Montgomery County Public Libraries (MCPL) has entered into a partnership with KID Museum that will enable KID Museum to occupy space in the Davis Branch Library while providing library customers and Montgomery County residents access to highly interactive exhibits and programs that inspire innovative thinking and global citizenship. The museum’s focus is on children ages 6-12 and KID Museum will emphasize three core programmatic themes: (1) international culture, (2) science, technology, engineering, art, math (STEAM), and (3) social responsibility. 

At the Davis Library space (www.montgomerycountymd.gov/library/branches/davis.html), KID Museum will begin prototyping activities for KID Museum’s future Makers’ Studio, offering a series of activities for children and families. There will be opportunities for children and families to experiment with tactile materials such as wood, fabric, paper and recycled materials in combination with new technologies including electronics and digital arts. MCPL will be able to use this type of programming as a model to extend makerspace and STEAM programming in other branches in the library system.

The accomplishment to date is the creation of a dedicated makerspace in a branch of MCPL. KID Museum will open in the fall of 2014, and outcomes will be addressed at that time.