Making a Makerspace at NUI Galway


A Makerspace is a do-it-yourself space where students can access equipment, tools and software to ‘make stuff’. It’s a place where students from different colleges and schools can come together to their share ideas and work on projects.

The idea is that students have a well-equipped shared space where they can - Make, Break, Fix and Learn.

We are going to add a Makerspace to the James Hardiman library and are looking for suggestions and ideas from students and staff as to what it should contain.

If you do a search on the web for “What’s a makerspace” you will see that they come in all shapes and sizes. They vary from a simple room with a few computers all the way up to complete buildings stocked with millions of euro worth of equipment capable of 3D printing a car.

Our vision is somewhere in the middle – at least to start with.
Initially we think we should include at least:
  • 3D Printer
  • PC’s for design
  • Raspberry Pi hardware
  • Arduino boards
To help us decide if these are correct and what else we should include we have a short requirements gathering survey which we would like you to complete.
This will be YOUR Makerspace so please take a few minutes to tell us what you want the JHL Makerspace to be!


Thanks for your time and inputs.

Makerspace Project Group
Cillian Joy
Ann Mitchell
Connell Cunningham
Sylvia Nutley

Contact us at: libmakerspace@nuigalway.ie

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