Empowering Community Through Making
Skokie Public Library
Innovation Synopsis
Skokie Public Library’s maker in residence program was created in direct response to patrons requesting more makerspace related programs and more learning related to the Studio, which is the library’s makerspace. Specifically, patrons wanted to have more connections with other people interested in the same maker and artistic endeavors as themselves. This is a paid residency in which we invite an artist, maker, and craftsperson to engage over a four-week period to share their artistic skills with the community. By integrating a maker’s expertise into the library’s activities, the library is able to support collaboration and enhance learning through innovation in the community. The pilot was in March 2025, and successful enough to continue with two maker residences yearly.
Challenge/Opportunity
Engaging with a maker with expertise allows individuals to experiment and develop critical thinking skills through hands-on creation. Patrons also learn about the library’s offerings in the makerspace and learn about access to new technologies that may be normally out of reach for the hobbyist. Selected artists are hired to share their artistic expertise with the community. The residency, with related programming, is designed to support patrons to:
- Participate in interactive programs that bridge artistic innovation with community engagement
- Create connections through making and community engagement
- Support building partnerships in the community
- Engage and learn from professionals across a range of artistic fields
- Foster creation, inspire creativity, and enrich creative experiences
- Develop new skills and knowledge to support digital literacy
- Access a professional for programs and expertise
Key Elements of Innovation
The maker is tasked with leading once-a-week workshops designed to integrate their specialized skills with community interests to foster a culture of creativity and collaborative learning. They hold open studio hours to provide guidance, answer questions, and support patrons. This residency is designed to enhance community engagement, promote creative expression, and advance digital literacy. Hosting a skilled maker, the library aims to inspire and equip individuals of all ages with hands-on experience in emerging technologies and creative practices.
This program aims to highlight a maker already embedded in the community and to share their expertise. They engage community members in hands-on experiences to share how artistic creation links with personal and collective narratives. By facilitating a community project and integrating storytelling with making, they can draw patrons new to the craft who are encouraged to express themselves and their own unique stories through making.
Achieved Outcomes
The inaugural maker in residence led 4 programs for a variety of age groups and audiences. 63 total patrons attended.
The maker facilitated a community quilt project. They created accessible instructions and templates for patrons to make or take. 76 quilt squares were contributed, and they were combined into a quilt now on display in the makerspace.
The maker in residence had “open studio hours” to directly connect with patrons. Staff detailed an increase of patrons visiting:
- Foot traffic in the makerspace increased by 11% in March 2025 from March 2024
- 263 patrons came to use the sewing machines in March, the highest usage of all machines in the Studio
Patron and staff response to the pilot was positive, with one patron sharing: “It also made me think that library is one of those positive supportive environments where all people are happy, where differences in race, religions, politics don’t exist as all are equal and aspiring to something higher within themselves and together."
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