This paper explores the existence of a shared community involving the members, users and organisers of three collaborative work spaces located in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Situated as part of an emergent global phenomenon, these spaces, despite having notable differences, share many important features and are, I argue, part of a knowledge exchanging cluster of grassroots entrepreneurialism and innovation-oriented organisations, groups and events in the Phnom Penh area. I explore this cluster as a community in two ways: firstly through the mapping of a knowledge architecture locating the spaces and their actors as nodes within a flow of relationships and activities, secondly, via a networked ethnographic inquiry tracing these flows to actors within the network through qualitative research methods. In doing so I reveal the degree to which there exists a shared community perceived by the users and organisers of these spaces as well highlighting potential opportunities for greater sharing of knowledge, ideas and experience. The paper finds that though a nascent community does exist, there is still significant variance in the levels of cognisance of this community by the different actors as well as in the approach to its engagement. Despite this, there remains, in large part, a shared set of goals and values paving the way for future community collaboration.

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Digital fabrication technologies such as 3D printers entail a radical change to the traditional consumer-producer paradigm. Combined with other recent developments, self-styled Makers design and fabricate sophisticated devices and interactive technologies that would otherwise never have existed. However, stopping the uninitiated novice from making use of this potential is complex CAD software, and a high barrier to entry. In this study a series of workshops explore the potential of combining traditional handicraft materials – such as clay, paper and fabric – with 3D scanning to enable novices to work with 3D printers. Based on the results a set of instruction were created detailing the process of making three types of practical objects, covering the entire process from the making and subsequent 3D scanning of a physical object, to the software clean-up and final 3D printing. The results suggest that whilst the explored method can enable novices to create 3D printable models, a certain mindset is required for the novice to do so effectively. / Innovation +

Als offene Werkstätten für den praktischen Wissenserwerb bieten Makerspaces hervorragende Chancen zur Erweiterung des klassischen Geschäftsfelds von wissenschaftlichen Bibliotheken. Mit dem gesteckten Ziel der Wissensaneignung und -vermittlung passen sie zugleich perfekt zu deren traditionellem Kernauftrag. Nach einem Abschnitt zur theoretischen Fundierung wird im Beitrag der praktische Aufbau eines Makerspace beschrieben. Abgeleitet aus den Erfahrungen an der SLUB Dresden und anderenorts werden abschließend Erfolgsfaktoren eines professionellen Makerspace in Bibliotheken aufgelistet. Der Beitrag soll in der Publikation 'Strategien für die Bibliothek als Ort', hrsg. von Konrad Umlauf u. Klaus Ulrich Werner, erscheinen.

Designstudenten erlernen Entwurfsmethoden, Verpackungstechniker drucken Prototypen für Messreihen und angehende Architektinnen bauen Modelle für Gebäude und Objekte. Die SLUB bietet neue digitale Werkzeuge für fächerübergreifende Entwicklungen. Möglich macht dies ein Arbeitsort, der eine der möglichen neuen Funktionen von Bibliotheken aufzeigt.

Libraries have quietly changed over the last 20 years. They have adapted early and consciously to the changes of digitalization, they have recognized the changed need of their users for collaborative work and derived new spatial concepts from this. Transparency and access to information, knowledge and encounters are the prerequisites for holistic social development. It is the challenge of the 21st century as the information age.