With a mix of open access, guided support and introductory workshops focused on creative and emerging technologies, Brock’s Makerspace — located on the main campus in the Rankin Family Pavilion — can be your entry-point to hands-on making and skill-building this winter semester.
The Makerspace is connected to the Brock Library and is positioned as a learning space rather than a formal class lab, meaning that students can engage with the tools through workshops, orientations and guided use, without prior technical experience.
What “making” looks like in this context can vary significantly. Brock LINC describes the Makerspace as a place that provides “a collaborative space that is open to the larger community to gain access to new and emerging technologies.” Depending on what you’re interested in, that can include “audio production, photo/video production, 3D prototyping, virtual reality, robotics, and digital prototyping.”
In practice, that means students may use the Makerspace to build components for a course project, test an early version of a design idea, produce content for a club or portfolio, or to learn a new tool outside of the classroom. Some equipment and labs can be reserved, and first-time bookings may involve a brief orientation to ensure that users understand the basics and any safety requirements. These details are typically provided through the library’s Makerspace pages and booking information.
For the winter semester, the Makerspace has several workshops listed through ExperienceBU that offer structured, one-hour introductions on specific tools. There are three recurring workshops that happen monthly from January to April.
The first workshop is “Learn the Cricut (Every month a new project),” the first session of which will be held on Jan. 20 from 2 to 3 p.m., and will occur again on Feb. 3 from 2 to 3 p.m. The event listing notes that participants “will take home a project that was created entirely in the Cricut Design Space software,” which gives a sense of what the session aims for.
There is another workshop focused on die cutting, “Die Cut (Ellison) leather and vinyl stickers,” which will hold its first session on Jan. 23 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. The event description describes it as drop-in style, allowing participants to “explore our powerful Ellison die cut machines and make your own custom leather or vinyl stickers.”
Lastly, on the 3D printing side, “Intro to 3d Printing” is scheduled to have their first session on Jan. 29 from 3 to 4 p.m., with the event page noting a focus on how to “prep your 3D files for printing.”.”
The Brock Library also has a page that pulls together these Makerspace workshop listings and points to “More Events,” so you can see when each event will occur.
Overall, Brock’s Makerspace serves as an accessible entry point into hands-on creation, blending technology, creativity and learning a flexible, supportive environment. By positioning the space as a learning hub rather than a formal lab, it allows student from all disciplines to experiment, build skills and turn ideas into tangible outcomes without needing prior experience.