IMPLEMENTING A CULTURE OF CREATIVITY
MEGAN LOTTS, ART LIBRARIAN, RUTGERS THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW JERSEY

INTRODUCTION
• My research is about: Outreach, Engagement, Making, Creativity & Innovation in
Academic Libraries.
• Creativity & making can stimulate broader conversations among patrons and
Library employees about the value of libraries.
• Making spaces can be scholarly, fun, affordable, and a new way to engage
w/patrons, as well as, connect to communities.
• I’m trained as a painter & installation artist & I spent many hours in college,
working in academic libraries.
@MCLotts

HISTORY OF MAKING-
HTTP://WWW.AMERICANLIBRARIESMAGAZINE.ORG/ARTICLE/MANUFACTURING-MAKERSPACES
• 1873- Gowanda, NY The Gowanda Ladies Social Society formed to quilt, knit,
sew, socialist, and talk about books. In 1877, it became the Ladies Library
Association, receiving state library charter in 1900 as the Gowanda Free Library.
• 1960- Nebraska Library Commission Funded for FY1960 by the Library Services
Act of 1956, the Nebraska Library Commission (then known as the Nebraska Public
Library Commission) in Lincoln hosted a variety of special activities, including
creative arts, that were organized by area groups.
• 2011- Fayetteville (N>Y>) Free Library Makerspace the first 21st century
makerspace opened in the Fayevetteville Free Library. It was the first of its kind in
a public library and includes a 3D printer that works in a mobile capacity.
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MAKERSPACES
Editorial Board Thoughts: Libraries as Makerspaces? By Tod Coegrove (U of Nevada)
ejournals.bc.edu/ojs/index.php/ital/article/.../3793/pdf
• “making as a gateway to deepen engagement in science and engineering but also art and design.
Makerspaces share some aspects of the shop class, home economics class, the art of studio and
science lab.”
Makerspaces Move into Academic Libraries by Erin Fisher- 2012
http://acrl.ala.org/techconnect/?p=2340
• “The academic landscape is shifting from a traditional teaching culture to a learning culture. A
teaching culture consists of an expert transferring knowledge to student, whereas a learning culture
utilizes active learning techniques”
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POP UP MAKING SPACES
• Low cost.
• Easy to put up, take down, & store.
• Foster creativity & critical thinking skills (these skills are applicable to
scholarly research).
• Create spontaneous community.
• Encourage cross- disciplinary collaboration.
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HOLIDAY CARD MAKER SPACE
KILMER & ALEXANDER LIBRARY- RUTGERS
• All materials used to make were donated by RUL faculty & staff.
• AUL of reference & instruction donated stamps & cookies.
• RUL Administrative staff made coffee with in house supplies.
• 2 banquet tables & chairs.
• In the future more cookies, less stamps.
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HOLIDAY CARD MAKER SPACE
ALEXANDER LIBRARY- RUTGERS
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HOLIDAY CARD MAKER SPACE
KILMER LIBRARY- RUTGERS
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EDIBLE BOOKS
SIUC & RUTGERS
• Founded in 1999 by Beatrice Coron & Judith Hoffberg.
• Categories: Puniest, Most Edible, Least Edible, Public Choice, Best
Book Structure, & Best in Show.
• Guest judges & cross disciplinary collaboration w/ course from
Mason Gross Visual Arts Department.
• Sponsors & Prizes.
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EDIBLE BOOKS
SIUC & RUTGERS
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EDIBLE BOOKS
SIUC & RUTGERS
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POLYNOMIOGRAPHY
ART LIBRARY- RUTGERS
• Cross-Disciplinary collaboration w/ Bahman Kalantari.
• Borrowed the laptops from RUL Administrative & Art Library laptops.
• Software created by Bahman Kalatari.
• Student Volunteers.
• Engaged individuals of all ages.
• No fiscal cost, excluding time.
• Art Library Intern curated an exhibit titled Natural Beauty: Art in
Math and Science.

