Umeå University's logo

This thesis aims to gather knowledge about what roles Sweden-based librarians working in makerspaces claim for themselves, and which skills and proficiencies they find most relevant for their work. The thesis also examines how librarians develop new skills as well as widen their knowledge of making practices. The study was conducted through semi- structured interviews with eight people working in makerspaces situated at public or university libraries. The gathered data was analyzed using thematic analysis, based on theories and concepts such as Dewey’s learning by doing, Lankes’ librarians as facilitators, and Landwehr Sydow’s material literacy, as well as DeSeCo’s conceptual framework on competencies. The findings regarding the roles of the librarians showed the importance of being a facilitator of the space, tools, and machines taking precedence over a self-identification of the librarian-as-maker role, and that librarians taking part in the making process generally did so with an eye to various user needs. Results indicate that a wide array of competencies are useful in makerspace work. It is preferable that librarians have knowledge about different technologies in the makerspace, as well as pedagogical competencies. Furthermore, it was found that a good grasp on administration, budgeting and co-operation was essential. Findings also show that most librarians are self-taught in maker processes, although some forms of training can be offered by employers. Our study also indicates that the future is potentially uncertain for makerspaces in libraries, and that this topic would be a good candidate for future studies.