#FabLabDevon at Exeter Library

A Fab Lab (= Fabrication Laboratory) is a low-cost digital workshop equipped with laser-cutters, routers, 3D scanners, 3D milling machines, and programming tools, where you can "make almost anything." There are over 100 Fab Labs around the world, open to local inventors, small businesses, students, artists and entrepreneurs.

 

FabLabDevon is on track to be up and running when the refurbished Exeter Library opens on 22^nd May.  Devon County Council has contributed £90k and the space to host the Fab Lab in Exeter Library.  It has £30k funding from RIO (Real Ideas Organisation SW Bridge Challenge Fund) and has recently bid for a further £30k from NESTA/Nominet Trust (Digital Makers Fund).

 

The electrics are in, the walls are painted, the glass is in and since I took the photo even the carpet is down.  Five University of Exeter final year Civil Engineering Students are helping with specifying and sourcing equipment, layout etc.  The equipment will be purchased by the end of this financial year.

 

Adjacent to the Fab Lab a Business and Intellectual Property (IP) Centre is being developed to offer support for anyone wanting to start up/grow their business.

 

If the Fab Lab and Business and IP Centre have caught your interest get the inside view at Library Camp SW 2014.  Go to http://libcampsw2014.wikispaces.com/ for information about this year’s Library Camp and the link to the free tickets.

Library Camp SW

Library Camp SW 2104

is being held in the new (so new it hasn’t been opened yet) Exeter Library on 5^th July 10 am – 4.30 pm.

 

What is Library Camp SW? The background to Library Camp SW is:

 

The inaugural Library Camp SW was held in July 2012 at the University of Exeter and was a success despite flooding and landslides preventing some of the attendees reaching Exeter.  This was followed by a second Library Camp SW in July 2013 at the University of Bristol. Increased attendance and the sun shining for the picnic in the park created another successful event. 

 

The people who attended these Library Camps were from a range of libraries; academic, public, museum, health etc including a completely digital library, and from linked occupations such as Library Management Systems, Bristol Literature Festival and LiteratureWorks, a literature development charity for the South West.  People journeyed from Cornwall across the South West as far as Dorset and also from Oxford and London!

 

Library Camp SW is run as an unconference where the attendees discuss the issues that matter to them.  The range of suggestions for the discussion sessions depends on the experience, expertise and interests of the attendees.  So people pitched session ideas at the start of the day and you then chose 5 of the 20 sessions which you were most interested in.

Past sessions include:

Innovation in Libraries	Social Media	External funding
Your dream library	Information Literacy	Chartership
Apps	Libraries of the Future	Disaster Management
Research in libraries	Collaboration	Library Displays
Book repairs	Reading Groups	E books
Retaining & attracting teens	Mobile devices in libraries	Promoting Library Services

 

The discussion, inspiration and networking weren’t confined to the sessions but continued over cake, (there was an impressive range of cake), during lunch and afterwards.
 

If this blog has caught your interest please go to http://libcampsw2014.wikispaces.com/ for information about this year’s Library Camp and the link to the free tickets.

Library Camp SW 2014

Looking forward to a day of discussion, inspiration and networking with others interested in libraries and information.

Exeter Library

Saturday 5 July 2014

10.00am - 4.30pm


Free tickets go to

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/library-camp-sw-2014-tickets-10431961277


Library Camp South West is an "unconference" where participants make suggestions for what they would like to talk about. It works on the principle that knowledge, experience and expertise can be shared. It is free to attend.  For more information see http://libcampsw2014.wikispaces.com/

An unconference follows the principles of Open Space events - people can wander in and out of sessions, tweet, blog and take photos all day, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open-space_technology   For more details on all library camps visit http://www.librarycamp.co.uk/  

Lunch is a bring and share picnic/buffet (depending on the weather!) Please bring savoury items/drinks and/or cake.

If you have any questions please tweet the official LibCampSW account @LibCampSW