The space itself, a shop front within the library building, had previously been the Tourist Information Centre. The phrase ‘Glass Box’ was coined by our commissioning manager and it stuck! We liked the way it represented what we were trying to achieve – creating visibility for library resources and giving people an inspiring view into the digital world.

Our property team granted us use of the space for a year, and we felt this offered a good timeframe to experiment with a range of partners, events and services.

Launch

We spent a few months planning, influencing and network building behind the scenes, followed by an intense period preparing the space.

We then held a Digital Day at the end of June to launch the project and it has been all go ever since.

Enterprise

Aim: to support budding entrepreneurs, business start-ups and creative minds, with business information, webinars and workshops.

Why?

• Create a town centre focal point and unique space for knowledge sharing and digital skills for business start-ups and SMEs.
• Early stage failure rates could be reduced from around 65% with the introduction of incubator and innovation centres.

How?

We are actively seeking partners to offer one off ‘pop up’ events or regular activities such as workshops or one to one drop-ins.
Highlights so far

Google Digital Garage on Tour – A Google trainer came from Manchester and ran two workshops for over 100 local businesses. The sessions included ‘Tell your story online’ and ‘Reach new customers’. We were delighted to get ‘Google’ to Taunton!

Funding for Google Digital Garage Workshops – We successfully bid for funding from the Tinder Foundation to enable the delivery of small Google Digital Garage workshops to help businesses build digital skills to reach more customers online.

Social Media workshop – As part of the super-fast broadband roll out programme ‘Get up to speed’, we hosted a business focused social media workshop. We could have booked this out multiple times.

FSB Meet the expert (Growth hacking) – The local branch of the Federation of Small Businesses developed and ran an event providing expert advice to help businesses grow, promote and increase their profit. Five top experts in their field were available to advise and help businesses with social media, business planning, networking, digital resources and accounting.

Coming soon

A programme of business and expert delivered events are in the pipeline as local partners have come forward having attended an event themselves.

Innovation

Aim: Inspiring digital skills development through coding, robotics and digital making.

Why?

• The CBI estimates that nearly 40% of firms looking for staff with digital skills have had difficulties recruiting.
• House of Lords report warns that the UK could be left behind in terms of digital skills.
• 82% of young people are interested in digital making. However, half of young peoplemake things with digital technology less than once a week or never.

How?

We are recruiting expert volunteers and STEM Ambassadors to set up a range of digital making workshops and events.

Highlights so far

Raspberry Jam – Taunton’s first ever ‘Raspberry Jam’ was organised and hosted by two teenage volunteers and included workshops exploring digital making – scratch, python, electronics, robotics and the sonic Pi.

Maker in Residence – The Technical Director of a large company, (with a background in electronics, software and innovation through technology) is volunteering as the first Digital Maker in Residence. His ‘make things, do stuff – robotics for fun’ sessions have proved popular and he is currently exploring evening coding sessions for adults.

Code Club – Our weekly group for 9-11 year olds to learn coding and digital making such as games and websites from expert volunteers restarted after the summer
holiday in its new home.

3D Printing – The 3D printers have been used for a variety of projects, including miniature train enthusiasts, for school homework and by our Maker in Residence to create robotics chassis. There has been interest from a number of businesses and local schools also.

Fun Palaces – As well as hosting a SCL SW regional workshop in the lead up to Fun Palaces, we also held a staff invented and led robotics themed Fun Palace on 1st October. The day was hugely successful in engaging a range of ages, most notably it attracted eight to 16 year olds and kept them busy at the library for hours! The mobile 3D printer was requested at the Wells Library space themed Fun Palace – printing the ratchet sent into space for Tim Peakes.

Taunton Developers Meetup – The local developers group now meet in the Glass Box, to raise their profile, recruit new members and hopefully support community activity, such as skills sharing or hack events.

Coming soon

3D Printing Workshops – Local 3D printer manufacturers, Robox, are running workshops to demonstrate their innovative product. This includes multi material printing, as well as router and cutter options

Open Innovation Challenge – WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff are sponsoring an Open Innovation Challenge for local college students. Groups of students will be asked to think innovatively under the theme of SMART Somerset, resulting in a pitch of their ideas to a Dragons Den style panel. The process will be facilitated by an external Digital Making expert.

Apps for Good – We have been keen to use the Apps for Good programme (teaching young people to develop and create apps) and are excited that one of the local colleges are planning to run this for students in The Glass Box.

Workshops with schools – We also have some workshops planned that will actively engage with schools and colleges about how they can further use the space and resources.

Open Data – Very early conversations are starting about the potential of Open Data. The recipe

The recipe

Flexible, highly visible space – It was important that the space we designed was flexible to allow us to easily reconfigure for a variety of needs. We also wanted any furniture to be reusable after the end of the yearlong experiment.

Team – The development of the project was very much a team effort, and it certainly would not have been possible without the dedication, hard work and commitment of all involved.

Expert volunteers – Central to the delivery of events has been expert volunteers. They have come forward through STEMnet (we ran a local event in the lead up to launch) and people have also come from the local community by dropping in to find out what we are doing.

