Tools in this printing studio span both traditional book materials and new digital technology, from a hand press modeled after Gutenburg’s version to wearable and embeddable digital sensors. Here’s a rundown of some the spaces offered at UMD. “It’s creative, it’s experimental, it’s both retrospective and future-oriented.” It’s also a good thing for them to learn a little about how books are made,” he said.
“Our students spend a lot of time reading books. Matthew Kirschenbaum, professor of English and digital studies and co-founder of the BookLab makerspace, said engaging with physical objects is a way to get students of all disciplines, including the arts, to think differently. While makerspaces are a necessary resource for students completing assignments and building resumes in some STEM disciplines, every Terp can benefit from taking a “thing you’ve dreamed up on the computer to something that’s in the real world,” said Jim Zahniser, assistant dean for strategic operations and information technology at the A.
Seventeen “makerspaces” across UMD feature cutting-edge design software and technology like 3D printers and laser cutters to quickly and efficiently build new objects-facilities that Make: magazine recently highlighted in naming the university one of the nation’s “best maker schools.”