By Sofia Stein, Undergraduate Library Making Fellow, 2025-2026
Beginning my journey as a Makerspace Fellow, I was quite unsure of what I would do in my role and how it would fit into my current UC Berkeley life. Even as an enjoyer of many school maker spaces, I was still a bit new to our UC Berkeley Library Makerspace. There was so much to learn, so much to do, so much to ideate.
One of my favorite things that I learned was how to make stamps. It was a skill I had been wanting to understand forever, but had never had the time or materials. Through the fellowship, all of a sudden, both were available to me. And so, I drew and drew and then carved until I had a perfect stamp to ink and use. Making this stamp was the perfect experience for me, as building this skill led me to be perfectly prepared for the Stylish Tile Stamps workshop later in the semester.
What was even more exciting than the skills I learned, was teaching them and interacting with Makerspace users! I provided a lot of demonstrations on how to rethread sewing machines and slice 3D prints. Yet, my favorite teaching moments were when someone would come in with an idea that they had no idea how to execute. In those moments, the project would become a product of shared knowledge, which I love. For example, one time someone came in wanting to tailor their shirt for a Halloween costume. While I can sew and follow sewing instructions well, tailoring is a bit out of my depth. Luckily I was working with another Maker Fellow, Hannah, and she offered a lot of helpful hints and thoughts to add darts to the shirt, and soon we were pinning and chalking away. I loved this experience because through the combination of our minds and a little instruction, at the end of the day a tailored shirt appeared.
Being a Makerspace fellow this semester has truly been a gift. I feel that I have learned how to make time for making and to just start creating based on the materials I have. It’s nice to have dedicated time that is restful and creative outside of the hubbub of academics. Along with that, I have learned how to communicate and understand how to build a space better. Through designing flyers and workshops as well as being a presence in the Makerspace, I’ve learned how to think critically into the small things that create a positive user experience.