---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 11 Feb 2026 18:46:42 +0000
From: "Ransford, Gary" <ransford(a)smcl.org>
To: Maker Services <makerservices(a)smcl.org>
Subject: [sudo-info] OPPORTUNITY: Apply to Be Our First Maker in Residence
Hello all,
I wanted to share with you the posting for San Mateo County Libraries' inaugural Maker in Residence opportunity. Would you please share this with your network of contacts as well? Thank you in advance and please reach out with any questions.
Gary Ransford (he/him)
Senior Community Technology Specialist | ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES
San Mateo County Libraries
650.502.2171 smcl.org<http://smcl.org/>
________________________________
Calling All Makers: Apply to Be Our First Maker in Residence
San Mateo County Libraries<http://smcl.org/> is excited to introduce our Maker in Residence program, designed to teach, inspire and bring hands-on STEAM learning opportunities to community members across San Mateo County.
This program offers a paid residency opportunity for makers who are passionate about sharing their skills, teaching others and creating inclusive, community-centered learning experiences through our libraries<https://smcl.bibliocommons.com/v2/locations>.
We’re looking for curious and creative Scientists, Technologists, Engineers, Artists and Mathematicians who are excited to share their skills and connect with the community as our first Maker in Residence.
Selected makers will mentor community members through hands-on experiences that encourage transformative learning within and beyond our libraries. Inspired by successful residency models from museums and arts organizations, this six-month program emphasizes ongoing engagement, giving library users repeated opportunities to explore STEAM topics, build skills and grow confidence through making.
The Maker in Residence will activate library spaces across the county through hands-on workshops, self-guided programs, Makermobile visits and open office hours, creating multiple opportunities for community members to learn directly from community experts.
Applications Now Open
Applications are now open for our Maker in Residence program, a residency opportunity for makers who want to teach, inspire and bring hands-on STEAM experiences to the community.
Check out the announcement, opens a new window<https://smcl.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/02/Maker-in-Residence-Des…> for a complete description of the Maker in Residence qualifications and requirements.
To be considered, applicants must complete both steps below by Wednesday, March 4, 2026:
1.
Email a resume and letter of interest describing your STEAM expertise to makerservices(a)smcl.org<mailto:makerservices@smcl.org>
2.
Submit the Maker in Residence Application Form<https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=zC3v4AaghkuOaw2iQb-hXUc…>
We look forward to reviewing applications and selecting San Mateo County Libraries’ first Maker in Residence soon!
Frequently Asked Questions
Additional requirements are listed below. Questions? Email us at makerservices(a)smcl.org<mailto:makerservices@smcl.org>
What is the Maker in Residence Program?
Maker in Residence programs enrich an institution’s public offerings and support the careers of local experts in a craft.
The Maker in Residence series aims to offer specialized maker experiences, both passive and active, for library patrons and community members of all ages. The selected resident maker will receive a stipend and a supply budget to foster transformative learning opportunities in our community libraries and with our Makermobile.
Who is eligible to apply?
*
Maker in Residence candidates must meet the following criteria:
*
Be 18 years or older
*
Have a maker background rooted in a STEAM discipline (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and/or Math)
*
Be able to commit to the full residency period of six months
*
Be available to meet the weekly hour expectations
*
Have access to reliable transportation for travel between library and outreach locations
*
Reside in the San Francisco Bay Area
Additional qualifications (not required, but helpful):
*
Prior experience teaching, facilitating or leading workshops or community programs. Strong communication and instructional skills are also important to this role.
Calling All Makers: Apply to Be Our First Maker in Residence | San Mateo County Libraries<https://smcl.org/blogs/post/calling-all-makers-apply-to-be-our-first-maker-…>
Dear Sudoers,
✨ We are pleased to announce our new sticker reward program!
✨ Everyone who is signed up for a monthly donation of $20 or more will
receive one of these special stickers
✨ The stickers are hand crafted by us! We machine-cut them from iridescent
glow in the dark vinyl
✨ If you have not yet done so, please sign up for a monthly donation of $20
or more here <https://sudoroom.org/donate/>
✨ You may claim your sticker in person at any of our open nights
<https://sudoroom.org/sudoroom-weekly-events/>
✨ Members, volunteers and donations keep us going. Thank you for being part
of the #1 Oakland Hackerspace!
Hack the planet,
Sudo Room
Check out our happy sudoers!!!
Hi sudoers:
High production quality video on NYC Makerspaces NYC Resistor and
Brooklyn Spark: https://notjustahobby.com/spaces-types/maker-spaces
Fixit Clinics at Brooklyn Spark featured briefly at 8:44 in the video.
Sincerely, -Peter
Hi sudoers:
Bill Nye has launched a new not-for-profit makerspace that he wants to
fill with like-minded friends, StrayCap Multispace
https://straycap2.wixsite.com/mysite/home
Among other things Bill plans to host repair-oriented activities at
StrayCap, thus he’s inviting SF Bay-Area Fixit Coaches to an inaugural
housewarming social / luncheon this Saturday; in addition: Bill also
invites all sudoers to attend as so many or our activities are
repair-adjacent or otherwise complementary with what he’s envisioning
more broadly for the space.
So come on over to Straycap this Saturday, February 7 noon to 3PM,
you’re most welcome to bring your own projects to work on and get help
with.
Please RSVP at http://bit.ly/inpersoncoachsignup so we can get a head
count (select "2026-02-07 USA-CA-Hawyard Coaches' housewarming social at
StrayCap")
Feel free to bring your repair-inclined or maker-inclined or
hacker-inclined friends, or tell them about it, especially if they live
in or around Hayward; StrayCap's a half a block from the Hayward Main
Library (and a seven minute walk from Hayward BART.)
Hope to see you there, -Peter
hey sudo fam,
i remember a sudoroomer in the past had a matching donation system at his
work, wondering if any current sudoers have such a system at their work? it
would be great if we could get donations to sudoroom doubled, that would
make our dues/donations/etc go further.
if your employer offers matching (often through platforms like benevity),
let us know! even if you don't personally donate, you might be able to help
other members get their contributions matched.
much love,
ajay!
Hi Sudoers:
See photos below: Rae and I presented at De Anza High School in Richmond
yesterday at the kickoff of an e-waste program this spring, we're adding
a "repair before you e-waste" component. I'm also trying to get the West
Contra Costa School District to release expired Chromebooks for the
students to convert into ExChromebooks.
The curriculum and schedule is not finalized yet but I'm asking here in
advance: is anyone else here interested in joining me and Rae in working
with Richmond High Schoolers? Contact me off-list.
Sincerely, -Peter
-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: Re: Reminder: DAHS ITA Y-PLAN Kickoff Tomorrow at 10:30am
Date: Fri, 30 Jan 2026 11:32:08 -0800
From: Daniel Maxwell <daniel.maxwell(a)wccusd.net>
To:
CC:
Hello DAHS ITA Y-PLAN Partners,
Thank you to the City of Richmond, Recycle More, and Fixit Clinic for
helping make Thursday’s DAHS ITA Y-PLAN Kickoff such a success.
Big thanks to Reka, Samantha, Peter, and Rae for joining us and for
taking the time out of your day to be fully present with our students.
Your insights and engagement made a real impact!
It was great to see the energy from Carlos and his students, and we’re
excited to keep building on the momentum as the project moves forward.
We'll follow up soon to finalize plans with the inspiration tour and
will continue working with Carlo and the ITA at DAHS to implement the
Y-Plan curriculum into his classrooms.
Appreciate all of you and the partnership ahead. Onward!
In community,
Danny
-
*Danny Maxwell *- he/him
Coordinator of Work Based Learning (WBL)
College & Career Department
6028 Ralston Ave, Richmond CA
West Contra Costa Unified School District
510.307-4661 (office) | 607.731.0888 (cell)
CLICK HERE to support career-based learning experiences in WCCUSD
<https://docs.google.com/forms/u/1/d/e/1FAIpQLSetpSdz-rSAlbq_MQRmbFG2UYv6cf2…>
In the light over world events, I hope this doesn’t sound frivolous, but I got a really beautiful Armani , casual jacket for $20. I can post photos, but I need very specific buttons because the Taylor won’t fix it without the buttons and they have the Armani logo on them. Has anyone tried doing 3-D printing or something for these kinds of situations? I know buttons have to be a lot more strong than Most, but it is possible to print metal now
Sent from my iPhone
Hello Omni Commons building community.
Happy New Year! I hope 2026 is a life-affirming year for us all.
After a prolonged release, this is a longer newsletter than anticipated so
if you’re short on time please skim to the highlighted areas.
It has been two astronomical seasons since I wrote you all last. My new
year's resolution is to send more frequent email communication to you all.
While I still encourage those who want regular building matters, engagement
and dialogue (with myself and others) to join the Slack (invitation here
<https://join.slack.com/t/omnicommonsbuilding/shared_invite/zt-3mes98avq-re0…>)
I understand that platform will not serve everyone who wants to hear
updates.
I will aim for bi-weekly with a minimum of once a month moving forward
(just barely made it) If you are not interested in receiving this
communication please let myself or your orgs communications moderator know
and we will do our best to accommodate.
2025 30-Second Recap: The CALLI team worked through kinks and further
clarified its relationship to EBPREC governance, and developed initial
infrastructure for building stewardship: building rules, directory, and
protocols.
We accomplished various building improvements such as a roof replacement,
southside exterior wall install, upgrade to the building’s water line, gas
meter relocation, HVAC servicing, and front door access control changes:
ADA door operator plus Brivo mobile passes/key cards. The entrance hall
floor was finished with matching commercial VCT and basement windows were
repaired. A cease and desist on the ballroom that we inherited with the
purchase was cured in July of 2025 opening the possibility for larger
events, and in December we agreed to forgo the welfare tax exemption for
the ballroom space which creates many more opportunities in the future.
What’s New with CALLI
Stewardship Pilot: In November we kicked off an Omni Commons Stewardship
Pilot Program. This is a partnership between CALLI (where I am the program
manager representative) and eight members of the EB PREC Community Owner
base interested in hosting free public events or projects at the building
to activate spaces and increase community member visibility at Omni. Their
gatherings, performances, workshops, and community work parties have kept
momentum going in the building while we've been under capacity and my
attention has been focused on facility improvements.
Below are the photos of the participants, they have and will continue to
hold activations through the third week of March. Details will continue to
be posted on Slack, feel free to engage with them just like you would
members of the building’s legacy groups.
Ayikwei Shaka aka Kwic
Candida Haynes <dihaynes77(a)gmail.com>
Colin Andrew Logan honorary mention: Majal Lynn Logan
Jonathan Fong
[image: image.jpeg]
[image: image.jpeg]
[image: image.jpeg]
[image: image.png]
[image: image.png]
[image: image.jpeg]
[image: image.jpeg]
[image: image.jpeg]
Eric Avery
Tierra Allen
*photo credit: robbie sweeney
Bee Coleman
Future Resident Owner Group (FROG)
Nancy Moore & Jim Lutz
Introducing CALLI’s Event Manager: We recently onboarded Jasmine
Stallworth, our new part-time Events Manager. If you see her around the
building feel free to say hello. She will be the primary team member at
events moving forward and is being trained to take over the event booking
process. Event requests are still being managed through the google intake
form <https://forms.gle/GbrokoLyxFuHYwCn8> but communication with Jasmine
can also be directed to events(a)thecalli.org. Cheers to more people
activating Omni in 2026!
[image: image.jpeg]
Welcome Lauren Kennedy - Admin Associate
EB PREC has also hired a part-time staff member to take over the position
that has been vacant since October with Hiroko’s transition. Lauren has
limited hours dedicated to Omni but she will be managing the
admin(a)thecalli.org email address and will be supporting monthly rent
payments in the future.
[image: image.jpeg]
Omni as an flourishing event venue gets some additional TLC:
We also have a bonus team member Jermey Redford
<https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremyredford> who has joined us as a
consultant that is helping us build out the operations and capacity to be
financially self-sustaining as an event venue space. He is focused on
helping us develop larger and more revenue generating events in the
ballroom to ensure that the building can be financially stable. HIs
participation on the team is helping us move forward with ballroom
improvements and will revive conversations and next steps regarding a bar
redesign process and finishing upgrades to rentable spaces.
Lastly, EB PREC is Hiring!
Many of you may have noticed that EB PREC is looking for a Community
Stewardship and Property Manager
<https://drive.google.com/file/d/1H8JlNu5O86Q9DaAjYEPgnkcA22xacj6r/view>
for Omni Commons. The person hired for this position will be my successor
and the building's primary point of contact. In the Fall of last year I
notified EB PREC that I would not be seeking staff ownership with the
organization which is usually an eighteen month process. I instead opted to
stay on in a short-term capacity during the building's stabilization
period. This means that I will be winding down my time at Omni Commons in
the Spring once they have hired my replacement and there has been
sufficient overlap for them to take over building management and core
responsibilities. The priority hiring deadline was Sunday. However, If you
know anyone that may be interested, please have them apply via the
instructions on the job description BY THE END OF THE WEEK and ping me
separately so I can keep a look out for their application!.
I am also happy to answer any questions or concerns these changes may bring
up. I will make sure to notify the building community if and when I have an
official transition date scheduled. For now rest assured that I am still
very committed to the future of Omni Commons. I am extremely hopeful that
all of this additional people power will support the growth arch of the
building and will enable Omni Commons to reach its full potential.