POLYNOMIOGRAPHY
LIBRARY OF SCIENCE & MEDICINE (LSM)- RUTGERS
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POLYNOMIOGRAPHY
ART LIBRARY- RUTGERS

RUTGERS ART LIBRARY LEGO PLAYING STATION
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
• I2C2 conference in Manchester, UK.
• LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® .
http://www.seriousplay.com/
• Participants built models about work
existence and the challenges faced in
everyday work lives in libraries.
• Began thinking about how I could get my
hands on A LOT of Legos.
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LEGO WORKSHOPS
RUL FACULTY & STAFF
• Team building & hands-on learning.
• Opportunity to think about library resources & spaces.
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INSTALLATION
• Installed in August 2014.
• Used existing table & chairs.
• Created signage, “take pics not Legos”.
• Comment box w/ paper & pen.
• All Legos were upcycled for project.
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PRESS
Check out Rutgers Today https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZHhlwoy9Yc
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BLOCK PARTY
Scarlet Knight Days- models created by library faculty, library staff,
graduate students, and undergrads.
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LEGO CHARACTER CONTEST
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CREATE YOUR OWN LEGO LIBRARY
Mason Gross Printmaking class.
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RU LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE DEPT. EDA COURSE
100-1ST YEAR L.A. STUDENTS
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SAS HONORS COLLOQUIUM
SECTION 10
“Thank you so much! My partner and I were playing with the legos for at least two
hours. I even snapchatted my lego model to all my friends.”
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ACADEMIC COACHES
RUTGERS LEARNING CENTERS
January 2015- team building Lego workshop w/ 6 Academic Coaches for an
introduction to the library & information literacy skills.
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RU LIBRARY FACULTY & STAFF
SPRING STRESSBUSTING LEGO PLAY
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NEW JERSEY’S FIRST ANNUAL MAKER DAY
BLOCK PARTY AT RUTGERS ART LIBRARY
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LEGO WORKSHOP CAMDEN STUDENT CENTER
28 STUDENT EMPLOYEES.
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ART LIBRARY LEGO PLAYING STATION IMAGES
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ART LIBRARY LEGO PLAYING STATION IMAGES
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ART LIBRARY LEGO PLAYING STATION IMAGES
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ART LIBRARY LEGO PLAYING STATION IMAGES
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ART LIBRARY LEGO PLAYING STATION IMAGES
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ART LIBRARY LEGO PLAYING STATION IMAGES
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#LEGOMAKE TOUR
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• 6 week tour by car w/100 lbs of
Legos
• Visited 20 Academic Libraries in 7
states facilitating Lego workshops
that foster creative & critical
thinking skills, as well as
encouraging team work.
• Worked with 240 Individuals

ASSESSMENT OF POP UP MAKING EVENTS
• Documentation- Analyze the images.
• Surveys.
• Monitor & count social media.
• Observation & stories.
• Counting reference questions.
• Rutgers formed the Events Assessment Task Force
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HOW CAN YOU MAKE IT HAPPEN…
• You don’t need a lot money to create a Makerspace, crowdsource materials.
• Marketing & Outreach.
• Cross-disciplinary collaboration is good.
• Incentives can help.
@MCLotts

CONCLUSION: WHY MAKING IS THIS IMPORTANT
• We are more likely to learn or come back when we are having FUN!
• Creativity, making, & engagement helps build critical thinking skills & these
are skills that are applicable to library research.
• Creativity, making, and engagement creates community.
• Making with others can be inspiring.
• All people have a voice & want to be heard.
• There’s a lots of ways to make or create scholarship.
@MCLotts

QUESTIONS
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Megan Lotts, MFA, M.L.I.S
Art Librarian
Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
(848)932-7189
megan.lotts@rutgers.edu
www.meganlotts.com
link to work in RUcore
http://soar.libraries.rutgers.edu/bib/Megan_Lotts/
like the Rutgers Art Library facebook page
www.facebook.com/rutgersartlibrary