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About the Makerspace Forum

The Makerspace Forum is like opening up a creative playground where folks with various skills and interests can chat, brainstorm, and team up on cool projects. This online space isn't just about talking—it's about making things happen faster by learning from each other, sharing resources, and sparking new ways of thinking. You're invited to tinker, collaborate, and bring awesome ideas to life!

We meet online the second Friday of every month at 2 p.m. to casually check in and see how things are going in the world of Virginia makerspaces. New to makerspaces or just curious? We'd love to see you there! We currently have participants from schools, universities, public libraries, and more! Get up to speed by checking out our running notes from past meetings here.

Get Involved

Virtual or in-person: All meetings are held virtually via Zoom. There will be optional in-person trainings and Makerspace tours
.
Time commitment: There are monthly voluntary one hour meetings and opportunity for discussion and sharing on Basecamp.

Recruiting period: New members are recruited in October during VLA Annual Conference
 and can sign up all year using the above form.
Active time: Members are active all year
.
Busiest time of the year: October is the busiest time of the year with virtual meeting and VLA Annual Conference
.
Committee communication platforms: Basecamp, email, Zoom. 

Conference attendance: Conference attendance is optional for all roles. Makerspace Forum may have a table in the vendor hall to be staffed during open hours and hold a Business meeting.

Conference presentation: The Co-Chairs are responsible for staffing the vendor table and running the Makerspace business meeting
.
Additional information: Basecamp is an excellent resource to use to share ideas and ask questions from the rest of the Forum.

About the 2026 Makerspace Forum Chairs

Chairs: Natasha Payne-Brunson and Cammy (Koch) Richards, Henrico Public Library

Natasha Payne-Brunson is a library professional, artist, and community leader whose work is driven by creativity, innovation, and inclusive engagement. She currently serves as the Teen Services & Digital Media Lab Supervisor at the Varina Area Library in Henrico County, Virginia. Since the branch’s opening in 2016, she has built a dynamic teen department and led the development of a state-of-the-art makerspace. Learn more about Natasha here.
 
One piece of advice for librarians who work in Makerspaces:
Always keep your community’s needs in mind. Choose supplies and equipment that align with your space, meet community interests, and support your library’s mission.

Cammy (Koch) Richards is the Children’s Services Supervisor at Varina Area Library in Henrico County Public Library. She has worked within Youth Services for over eleven years by providing storytimes, children’s programming, tween programming and all ages programming. Her STEAM-based series, Elementary Explorers, is a VACO-award winning programming series that offers monthly STEAM topics to K-5 attendees. She currently presents Adaptive storytimes at her library, an inclusive storytime for all abilities.

Cammy is an avid cook who loves to try new recipes and share pictures of weekly trials under the name of sundaynoms on social media. She frequently presents as cook for the monthly Cook and Book programming series at Varina Library, where staff and local chefs live cook for audience members. Outside of the kitchen, she is a maker and crafter. Her background includes cross-stitching, jewelry making, sewing, and badly knitting. She also is an established performer and sings as Soprano I in Richmond Symphony Chorus.

Your itinerary for one perfect day in Virginia:
Cammy's one perfect day in Virginia is centered on food and travel, as she is a Sagittarius. She would go to Carytown in Richmond in the morning to shop and grab a quick breakfast at Sugar & Twine. Next, she would hop in the car and sing while heading to Williamsburg to grab lunch at Oceans & Ale. After Williamsburg, she would zoom to VA Beach for dinner at Chix on the Beach. Then end the night watching the sunset over the ocean. 

Makerspace Forum News

Coming soon!