Library makerspaces have become a broad programming model, but access is not the same as having a dedicated room. In a 2017 survey, 89% of surveyed U.S. and Canadian public libraries offered maker programming, while 43% had a dedicated makerspace. More recent U.S. public-library technology data reported production equipment at 39.5% of libraries in fall/winter 2023.
Contents
- Public-library adoption and reach
- Age groups and attendance
- Topics libraries offer
- Staffing and partnerships
- Dedicated spaces and equipment
- Barriers and resource signals
- Academic-library makerspace census
Public-library adoption and reach
The 2017 Public Library Maker Program Survey Report found that maker programming was common across public libraries in the United States and Canada. Overall, 89% of surveyed libraries offered maker programming, while 11% reported no maker programming. The survey measures programming in 2017 and should not be read as a current national estimate.
Library size and community geography were associated with different reported adoption levels:
- 96% of urban public libraries offered maker programming.
- 86% of rural public libraries offered maker programming.
- 77% of libraries serving fewer than 25,000 people offered maker programming.
- 96% of libraries serving 100,000–499,000 people offered maker programming.
- 100% of libraries serving 500,000 or more people offered maker programming.
| Public-library group | Libraries offering maker programming in 2017 |
|---|---|
| All surveyed libraries | 89% |
| Urban libraries | 96% |
| Rural libraries | 86% |
| Serving fewer than 25,000 people | 77% |
| Serving 100,000–499,000 people | 96% |
| Serving 500,000 or more people | 100% |
The later PLA weighted 2023 survey used a different measure: equipment ownership rather than whether a library offered maker programming. In fall/winter 2023, 39.5% of U.S. public libraries reported having maker production equipment, and 24.6% reported having digital-media production equipment. These figures are not directly comparable with the 2017 programming percentages because the survey years, populations, and measures differ. The figures come from “New Public Library Technology Survey report details digital equity roles”.
Age groups and attendance
Children were the most widely served age group in the 2017 public-library survey. Children’s maker programs were offered by 83% of surveyed public libraries. Teen programs were offered by 73%, adult programs by 51%, and family programs by 46%.
The survey also reported differences by library setting and size. Children’s maker programs reached 92% of urban public libraries. Teen maker programs reached 87% of libraries serving 100,000–499,000 people. Adult maker programs reached 66% of suburban public libraries, and family maker programs reached 72% of libraries serving 500,000 or more people.
Reported attendance changes provide another view of demand. In 2017, 59% of public libraries said children’s maker-program attendance had increased compared with the prior year. The corresponding figure for teen maker-program attendance was 46%. These are reported year-over-year changes, not attendance totals or a count of participants.
Topics libraries offer
Library maker programs covered both traditional crafts and technology. In 2017, crafts were reported by 93% of public libraries, building kits such as LEGO or K’nex by 87%, painting or drawing by 69%, and knitting, crocheting, or fiber crafts by 67%.
Technology and creative-production topics were also substantial parts of the mix. Coding or programming was offered by 65% of public libraries, robotics by 53%, creative writing by 53%, jewelry making by 50%, 3D printing by 45%, cooking by 44%, and gardening by 55%.
Lower-frequency media and design topics included video making or editing at 28%, sound recording at 21%, and game design at 21%. The percentages describe libraries offering each topic; they do not show how often programs met, how many people attended, or whether equipment was available for independent use.
The survey included comparable 2014 figures for two technology topics. Coding or programming rose from 36% in 2014 to 65% in 2017, while 3D printing rose from 23% to 45%. The source presents these as comparable survey measures; they should be interpreted as changes in the share of libraries offering the topics, not as a continuous annual trend.
Staffing and partnerships
Staff capacity and community collaboration were central to how public libraries delivered maker programming in 2017. Some 86% of public libraries designed maker programming around the existing skills of library staff. About 60% partnered with other organizations to bring in maker-program presenters.
Instructor models varied. Volunteers brought in by the library served as maker-program instructors at 64% of public libraries, while 52% used paid maker-program instructors. Only 24% relied exclusively on library staff as maker-program instructors. In addition, 61% made an effort to recruit diverse maker-program instructors.
Partnership interest extended beyond libraries already working with local organizations. Among libraries not currently partnering with local organizations, 97% either wanted to partner or would consider partnering. This finding suggests that partnership capacity and willingness were broader than existing partnership activity.
The Public Library Maker Program Survey Report 2017 supplies the program and instructor figures; the 86% staffing-design figure and the approximately 60% partnership figure are also summarized in The Current State of Library Makerspaces. The survey also found that 42% of public libraries recommended or purchased circuit and robotic kits for maker programming.
Dedicated spaces and equipment
Offering maker programming did not necessarily mean operating a dedicated makerspace. In 2017, 43% of public libraries reported having a dedicated makerspace. Among public libraries with makerspaces, 24% reported a construction project to create space for them, 18% designed the space into new building plans, and 11% added an addition to an existing building.
Equipment availability varied sharply by type. Sewing machines were offered as maker-program equipment by 28% of public libraries. Video or music production equipment was offered by 18%, and laser cutters by 5%. These equipment figures describe public libraries offering the listed equipment through maker programming, not the proportion of all makerspaces containing it.
The 2023 PLA technology survey offers a newer but differently defined signal. In fall/winter 2023, 39.5% of U.S. public libraries reported maker production equipment and 24.6% reported digital-media production equipment. Because the 2017 survey asks about maker-program offerings and the 2023 survey asks about equipment categories, the two sets should be kept separate when assessing change.
Barriers and resource signals
In 2017, staff capacity was the most frequently reported barrier to implementing maker-program ideas: 58% of public libraries identified it as a barrier. Other barriers were less common but point to several stages of program development. Lack of knowledge about the maker subject was identified by 27%, 25% were not sure how to start maker programming, and 18% reported that they had not found an instructor.
Only 9% identified patron interest as a barrier, while 5% identified an unsupportive supervisor or manager. The survey also found that 19% of public-library respondents were not involved in recommending or purchasing any of the listed maker materials.
Taken together, these measures describe implementation conditions rather than a ranking of program quality. They distinguish staff time, subject knowledge, instructor recruitment, management support, and purchasing involvement. A library could therefore report patron interest while still facing limits in staffing or equipment decisions.
Academic-library makerspace census
Academic-library data provide a separate view of makerspace development. The Makerspaces in Libraries at U.S. Public Colleges and Universities: A Census covered 784 U.S. public colleges and universities in the 2018–2019 census. It identified 284 active makerspaces across 214 institutions and 36 planned makerspaces at 35 institutions.
The planned-space figures show that expansion was not limited to campuses that already had a makerspace. Of the planned makerspaces, 31 would have been the first makerspace at their institution. Overall, 31% of the 784 institutions had either an active or planned makerspace. The census also identified 110 active makerspaces affiliated with a university library.
| Academic-library census measure | Result, 2018–2019 |
|---|---|
| U.S. public colleges and universities covered | 784 |
| Active makerspaces | 284 |
| Institutions with active makerspaces | 214 |
| Planned makerspaces | 36 |
| Institutions with planned makerspaces | 35 |
| Planned spaces that would be an institution’s first | 31 |
| Institutions with an active or planned makerspace | 31% |
| Active makerspaces affiliated with a university library | 110 |
The academic census is not a count of all U.S. libraries and should not be combined with the public-library survey percentages. Its scope is U.S. public colleges and universities, and its measurement period is 2018–2019. Read alongside the public-library findings, it shows two related but distinct patterns: public libraries commonly used maker programming across audience groups, while academic institutions reported a measurable base of active and planned makerspaces.