What is the effect of an open access makerspace on the development of its community? Literature Review

Open-access makerspaces are popping up everywhere. They claim to provide their communities an essential portal to a world of opportunities. How do we know if they achieve this? This review summarises the available literature on the effect of open-access makerspaces on the communities in which they exist, and discusses potential measures of those effects.

The open-access makerspace is something of a new concept that doesn’t fit neatly into traditional economic models. A makerspace offers benefits not easily tested by conventional outcomes-based measures. These problems pose a challenge for those seeking support for a makerspace, and for funders who may have difficulty understanding the role of today’s makerspace or are reticent about investing in a relatively untested concept.

There is scant quantitative information available describing the effect of an open-access makerspace. This literature review focuses on largely qualitative information. It casts a wide net across seminal books on the Maker Movement, surveys, criticism, and social innovation writing to pull answers together.

A well supported open-access makerspace can provide advantages to all members of a community by providing access to a recent convergence of technologies in a collaborative setting. The effect of a makerspace on the development of its community can and should be measured.

It is hoped that this review will be a tool for those starting or supporting an open-access makerspace.