Guildford Makerspace

Read, Watch, Play is an online reading group and on the last Tuesday of each month, this month it's a week earlier because of Christmas, a different theme is discussed.  The theme this month is #joyread and includes reading about finding happiness and joy  Beyond happiness : how to find lasting meaning and joy in all that you have by Anthony Seldon; enjoying a novel by your favourite author  The ice child by Camilla Läckberg ; watching a comedy programme or listening to joyful music  Fantasia on Christmas carols by Ralph Vaughan Williams, it all encompasses Read, Watch, Play.   Join us  @SurreyLibraries  on Twitter for #rwpchat on Tuesday 20 December from 9am-11am and 2pm-4pm.  Use the tags #joyread and #rwpchat as you tweet so that others can join in the conversation too.  You can follow the discussion on Twitter @ReadWatchPlay  check out  Surrey Libraries Read, Watch, Play Pinterest board  for ideas.  Or j...

A diplomat of technology, a voice for women in business, and a Surrey loving local – Mariéme Jamme is a woman on a mission, with some exciting things planned for the young people of Guildford. She’s recently kicked off a 12-week programme The Digital Club,’ and is a driving force behind the Library’s project called the ‘Makerspace.’ The Makerspace is an area for these exciting clubs and programmes to be held in, offering locals access to brand new technology such as Kano computers and 3D printers, “There are many programs now to learn basic coding, but our computer kits can teach you very easy coding and it’s fun.” In October Mariémemade it on to the famous annual Powerlist for 2017, where 100 of the most influential Britons of African and African Caribbean heritage are put in to the spotlight and awarded for their achievements. Which is pretty incredible when you consider that Mariéme didn’t learn to read or write until she was 16 years old – which does explain her passion for teachi...

There’s nothing quite like getting your hands on something for free – the latest trendy goodie up for grabs? Learning! Here’s our top 4 picks for those wanting to dabble in the digital and learn some tricks of the tech trade. Comment or @mention to let us know of any free learning events you’d love to see happening at the Guildford Library! 1. General Assembly: Dash   Offering physical courses and sessions at campuses all over the world, General Assembly also has a free short course called Dash. It’s the perfect place for to start exploring, as it gives users the opportunity to dabble in 5 projects that vary from website building, copywriting, blogging, gaming and coding – a sample of the full time kind of courses General Assembly also offers. 2. Digital Garage with Google   Launched over a year ago, The Digital Garage is a programme delivered by Google with lessons designed to improve the online marketing skills of small business owners. Each time you finish one of these shor...

  Not sure what to make of a Makerspace? Don’t know your Scratch from your Raspberry Pi? Don’t sweat it! Our jargon buster will get you up to speed with tech talk in no time – and don’t forget to share other tech lingo you know with us by commenting or tagging us! Makerspace Also known as a  'hackerspace' this is a space where all are welcome to share their interests and skills with others. Many Makerspaces are community-run areas where tech lovers come together and teach each other new things and share what gadgets they have access to.      Scratch A simple language created to teach the basics of programming with ease. The Scratch website has plenty of projects that showcase how the language can be used for creating animations, games and more. Kano What would happen if you combined lego with computer science? You would end up with the Kano computer! A build – it – yourself computer kit with step-by-step instructions designed for all ages to be able to follow....

The first of its kind in Surrey, Guildford Library’s new Digital Club went off with out a glitch on the weekend. The 8 – 12 year olds who attended the fully booked session were eager to get stuck into the exciting 12-week course, which started with assembling a Kano computer.  Kano is a company that set out with the mission to create a computer that any one could assemble, and learn valuable programme and coding skills from. Seeing the physical components that go inside a Kano was a great start to the lesson and gave the kids a tangible appreciation for the intricacy of computers. Whizzing through the fool proof guide books, The Digital Club members quickly progressed and began experimenting with code and use of the popular game Minecraft . The 12 week Digital Club course follows the exclusive curriculum created by Mariéme Jamme, founder of # iamthecode – a global movement which aims to get one million girls coding by 2030.   Mariéme was proud to tell the children that by le...

Read, Watch, Play is an online reading group and on the last Tuesday of each month a different theme is discussed.  The theme this month is  #flightread  and includes reading about the early pioneers of flight Amelia Earhart : the sound of wings  by Mary Lovell, reading a novel about flying or with the word flight in the title Fear of flying  by Erica Jong or watching the inflight movie:  Flight  it all encompasses Read, Watch, Play. Join us  @SurreyLibraries  on Twitter for #rwpchat on Tuesday 29 November from 9am-11am and 2pm-4pm.  Use the tags #flightread and #rwpchat as you tweet so that others can join in the conversation too.  You can follow the discussion on Twitter @ReadWatchPlay  checkout  Surrey Libraries Read, Watch, Play Pinterest board  for ideas.  Or just read a book about this month's theme to join in. #rwpchat