Ref Tech Rob

Library makerspaces can be excellent resources for side hustlers. Makerspaces vary from library to library but can help with prototyping products, signage, design and editing software, textile work, med ia production, and experimentation. Sometimes, this support can be provided free for software-related projects, or at cost for projects requiring material supplies. Our makerspace here at the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County provides 3D printing and scanning, sewing machines, a product photography table, a video green screen and lighting, cameras, a sound recording booth, Adobe software, large format printing, button makers, media conversion, a book printing machine, and a laser cutter/engraver. We also provide online instruction through Lynda.com. This support is great for inventors, photographers, videographers, fashion designers, bloggers, musicians, voice-over work, graphic designers, writers, media converters, artists, and anyone in need of display/sig...

**I'm currently working on a library workshop to show side hustlers what kind of support they can receive from their local library. I thought I'd share some of my thoughts here.** The topic I’m writing on at work is the intersection of the library and the user community--most specifically, the side hustle community. I’m trying to put together a series of guides, workshops, videos, etc. that will help people who are creating side businesses to get them off the ground. What is a side hustle? "A side hustle is a business you run in your free time that allows you the flexibility to pursue what you're most interested in. It’s a chance to delve into food, travel, fashion, or whatever you’re passionate about whilst keeping your day job." ( http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-start-a-side-hustle-2015-11 .) Side hustlers are p eople looking to add some income from something they are passionate about, and, with our focus on lifelong learning, libraries are uniq...

Photo: Amanda Mills As our economy continues to change, it's becoming more and more important for libraries to offer resources to help people who are looking for new opportunities. As companies continue to shed jobs, replacing them with automation, it is becoming increasingly necessary for workers to rely on their own efforts. Providing co-working spaces is one way libraries can support people who are taking on roles as contractors, freelancers, and entrepreneurs. So what is co-working? According to David Lee King and Michael Porter in “Create a Library ‘Tech Shop’,” ( American Libraries Magazine , March/April 2012, p. 57) co-working “...brings together independent workers, freelancers, small business owners, and others who need workspace. These folks regularly gather to brainstorm ideas, team up on projects, and work in a more social setting.” It can also be described as “...a recent movement of independent ‘workspaces’ that are created for remote workers, location neutra...