ABA member Maryland Hall recently earned a grant to build a new media lab for their constituents, which drove ABA to explore practices for opening and keeping a publicly accessible media lab. To fully understand how a lab is built and managed, ABA identified nine organizations with lab spaces that explore the intersection between arts and technology. ABA interviewed five of these organizations and profiled the rest through public information.  

Findings from the study include: 

• Identifying and understanding the target community from the lab’s early stages will promote a secure space for creativity and development.

• Defining clear goals and metrics from the start will give the lab direction and ensure consistent data collection.

• Offering advanced technology and extensive programming is possible even with staff limitations.

• To an extent and with the lab’s support, users should share the responsibility of data and material management.

• Building trust between staff members and users creates a safe space and determines users’ behavior towards staff and equipment.

To read these and more findings, download the report below: