The value of library makerspaces lies in participants shaping the activity themselves. I would protect open experimentation by limiting institutional controls around library makerspaces; immediate enthusiasm is not proof, but it can create the relationships from which durable learning develops.

Evaluation of library makerspaces becomes misleading when it reports only an average. The issue of who can attend induction sessions requires separate evidence about who can attend, who supplies hidden labour and who needs additional support to participate.

I would not judge library makerspaces from their launch figures. The real test is independent use of equipment after instruction, observed over several months and including withdrawals. For library makerspaces, clear safety boundaries are compatible with open experimentation and do not require a large administrative structure.

Longitudinal evidence is essential for library makerspaces, especially evidence about independent use of equipment after instruction. Yet library makerspaces also need formal responsibility: one coordinator, transparent scheduling and a short common report can prevent voluntary energy from masking repeated failures.