NCSU Libraries Goes to Washington for First Capitol Maker Faire

NCSU Libraries' own Adam Rogers and Dan Hawkins are traveling to Washington, D.C. today to participate in the first Capitol Hill Maker Faire, which is being held at the Rayburn House Office Building. The Faire is open to the public, members of Congress, and congressional staff. Rogers and Hawkins are scheduled to meet with Congressman David Price of North Carolina later today.

The Capitol Hill Maker Faire kicks off a nationwide celebration of making, and is being held in conjunction with the much larger National Maker Faire at the University of DC, on June 12 “13. It will be followed by the White House National We ek of Ma king , June 12 “18. As part of the National Week of Making, NCSU Libraries will be opening their own Makerspace in D. H. Hill Jr. Library on Tuesday, June 16 .

Hosted by the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) in collaboration with the Congressional Maker Caucus, Maker Media , and Nation of Makers , the faire will explore the new movement driven by hobbyists, tinkerers, crafters, and innovators that is breathing new life and innovation into American manufacturing. The movement is also changing the face of informal learning at community institutions with learning that is inherently experimental, inventive, creative, and project-based.

The Capitol Hill Maker Faire is free and open to the public. It runs from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm and will feature approximately 30 exhibitors with hands-on displays, such as robots, crafts, 3D printers, and other new manufacturing tools. The faire will be preceded by a series of panel discussions, from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm, with leaders of the Maker movement discussing its impact on the economy, education, and community development.

For details, go to www.imls.gov/maker .