Key Building Updates:
-
Ballroom floor refinishing started THIS WEEK- Monday, January 26th: We
will be restoring the original maple hardwood floors and surrounding
douglas fur border. Once the floor is sanded down, a commercial grade clear
topcoat will be applied to protect the floor for years to come. The entire
process will take three weeks and we are asking all building dwellers to
refrain from entering the ballroom after the first phase of sanding
which is slated to be completed THIS Friday, January 30th. Any
footprints or blemishes left in the space can have a lasting impact on the
quality of the end product.
-
Ballroom task updates and items relocated: In order to conduct the floor
refinishing work all of the items touching the ballroom floor had to be
relocated. The piano and organ now live on the ballroom stage along with
three of the wall partitions and speakers. The remaining five wall
partitions were cut down and moved to the entrance hall where they will be
used to support increased space usage and layout configuration. During this
two day sprint last week we were able to repair and install 3 new bar
windows with thicker acoustical grade glass, clean the ceiling joists, and
paint around the skylights for further protection of building materials and
cleaner appearance.
-
Exploring Solar: In the Fall CALLI was accepted into the AVA Community
Energy Resilience Hub Initiative. We are receiving technical assistance to
evaluate the cost of installing solar panels + battery storage system that
can help power the building more sustainability on the day-to-day as well
as in cases of natural disaster. More information to come once we are given
a preliminary findings report for their suggestion on the building.
-
Upstairs upgrades underway: We have been working diligently to come up
with a plan for how to improve the second floor so that we can start
outreaching to groups to increase its use.
-
Bathroom: We are near completion on renovating the second floor
restroom which had improper fittings on the toilet fixture that
leaked and
resulted in floor mold and rotting that needed to be replaced.
The bathroom
also needed a facelift in other areas. Due to our limited capacity to
maintain a building cleaning schedule, for the time being that restroom
will remain locked unless part for designated upstairs events or uses.
-
Front Corner Room: This room had wallpaper peeling that could not be
restored and is undergoing a paint job as well as preparation
for a future
wallpaper installation. One of the frosted windows at the front of the
building will also be replaced in the coming weeks to enable more natural
light to come in, and support future aesthetic improvements to
the outside
of the building.
-
Upstairs Flooring: The second floor mezzanine and three rooms
upstairs all need to have the floor encapsulated. After months
of designs,
research, and deliberation we have ordered floor supplies to be able to
schedule the installation with Don Luis in February. Materials will be
coming in over the next couple of weeks.
-
Walls Primed: throughout the second floor certain walls have been
primed indicating where future painting will be done to assist in
brightening up spaces.
-
Stair tread improvements: Are on the radar and the project is being
scoped out.
-
Further Window Repair Installations
-
We have ordered and will be self-installing durable clear glass
windows for the entrance hall, one window in the front corner room above
the entrance on the Shattuck side, and three windows that have
already been
installed behind the bar in the ballroom.
-
Interior door project finally getting traction: As a refresher more than
a year ago we embarked on a process involving architects to create a
planset for adding two interior doors in the building to help streamline
egress and create clear separation of spaces. You may have seen Don Luis
doing demo or framing the openings for the doors. Once Don Luis cements a
leveled landing, and drywalls the openings that were made to cancel an
obstructing pipe, we will be able to call the city inspector in to evaluate
the framing. While the doors have experienced some delays due to lead
times, winter slowdown, and shipping errors I received confirmation that
the doors arrived the the business TODAY (1/28) and will be picked up by
Don Luis next week.
-
Once these doors are installed, the existing openings will be walled
off, and there will be clearer segmentation of spaces. The
hardware will be
a push rim device exiting from the entrance hall toward the side door
egress and will be programmed with a keypad and latch handle to open from
the back hallway into the entrance hall. There will be more
notice provided
before the hardware is installed in the area that is segmented but I want
everyone to be prepared since this will be a noticeable change for
everyone. The side door access control is less restrictive so it will
become much more important to stay up to date on groups membership when
managing this additional door’s access credentials. The few weeks after
installation will be a learning curve, but the next two items will help
improve the transition.
