens in the development of competency to use technology, and the library has long been recognized as an important social meeting place.

Where?


As all available space in the library building was already allocated to different activities or services, we had to come up with creative ways of using our existing space. We concluded that the area occupied by our computer lab would be the best place to host our Fab Lab. The computer lab gave access to several computer workstations in addition to hosting computer training. To ensure that this change of function did not cause any loss of service for users, we decided to acquire laptops and iPads that our patrons can now use anywhere in the library.

This approach involved moving the location of a wall to recover unused space, thus providing us with 105 m2 to set up our Fab Lab. Our next task was to hire an architectural firm to make the transformation of the place a success.

How?

Having a well-conceived budget at the start of a project was very helpful in providing a global view of possibilities. The budget was at first split between architect expenses, furniture and technological equipment, so we had a good idea of how we could spend our money. Some equipment would be bought in US, so for those items we had to consider exchange rates and custom costs in our budget.In addition to attending conferences and training sessions, participating in an exchange group of professionals involved with lab development projects in their library and making extensive web searches, we got in touch with Communautique. This community organization is responsible for the first Fab Lab in Montreal, and PEC, another community Fab Lab that is run by a certified Fab manager. The information we gathered and the shared expertise were both very useful to guide us in our choice of equipment and suppliers, and to inspire us in space planning and the development of overall service offerings.

We also went on a research and inspiration mission by consulting the information available on the Web concerning the installations, equipment and the operation of Fab Labs throughout North America and the rest of the world. We travelled to Chicago and Toronto to visit various Fab Lab implementations. Fortunately, the sharing of information and knowledge is part of the basic principles of all Fab Labs. Our findings from these explorations then allowed us to imagine our own Fab Lab, establish a wish list and make a preliminary assessment of the resources that would be needed. From that moment, however, several challenging questions began to emerge as this space would clearly be so different from what you would normally expect to see in a library.

Who?

Who worked on this project?


Two librarians on our staff worked for a complete year on this project. They identified the equipment required, analysed potential products, requested quotes and selected and ordered the materials. As soon as the equipment was chosen, they completed a document that described various requirements such as electricity, space, dust, internet access, etc. This document was very useful for both the architect as well as the mechanical engineer working on this project. Once the equipment was delivered, the team set about learning how it all worked.

Furthermore, during this planning year, librarians also worked on several key elements of the project including scheduling, staff requirements, programming framework, general regulations, website, public presentations, user documentation, etc.Who will manage the space?

This space could not live without dedicated staff. We wrote a description job for a full time Fab manager as well as for a part time mediator (20 hours per week). The Fab manager’s mandate is to plan, coordinate, implement and promote the Fab Lab's programming and services in addition to creating partnerships and managing equipment. Both the Fab manager as well as the mediator guide users in the use of equipment and assist them in the realization of their projects.

Who will use it?

The Fab Lab is open to everyone: kids, teens, students, artists, entrepreneurs, professionals or creators. It will be a community space, so everyone who wants to learn and share will be welcome. Using the lab will be free of access for all library card owners. Non-residents of Brossard can subscribe to the library at a cost of 75,00 $ per year and get unlimited access to Fab Lab. Users can bring their own materials or buy some in the lab at a low and reasonable cost.

Although we would have liked to offer the same opening hours as the library (69 hours per week), we had to be more realistic for the first year and opted for an opening of 39 hours per week, scheduled mainly in the afternoons, evenings and weekends.

Communication

To make this space well known to everyone, the city’s communication department set up a campaign inviting every citizen to explore and discover this new space which gives them access to digital knowledge and creativity. Although printed promotional material such as leaflets was developed, most of the promotion focused on


being present on many web platforms and Medias. During the first months, the doors of the Fab Lab would be open to the curious, to groups, to school teachers, to companies, etc. A pre-opening of the Fab Lab was an important phase of the project, as the space and equipment were presented to the library staff as well as city staff. Many of the city’s employees have a high degree of contact with the public and we knew that their understanding of the Fab Lab space would be helpful in facilitating our communications with the citizens of Brossard.

The Fab Lab was officially launched in February 2017 in the presence of many journalists, various interest groups, as well as representatives from the provincial Ministry of Culture.