Kit – We have invested in some kit to get us started. This includes:

3D Printers– One Ultimaker Pro and one Ultimaker2Go.
We decided to hire these from a company as one of the teams main concern was about support, maintenance and training – this is included in the package. The other benefit of hire is that after the three year hire period we could easily upgrade to a newer model (budget allowing). We also have a 3D scanner but haven’t got the software connected yet.

Lego Mindstorms and BB8 – Mindstorms offer a range of robotics projects and work well as a step up from our popular Lego Clubs. The little Sphero BB8 is a hugely popular droid! The robots can be controlled by code as well as apps.

Raspberry Pi and Pi kit – this kit included Kano kits (step by step computer building made simple), CamJam sets, such as the Raspberry Pi Robotics kit which includes the electronics and the coding factsheets.

Littlebits, Makey Makey, and micro drone – tools to support invention, electronics and basic Internet of Things experiments.

Virtual Reality goggles and Google cardboard – these use an app on a mobile phone so aren’t at all expensive, but have been hugely popular.

PCs, Laptops, tablets, 65” wall mounted screen and increased WiFi capacity – providing flexible use of technology within the space.

Software – we requested a unique image for the laptops, which included CAD software for 3D printing design and Minecraft.

Business resources – a suite of large colourful posters were designed to promote existing services such as Cobra, MINT and Access to Research, as well as online tools like the brilliant FutureLearn courses and British Library Business and IP webinars.

A full list of equipment and software is available on the website (www.somerset.gov.uk/glassbox).

Challenges

IT – Working with our council IT provider was both helpful and difficult. No doubt we have asked them to innovate in a way other departments don’t. They stepped up, but time was left very tight and we had to step in at various times to find workarounds.

Staff time – We don’t currently have lots of frontline resource to support the project and there is more that we would like to do. The staff time we do have is spent upskillng and confidence building, as well as supporting the volunteer led events and activities.

A future uncertain – starting on this journey without an end game was a risk and at times it has felt like a big risk! And yet, for us, not running with this project would have been the biggest risk of all. In a time when digital technology is changing so rapidly we believe libraries will have an ever increasing role supporting people to navigate the digital world. The question is, are we able to mobilize, evolve and change quickly enough to support our communities with their digital learning needs?

Successes

• Having a memorable, if slightly random, name for the project has helped. It seems to stick with people and many we talk to now say ‘oh yes I’ve heard of The Glass Box.
• Colleagues in our Economic Development team have been incredibly supportive, and actually the relationship has been mutually beneficial – we have each made new connections as a result of working more closely together.
• We brought in 2TimesDo to provide workshops for the library team in advance of opening. This helped staff by breaking the ice with some of the kit available in the space.
• We have recruited a new development officer, who teaches the coding curriculum in school part time and works with us part time.
• We have new volunteers and potential partners coming forward as what we are doing is very visibly.
• Key decision makers within the council now see how libraries can contribute to economic growth and skills development and are supportive of what we are doing.

Our three month review showed we have had 5144 visitors, 170+ businesses engaged, 25+ events and workshops, 100+ young participants, 12 new volunteers have come forward and 10+ new partners.

Top tips

If you would like to do something similar in your library, here are some tips:

• Get out there and talk to people. Influence anyone and everyone who will listen about the benefits of a project such as this. Having advocates in the right places will open doors to further conversations (and maybe even pots of money).
• Bring staff onboard early and keep in contact throughout. We adjusted how we developed aspects of the project, for example one of the team’s main concerns was around the 3D printers, which we ultimately decided to rent. This option included training, ongoing support and servicing (and also means we can upgrade after 3 years as technology will no doubt move on!)
• Use digital tools to tell your story. We have used Piktochart to plot our ambitions, Storify to amplify our events and Prezi for exciting presentations.
• Don’t worry about things not being perfect. Learn from your mistakes and understand that failure is part of the process.
• Don’t limit your ambition. You may not manage everything you aspire to, but you’re more likely to get further by being ambitious about what is possible. As one local entrepreneur said to me ‘You have to visualise it if you want to make it happen”.
• Do your research. Ask people who are already doing this sort of thing. Corinne Hill from Chattanooga Libraries (recommend you find out more) says ‘Innovation is on the edge of what is already happening’, so make sure you know what is happening! Libraries in the US are leading the way with digital making and we spent time checking out their websites. The Travelling Librarian blog is a really helpful source. And of course we visited the inspiration that is FabLab Devon and Business and IP Centre in Exeter (thank you neighbours!).
• When it comes to digital making start with whatever you can manage. It can come in all shapes and sizes. The SCL Code Green Toolkit is a great place to explore.
• Attend a few unconferences and digital making/ hack events. I’ve attended days like #CityMash at City of London and Things Camp in Plymouth to catch up with what others are doing with digital making (it’s great for inspiration, confidence building and creating a network of contacts). I’ve recently heard that I’m off to MozFest with library folk from across the country thanks to an SCL Digital Leaders bursary, so should come back with loads more ideas. And if you can’t get to the events yourself, jump onto Twitter and get chatting with those who are there using the event hashtag.