make-a-thek is coming to town!

The make-a-thek project brings its innovative concept of easily replicable makerspaces in public libraries directly to communities across Europe through a mobile make-a-thek bus tour. This mobile pilot takes the form of a small bus equipped with tools and kits, guides and inspirations, machines, and networks, enabling hands-on activities, workshops, and community engagement in rural and underserved areas.

Purpose of the Tour

The tour is designed to introduce make-a-thek to new audiences, demonstrating how libraries can become vibrant hubs for creativity and learning. It showcases how digital innovation can connect with heritage crafts, fostering new ways to explore and apply circularity in fashion and crafts outside of urban centers. By traveling directly to rural communities, the bus ensures that these opportunities are accessible, inclusive, and inspiring. 

What We Hope to Achieve

Through this Mobile Pilot Tour, we aim to create positive experiences that:

  • Encourage hands-on creativity and experimentation in making.

  • Promote understanding and practice of circularity in fashion and crafts.
    Foster innovation at the intersection of digital tools and traditional heritage crafts.

  • Support community connections, learning, and knowledge exchange in rural areas.

We also hope to learn from local makers, fashion and crafters as well as knowledge providers like librarians how circular fashion and craft can be supported in their towns and regions through third spaces like libraries and makerspaces. 

Tour Structure and Regions

The make-a-thek bus functions as both a mobile makerspace—offering opportunities to make, create, experiment, innovate, connect, and learn—and as a showcase for the project. The tour travels strategically across three regions in Europe to extend its reach beyond pilot libraries:

  1. Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic

  2. The Baltic States

  3. Northern Spain, Portugal

On the way, we are looking to stop in small to medium size towns, host events on market places, in local libraries and makerspaces, connect to circular fashion and craft experts, designers, and other interested people. 

Activities and Community Engagement 

At each location, the bus supports events in cooperation with local partners. These events foster collaboration, creativity, and the exchange of knowledge and ideas among communities, libraries, and makers.

Impact and Vision

The make-a-thek Mobile Pilot Bus exemplifies the project’s commitment to inclusive access, innovation, and the dissemination of maker culture, transforming libraries into dynamic hubs for learning, creativity, and cross-cultural exchange.