View Project

G2S Project Code: 2018-CA-81084
State: California
Fiscal Year: 2018

Grantee
SONOMA COUNTY LIBRARY

Project Director
Director Name: Ann Hammond
Director Phone: (707) 545-0831 x1537
Director Email: ahammond@sonomalibrary.org

General Information
Title: Creative Thursdays
State Project Code: 40-8916
Start Date: 07/01/2018
End Date: 08/31/2019
Abstract: This project offered a series of crafting workshops which allowed adult patrons to engage in creative play and skill building by providing them access to tools and materials for hands-on learning opportunities they might otherwise not have had.

A series of crafting programs for adults 18 years and older, offered the community a fun, educational, and inventive way to discover what the library offers at every point in their lives. Instructor-led programs alternated with open makerspace opportunities. The makerspaces provided supplemental time for patrons to explore skills learned during the instructor-led programs, to utilize machinery and supplies purchased by the library, or to drop-in without requiring registration in order to explore what the crafting series entailed.

State Goal: Goal 3: Inspire, Support, & Engage Communities

Budget Information

LSTA

MATCH-State

MATCH-Other

Total

$4,977.00

$0.00

$3,856.00

$8,833.00

Intent(s)
Improve users' general knowledge and skills.
Arts, Culture & Humanities

Activities
Activity Details
Title: Crafting sessions
Narrative: There were six instructor-led crafting sessions over the course of a three-month period, led by five different instructors. The classes consisted of an art card making class, a paint night, a two-part introduction to machine sewing class, an introduction to crochet class, and a journal making class that taught basic book-binding technique. The classes required registration as the instructors had a limit as to how many people that could be instructed at one time and because they provided the majority of the class materials. Class sizes ranged from six participants to twenty and most were fully attended.

Each instructor was either selected from a pool of "performers" who had previously worked in the library system teaching craft-related workshops or were newly contacted members of the community who had both several years of instruction experience and expertise in a craft skill. For example, the introduction to machine sewing class was taught be a member of the local quilting guild who often runs workshops at quilting conventions. The paint party and journal making classes were taught be instructors who have previously done events in the Sonoma County Library system, although not those exact workshops. All of the instructors were very knowledgeable in the subjects, well prepared, and provided fun instruction that introduced patrons to new creative skills.

Equipment was purchased to support these crafting sessions. This equipment included four sewing machines, a serger machine, an embroidery machine; two household irons; and a hobbyist desktop laser engraver.
Intent: Improve users' general knowledge and skills.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Presentation/performance
Format: In-person

Quantity
Presentation/performance length (minutes): 120
Number of presentations/performances administered: 6
Average number in attendance per session: 15

Partner Information

Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: No
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No

Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No

Activity Details
Title: Makerspace programs
Narrative: The Project Coordinator set-up and conducted six makerspace programs over the course of three months that alternated with the instructor-led programs. The makerspace programs provided supplemental time for patrons to explore skills learned during the instructor-led programs, to utilize machinery and supplies purchased by the library, or to drop-in without requiring registration in order to explore what the crafting series entailed.

Patrons started crafting projects such as sewing pillow cases, making custom vinyl decal t-shirts, mending clothing, painting, knitting, and crocheting; all using the materials and/or equipment provided by the grant purchases. Some patrons continued projects begun in the instructor-led programs, while others learned how to used the sewing, serger, embroidery, or Cricut machines from the Project Coordinator. Patrons with various skill levels also worked to help each other learn new skills and/or pass on knowledge to those who had not attended the instructor-led classes.

Patrons who participated in the makerspace programs often worked on projects outside of these programs using other library resources such as library computers to design Cricut patterns and embroidery designs or used library books with knitting patterns to continue learning a new creative skill.
Intent: Improve users' general knowledge and skills.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Program
Format: In-person

Quantity
Session length (minutes): 120
Number of sessions in program: 1
Average number in attendance per session: 15
Number of times program administered: 6

Partner Information

Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: No
For a targeted group or for the general population: General

Locale
Is the activity state-wide: No
Specific Locations: Yes
Name: SONOMA COUNTY LIBRARY
Address: 211 E STREET
City: SANTA ROSA
State: CA
Zip: 95404
Question 1: I learned something by participating in this library activity.
Strongly Agree: 103
Agree: 9
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 1
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 0
Question 2: I feel more confident about what I just learned.
Strongly Agree: 94
Agree: 15
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 4
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 0
Question 3: I intend to apply what I just learned.
Strongly Agree: 88
Agree: 16
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 6
Disagree: 2
Strongly Disagree: 1
Non-Response: 0
Question 4: I am more aware of resources and services provided by the library.
Strongly Agree: 0
Agree: 0
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 0
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 113
Question 5: I am more likely to use other library resources and services.
Strongly Agree: 100
Agree: 11
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 2
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 0

Project Outcomes
Project Outcomes
List any important outcomes or findings not previously reported:
Structuring the series of programs to alternate workshops with instructors and open exploration time allowed for different types of learners to experiment with crafting at their own speed and comfort levels. Although the participants at the makerspace programs were usually a base of the same people, the instructor-led programs enticed a wide variety of non-regular attendees. Repeat attendance of individuals to the makerspace allowed for patrons to become more comfortable with equipment and methods, and also allowed for the sharing of knowledge with new attendees, while instructor-led programs attracted "one-off" (i.e., attending the program only once) participants who were drawn to a traditional workshop structure. Having a variety of workshops appeared to have helped in reaching a more diverse group of participants while also helping to expand people's expectations of what they could do and what might interest them to try. As a result, participants expressed opinions to the staff about what activities could be offered in addition to those already planned.
Please briefly describe the importance of these outcomes and findings for future program planning:
Trying new things can sometimes be somewhat intimidating, but participants took pride in their accomplishments, especially considering it was the first experience for many of them with crafting. It gave many of them the confidence to return for other workshops and makerspaces, to try increasingly more complicated projects, and to start creative projects in their own time to carry on after the grant series ended. For future program planning, it would be nice to find a way to highlight participant accomplishments somehow, such as displaying them or putting on a crafting showcase at the end.
Explain one or two of the most significant lessons learned for others wanting to adopt any facets of this project:
This project was less successful in finding community partnerships than had been hoped; many of the local small businesses already offered their own crafting courses in-house and were not particularly interested in offering classes at the library. However, instructors were found from local schools and crafting guilds, such as the Petaluma Quilt Guild and Live Oak Charter school, who due to their amount of expertise both with crafting and instruction, made them ideal for leading workshops. Another lesson would be in regard to the registration process; often registration for classes would be quite competitive through the online registration portal, but actual attendance would not always fill to capacity. A "first come, first seated" model might work better, as people deterred by a full registration roster might have otherwise attended an open program the day of and been accommodated.
Do you anticipate continuing this project after the current reporting period ends:
Yes
Do you anticipate any change in level of effort in managing this project:
Yes
Explain:
Cross-train other staff members to lead makerspace times so it is not dependent only on one project coordinator to schedule and teach the use of the machinery and supplies.
Do you anticipate changing the types of activities and objectives addressed by the project:
No
Explain:

Was an evaluation conducted for this project:
No
Was a final written evaluation report produced:
No
Can the final written evaluation report be shared publicly on the IMLS website:
No
Was the evaluation conducted by project staff (either SLAA or local library) or by a third-party evaluator:
Third-Party
What data collection tools were used for any report outcomes and outputs:
Did you collect any media for the data:
What types of methods were used to analyze collected data:
Other:
How were participants (or items) selected:
What type of research design did you use to compare the value for any reported output or outcome:

Exemplary: No
Exemplary NarrativeAs this was a CopyCat Grant, for the most part there was nothing particularly innovative in the execution of the project. However, the level of enthusiasm for the makerspace time was unexpected and proved that the project was successful. Individuals with no prior crafting experience used the introductory classes as a way to segue into exploring the tools in the makerspace. This led to an increase in users of the makerspace; often recurring individuals, with an increase in their comfort levels and the complication levels of their projects. Introducing additional hardware into the process, namely the embroidery machine and laser engraver, especially created interest as it allowed patrons to experiment with machinery even more expansively.

Project Tags: Makerspace programs; Crafting programs