Maker Literacy, Metaliteracy, and the ACRL Framework

Abstract

Throughout the last decade, makerspaces and other experiential learning labs have grown in popularity in academic libraries, following trends set by community makerspaces, public libraries, and K–12 schools. Academic libraries have been established as ideal spaces on college campuses for makerspace technology and the experiential learning that it enables. The central, open nature of the campus library meshes well with the collaborative and interdisciplinary character of makerspaces. But trends move quickly in the realm of emerging technologies, and librarians must demonstrate the sustainability and enduring benefits of makerspaces in order to garner the continued support of administrators. The huge potential that makerspaces hold for student engagement and learning may be the key to ensuring that makerspaces remain relevant in the future. Most academic library instruction focuses on information literacy competencies as defined by the ACRL (Association of College and Research Libraries) Framework for Information Literacy. This chapter will use two of the foundational concepts of the ACRL Framework—metaliteracy and liminality—to demonstrate how maker-centered learning can help librarians further their institutions’ information literacy goals.