Jim Correll, retired director of the Fab Lab at Independence Community College, addressed a small but captive audience Thursday evening at Iola Public Library.
Located at the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship on the college’s main campus, the Fab Lab (the fab stands for fabrication) is a creative space where community members can make just about anything. Correll shared stories of how dozens of members have used the maker space to start their own businesses, dive into a lifelong passion, or just learn and explore.
A maker space is loosely defined as a creative place for people of all ages to make, learn and explore just about anything. Independence’s Fab Lab features laser engraves, 3D printers, a woodshop, sewing equipment, an industrial kitchen and much more. It opened in 2014 and offers paid memberships and youth programming. It’s said to be the largest maker space in the country for a city with fewer than 50,000 residents.
Iola Public Library’s director Sharon Moreland invited Correll to speak as the board and a steering committee tackle what to do with the library’s Flewharty-Powell annex. The home and surrounding property lie adjacent to the library.
In 2009, the family of the late Nancy Flewharty donated the real estate to the City of Iola with the stipulation that it be used solely for municipal library purposes. As the home is not ADA accessible and has pending maintenance issues, the Iola Public Library has few ways to take advantage of the space.
Correll touted the benefits of maker spaces, which he believes increase people’s self-efficacy as they learn to do things they didn’t think possible. “Projects are as hard as they need to be,” said Correll. “And everyone turns into a child when they figure out how to do something for the first time.”
That said, Correll, who travels frequently to help small towns launch innovation hubs, believes every maker space is different. “There’s no guidebook for doing this,” he said, stressing that each community needs to figure out what works best for their unique needs.
Those interested in learning more or becoming a member of the steering committee can contact Sharon Moreland at [email protected].
