We would like to share with you a very enriching EU funded project called make-a-thek, that brings modular, easy-to-replicate makerspaces into public libraries. These spaces focus on fashion and crafts, offering open access to innovative and circular approaches to making and design.
Through community co-creation, the project will develop a practical toolkit and free educational resources to help libraries set up their own fashion- and craft-focused makerspaces.
The project will pilot these ideas in at least 12 libraries (9 in Europe, 3 internationally), where communities will explore how to combine traditional heritage crafts with modern digital tools like 3D printing and laser cutting. This approach supports sharing sustainable skills and cultural knowledge.
It is rooted in New European Bauhaus values:
- Inclusivity – opening access to creative technologies and inviting communities to shape the green transition.
- Sustainability – encouraging hands-on participation in building a circular society.
- Enrichment – enabling personal and shared creativity through fashion and crafts.
The long-term goals the project aims to achieve are to empower a new generation of prosumers—people who both create and consume in sustainable ways; position libraries as hubs for circular making and knowledge-sharing; preserve heritage crafts through digital innovation; and foster circular and green innovation in fashion and crafts.
To ensure lasting impact, make-a-thek will also create a scaling guide to help libraries and cultural institutions adopt and spread this approach widely. As part of the project, an open-source framework and resources will be provided so others can learn from them.
We encourage you to closely follow their next steps!
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