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theses

Within the past decade, the maker movement and culture have received a lot of interest and support from the government, research institutes, museums, libraries, and schools in the United States. Makerspaces are important because they fit in with broader concerns of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and provide informal learning opportunities for people to engage in situated and practical intelligence that contributes formal learning. A review of the literature on library makerspaces shows a growing but still limited number of empirical studies in Library and Information Science (LIS) that have explored this phenomenon, especially from the perspective of makerspace users, such as young people. It remains unknown how young people engage with information as they participate in library makerspace activities. This dissertation aims to understand the opportunities and desired outcomes of makerspaces in libraries from the perspective of young people, also to develop a holistic understanding of information practices of young people participating in makerspace activities, and to understand the affordances and constraints of technologies and materials in young people’s information practices. A total of twenty-one young people at two library makerspaces participated in this study. Based on the analysis of qualitative data from field observations, individual interviews, photovoice, and focus groups, this dissertation shows that from the perspective of young people, the opportunities and desired outcomes of makerspace participation are centered on four major themes: make, learn, social, and interest. Young people’s information practices of seeking, using, and sharing at the makerspaces are largely social oriented and embedded in their makerspace activities. One salient practice of becoming informed during makerspace activities is through tinkering and embodiment. Additionally, the makerspaces have a robust culture of asking and information sharing, in which young people can freely generate questions and engage in inquiry. The value of visual information is highlighted in young people’s information-searching practices in the library makerspaces. Situations when young people switch from individual to collaborative information practices are further identified. This dissertation has theoretical, methodological, and practical contributions and implications. Theoretically, it offers an empirical research-based conceptualization of library makerspaces, contributes to the body of scholarly work on young people’s information practices in everyday life and informal learning. Implications for professional practices include a visual guide for makerspace activities and strategies in supporting young people’s information practices in library makerspaces as informal learning environments.

ETD_8886

Ph.D.

Includes bibliographical references

by Xiaofeng Li

doi:10.7282/T33X8B3V

ETD doctoral

The author owns the copyright to this work.