In the future, the library’s web site will present an overview of the projects which will be developed in the Fab Lab. It will also present the equipment and set up of the lab, becoming a reference for future Fab Lab projects in other public libraries. Through Facebook communications, we are working to create a virtual community of people interested in the Fab Lab, allowing everyone to stay in touch with its development.

Program

During February and March, the Fab manager offered guided tours of the Fab Lab to community organisations. The manager presented and explained the various pieces of equipment, demonstrated how they worked and explained who


can use them. This outreach period was necessary before the launching of the official program.

Fab Lab Brossard was created with the objective of offering learning opportunities and, to this end, aims to give access to:

Knowledge and equipment; Training and resource people; An environment conducive to learning; A motivating context that stimulates the desire for training.

In this context, Fab Lab Brossard offers its users learning opportunities of three types:

Self-directed learning (user guides, how-to videos, tutorials, specialized books, step by step autonomous project, etc.);

Peer learning (super user volunteer twinning, interest group, community sharing platform, Fab Lab network, etc.);

Directed Learning (Four types of activities: discovery, certification, formation and workshop).

Here is a description of the four types of directed activities offered in the Fab Lab:

Discovery : Visits and conferences that allow users to discover the Fab Lab, its equipment and its possible uses;

Certification : Mandatory courses that allow users to acquire the basic knowledge required for certain devices that are more complex to use;

Training : Courses that allows users to deepen their knowledge on topics specific to digital creation;

Workshop : Courses that allow users to make a guided project from start to finish with all the necessary materials being provided.

In addition to these activities, we are also planning to offer specific services and create partnerships with the city's schools.

For elementary schools, we are currently developing “maker” activities for each cycle of the curriculum that fit into our existing school visit program. Emphasis will be placed on the acquisition of skills in electronics, robotics and coding.

For high schools, we would like to develop partnerships with trained teachers, who could then use the Fab Lab autonomously with their own students. Various types of projects could be carried out in the Fab Lab, but we believe that technology teachers could be particularly interested in using our facilities. Moreover, on weekdays before 1 pm, we will have time slots reserved for this purpose.


Lab layout and equipment

The 105 m2 space has been designed to accommodate 37 seating areas, a large counter-height central work area, 3 team work tables as well as counters all around the room to accommodate the various pieces of equipment. There are also storage cabinets, pegboard, dry erase boards, sinks and several other design elements chosen for their relevance to the Fab Lab activities. In addition, a storage room for materials and unfinished projects is directly accessible from the space.

The list of equipment available in the Fab Lab is as follows:

3D Printer (2 Tinkerine +1 Formlab) Laser cutter (Trotek) Digital sewing machine (Brother) 4 Apple computers and a 3D scanner Scanner (KIC) Vinyl and paper cutter CNC router machine (ShopBot) Hot press (t-shirt, cup, cap, etc) Kits of LittleBits, Ozobot, etc. Electronic and computer components (Arduino, Raspberry pi, etc.) Button presses (button, magnet, keychains) Roll laminator machine Tools (screwdrivers, hammers, cutters, etc.) Some material (vinyl, wood, 3D filament, threads, etc.) to use with each

piece of equipment (for sale)


Conclusion

The Fab Lab project promotes several key elements one will expect to find in a 21st century library. Learner empowerment and integrated learning opportunities, common spaces for engagement and connection between people, access to high-tech equipment and tools for transformation as well as innovative approaches for exploration and creation are a few examples of these elements. As such, individual testimonials by those who have experienced the Fab Lab environment have demonstrated how crucial such a space can be in shaping the public’s perception of a library space in the 21st century can be. Many who have taken part in activities offered at the Fab Lab have been overwhelmed by such a welcoming space that offers attractive ways to acquire and develop digital skillsets. Although we have just started exploring the possibilities of what can be accomplished at the Fab Lab, it is, at this time, tempting to say: mission accomplished!

Contact:http://biblio.brossard.ca/http://biblio.brossard.ca/fablab/[email protected]


http://biblio.brossard.ca/fablab/

http://biblio.brossard.ca/

web viewcnc router machine (shopbot) hot press (t-shirt, cup, cap, etc) kits of littlebits, ozobot,...

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