Adoption and Awareness of Makerspaces Among Academic Librarians

Academic libraries are evolving into dynamic learning environments, with makerspaces playing a key role in fostering creativity, collaboration, and hands-on learning. However, their adoption in academic libraries, particularly in developing countries such as India, remains limited due to financial constraints, lack of awareness, and infrastructural challenges. This study examines the awareness, perceptions, and challenges associated with makerspace adoption among librarians by surveying 187 librarians and assistant librarians from colleges affiliated with the University of Mumbai using a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, factor analysis, independent sample t-tests, and one-way ANOVA were employed for data analysis. The findings reveal that while 85.6% of respondents perceive makerspaces as aligned with contemporary library missions, only 13.4% of libraries have established makerspaces, with funding limitations, inadequate professional training, and institutional barriers emerging as the major impediments.