Announcements & What’s On the Horizon
-
Request to direct people to the side door entrance: Thanks to wonderful
volunteers from Sudoroom, the building was able to maintain the old access
control card reader and system on the side entrance that many people are
fond of. The wired doorbell was reinstalled and now rings directly to the
(Sudo/CCL) backroom. The side entrance should be the primary entrance for
members and the broader the community seeking entry to those groups spaces
along with FNB office due to closer proximity. It will be a lot easier for
groups to self-manage door access and will ensure that we minimize
conflicts or confusion at the front door. The address that can be used to
advertise and direct those unfamiliar with the space is 549 48th
Street, Oakland, CA 94609. I confirmed that the address is registered
with the USPS and we had one successful carrier delivery to the side door
based on signage posted at the front door. While organizations do not need
to worry about changing mailing addresses, it will probably be helpful to
post the 48th street address on flyers so that mapping applications
(google, apple maps, waze, etc) direct new people to an easier access
point. Although this recommendation is being made to address past
confusion and event management challenges, the front door is still the
default ADA access point for the entire building and there should be
greater communication among event leads/organizers and the CALLI team to
ensure that the proper leads have the Brivo door access to facilitate
accessibility.
-
Directory Update Request: It’s a new year and we have new people in the
space as well as many more planned to join us as our efforts grow. I would
like for each of the six leased groups to submit an annual directory update
so that we have a more accurate picture of who are designated points of
contact, who are members that may require front space access control, and
when regular scheduled activities/programming are taking place.
-
There are three tabs that should be reviewed and updated on the
corresponding links below. I will follow up for an update on the
status of my request by Friday, February 6th. If your group wants to
talk through it, or prefers to populate it in real time I am happy to
schedule a 30 minute review meeting. If that is of interest, my
preference
is to meet on Monday or Tuesday. Another hope that I have for
this year is
that CALLI can be in greater communication with org leads and that we can
provide training to better align on best practices and both support and
mutually enforce the stewardship pre-requisites and practices of the
building rules.
-
CCL
<https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1tea8AKzVjfYZtuFGZLoJUJCnauTyBRzhwYW…>
-
EBFNB
<https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1_8FN7ZeqDXzcQnoXPWkzA9xm9sAPb9F1_F3…>
-
Free Store
<https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1_3gmNOEiYX2IjyLtcAvfrWr9KouXkxLNspM…>
-
Sudomesh
<https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SwMnzf7joTJ7sHHWaaUuK1kmTXufEs1Q_IW…>
-
Sudoroom
<https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mbUW48LT4U9lZre6236VgYjjaJPYN3OB3xF…>
-
WSC
<https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-UpOY9I07Vk4ts_QGpjw5yCqE-iGQfQGd4u…>
-
Potential Volunteer Day Opportunities: As January nearly comes to an end
February is shaping up to be a month of getting building projects through
to the finish line so that the building can move out of the current
stabilization period. Please share this interest form with members of
the building community who would be interested in helping us get fully up
and running: https://forms.gle/v8ycT1nMHzvRts8e6
-
While I had a few volunteer days early on in my role and there have
been supportive community members throughout my time, I wanted to do a
callout to assess interest. These pop-up work days will give us some
insight on how we may roll out a reciprocal agreement process for
subsidized space use in the future. Your engagement would be very
insightful to our team
-
Increased Priority on Cleaning: For this calendar year we are intending
to allocate resources toward cleaning efforts. While the building has
relied primarily on the good-will of volunteers and past building supply
reserves we need to be able to establish a higher level of cleanliness and
facility quality. Starting in February I am setting a goal of scheduling
Don Luis a total of 8 hours a month to support additional repairs and
regular cleaning of common areas most utilized by legacy groups. This will
include creating a maintenance schedule for hallways, the blue restroom,
and the storage and trashroom areas in the Spring. This is another reason
why it is vital that we have a schedule of common programming returned with
the directory request above so that we can better plan for peak usage of
spaces in the building.
-
Future Items on the Radar: As the team grows it will allow CALLI to tend
to other stewardship projects. Items that I and fellow CALLI members will
be pivoting to as the facility stabilizes are:
-
Creating event checklists and protocols.
-
Reviewing and affirming building rule upgrades and training (once my
successor has joined us)
-
Development and implementation of trainings
-
Greater enforcement of the building’s code of conduct and
strengthening best practices
-
Establishing an incident report protocol
-
Solidifying processes for basement and second floor space usage
-
Strengthening and growing the a cohesive building culture
Thank you for making it to the end of this newsletter. I am attaching a PDF
copy for ease of distribution. I look forward to continuing the
communication flow.
In community,
--
*Valerie Jameson* (she/ella)
Commercial Property Manager - Omni Commons
4799 Shattuck Ave. Oakland, CA 94609
*Collective Action & Land Liberation Institute (CALLI) *
CALLI Website <https://www.thecalli.org/>
East Bay Permanent Real Estate Cooperative
Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/ebprec> | X <https://www.x.com/ebprec> |
Instagram <https://www.instagram.com/eb.prec> | YouTube
<https://www.youtube.com/ebprec> | LinkedIn
<https://www.linkedin.com/company/ebprec>
