Makerspace staff are stewards of the lab. We provide a safe working environment. We do not "teach" individuals every aspect of how to operate specific equipment. We aim to onboard you with certain top-level concepts and understandings of equipment, but a lot of the decisions involved are yours to make – that is your subjectivity. That said, we consider our staff and student members to comprise the makerspace 'team' - the makerspace is a shared facility, and as such we are all in this together.
The makerspace is currently staffed by only one full-time individual (supervisor). Over time we hope to add a fleet of student workers to our roster as well. Staff are unable to answer every question you may have about your project/s. You may need to go to your professor for guidance on issues related to academic success. Also please be inclined to consult online services per your needs – we do the same when we need to troubleshoot or figure things out. We engage with communities of makers and non-makers alike at online forums, on Reddit, Twitter, and other outlets. We will document 'best practices' broadly, along with tips & tricks in this capacity, but do be prepared to 'dive in' and resolve many of your own needs in your own time.
Remember: we are a DIY facility inspired by 'the maker movement.'
We cannot emphasize this enough: Safety is paramount to use the makerspace.
Always be SAFE: Smart, Alert, Focused, Educated.
Be conscious of your surroundings and always employ 'best practices' when doing anything you've never previously engaged in before. This includes but is not limited to: wear safety glasses when using equipment; check in with your peers in proximity when necessary (remember the makerspace is a shared facility); think through your actions before performing them; etc.
You can always consult our Safety Guide for broad, top-level safety advice.
Our website is really easy to remember - the URL is the name of our facility: QCmaker.space - just put a "dot" between QCmaker & space - it's that easy!
That URL redirects to a longer URL that is more difficult to remember – just remember the name of our facility and you'll find our website.
So we have our website, and this repository of Guides. Why two web properties?
Think of the website as where we put dynamic data: daily updates, our hours (which change semester to semester), our blog, etc.
Think of this repository of Guides as where we put static data, or data that is more fixed & focused: our appliance guides, details about our zones, etc.
That said, always check the website! The website is where we post 'top-level' information.
Follow us online!
Our primary accounts are Twitter and Instagram - we use Twitter for text, links, and "what we're up to" updates; we use Instagram for our visual stream.
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we post a lot on Twitter! A LOT! Twitter has the best search on the net and you can search our account (or any account!) for keywords. For example here are all our tweets about "3Dprinting"; soldering; Arduino; etc. If you want to start a fresh search use Twitter's Advanced Search module and happy hunting! (To clarify, Google is great at crawling & indexing the web but Twitter is where users share stuff, so we find it a more useful place for #TipsAndTricks (and conversation) by users we trust.) |
In order to access the QC makerspace all users (students & Faculty alike) must attend an Orientation session.
The process is simple:
Attend a “Safety Guide” Orientation session which grants you access to the makerspace.
Spend time in the makerspace exploring our resources and equipment.
Learn new skills and meet your peers along the way!
Now that you know "how it works" you can sign up for one of our "Safety Guide" Orientation sessions via our Calendar of Events.
We do our best to provide daily Orientations, but times will vary.
Hours vary semester to semester and even week to week and day to day.
Always visit our website for our hours: QCmaker.space
Scheduled hours are listed 'below the fold' while daily closures are displayed up top inside a red warning box.
We don't provide assistance over the phone.
Students (& Staff/Faculty) if you email us you must email us from your @qc email - we will not reply to emails from @gmail @qq @yahoo or other domains when support is requested.
We can only support QC students & staff and we can't keep track of non-@qc email addresses for support.
You may email us at makerspace@qc.cuny.edu
Our phone extension is x73712.
