Though makerspaces are frequently associated with STEM programs in the current landscape, museum professional Tim Betz argues that artists and historians have equal claims on makerspace facilities and services. To contextualize his argument, Betz begins with a brief history of making, highlighting its roots in the Arts and Crafts movement of the 19th century. He then looks at how resilient early-20th-century societies, with their emphasis on self-reliance and a do-it-yourself mentality, shaped the current maker models. Betz goes on to introduce his “Historic Making Manifesto" as a call and challenge to museum professionals to transform visitor experiences from passive observation to active engagement through tactile learning opportunities. Betz concludes with a pedagogical framework, including notes about space planning and budgetary concerns, for historians and museum leaders to use. Sample worksheets, program documentation, recipes, and project ideas are included as appendixes to facilitate discussions among practitioners. This book will be particularly valuable for museum professionals looking to integrate making experiences into their operations, but it is accessible and will be useful for a broad audience. Recommended. All readers.

Choice Reviews

Betz makes a compelling case for using makerspaces—usually connected with science museums and STEM education—to make historic sites more dynamic and engaging. Moving beyond historic sites’ usual focus on demonstrations and finished pieces, Betz argues that makerspaces enhance empathy, connect past with present, and uncover untold stories.

Donna R. Braden, senior curator and curator of public life, The Henry Ford, Dearborn, MI

By rooting living history museums, historic sites, and history organizations within maker culture and examining how makerspaces can (and should!) be a natural fit within the museum ecosystem, Betz demonstrates how the act of 'making' can serve as a gateway for learning as well as a form of research. After sharing an overview of the history and pedagogy of the maker movement and museum education and interpretation, Betz provides a roadmap for building a makerspace, from the ground up, which is supplemented by programming strategies to borrow or build upon and appendices with supplemental materials. He offers a playbook for museum leadership, staff, and emerging professionals seeking to build and sustain 'historic makerspaces.' This book is more than a brief history, critique, and guide – it is a manifesto that embraces 'historic making' as a form of research and practice yielding accessible, experiential lifelong learning and engagement at history museums and organizations.

Juilee Decker, Ph.D., professor of history and director of the museum studies program at Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York