The document discusses how librarians are thinking more about outreach, engagement, collaboration and innovation through programming, collections, instruction and reference. Some libraries are moving from traditional models to active mobile spaces where communities come together. The Rutgers University Art Library uses outreach and engagement to connect with campus and local communities through innovative programming. The talk will discuss outreach vs engagement, turning outward, low-cost high-impact programming examples at Rutgers like pop-up spaces, exhibitions, makerspaces and events like Banned Books Week.

1. Turning Outward: Using Outreach and Engagement to
Develop Unconventional and Unique Collaborations Within
Your Communities
Megan Lotts, Art Librarian
Rutgers, the state university of new jersey

2. ABSTRACT
In the 21st century librarians are thinking more about outreach, engagement, collaboration,
and innovation when it comes to everyday tasks such as programming, building collections,
and providing instruction and reference support. Many libraries are beginning to think
more about what is happening outside of their spaces, to provide better services and
resources inside their spaces.
Some libraries are moving from traditional models of reference and instruction, to active
mobile spaces outside the libraries, where communities come together to collectively
produce, curate, and consume information. The Rutgers University Art Library uses the
ideas of turning outward to connect with the local campus and New Brunswick
communities, to provide innovative programming that engages a wide range of patrons.
Through this webinar you will learn more about outreach, engagement, and what it means
to turn outward. You will also learn about how to create low-cost high-impact innovative
programming within your own organization, as well as hear more about the Rutgers Art
Library Exhibition Spaces, Pop-up Makerspaces, and a recent Banned Books Week
celebration funded by the Freedom to Read Foundation.
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3. OUTLINE OF TALK
• Outreach & Engagement, what's the difference?
• Turning outward
• Low cost, innovative, & high impact programming
• Pop- up reference hours
• Rutgers Art Library Exhibition Spaces
• Rutgers Libraries Pop-up Makerspaces
• Banned Books Week
• Art & Feminism Wikipedia-a- thon
• Conclusion & Questions
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4. OUTREACH & ENGAGEMENT
• WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?
• Outreach- Reaching out as opposed to waiting for individuals to come
and ask for help
• Engagement- Collaborating or working together to achieve a common
goal.
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5. TURNING OUTWARD
• GETTING INTO THE USERS SPACE/FLOW OF TRAFFIC: visit community
spaces, don’t expect or assume users will come to you.
• LEARNING ABOUT COMMUNITY NEEDS: find out what a community
needs by getting to know them. Find out what they care about, what
makes them tick.
• COLLABORATING- work together as one. Find common goals. Figure
out how to help and support each other.
• Kranich, Nancy, Megan Lotts, and Gene Springs. “The Promise of
Academic Libraries Turning Outward to Transform Campus
Communities.” College & Research Libraries News 75, no. 4 (April
2014): 182-186.
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6. low-cost high-impact innovative programming
= IMPACT
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7. low-cost high-impact innovative programming
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Baskets of yarn and knitting needle, beading circles, book trucks with snacks
& library swag, box-making, confess your stress selfie photo booth, coloring,
food, games, graffiti walls, hulu hoops, jigsaw puzzles, jump ropes, large
craft paper with markers, LEGOâ, linocut lessons, making cart, mini golf
with discarded books, music clubs, origami, pumpkin decorating, recreation
station including; toothpicks, pipe cleaners, fabric, paper, and googly eyes,
sketch book project book making workshops, snowflake making, stress
reduction workshops, therapy dogs, Wii, yoga, zine nights.

8. Pop-up reference hours

9. RUTGERS ART LIBRARY EXHIBTION SPACES
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10. What has happened in the spaces
• Over 50 exhibits
• There is no dedicated funding for this space, most materials are donated,
or provided by exhibitors.
• Partnerships with multiple departments on campus including: Brigham Young
University Humanities Center’s Archipelagoes, Center for Women in the Arts & Humanities, Hammarskjold
Middle School in East Brunswick, NJ, Institute for Research on Women, Jersey Collective Mason Gross Visual
Artists, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics, Returned Peace
Corps Volunteers of New Jersey, Rutgers Brodsky Center, Rutgers faculty & staff artists, Rutgers Center for
Cultural Analysis, Rutgers Landscape Architecture Dept., Rutgers Poetry club, School of Arts and Sciences
Honors Program, Rutgers Theater Department, and The Centers for the Global Advancement and International
Affairs at Rutgers.
• http://libguides.rutgers.edu/eventsandexhibits
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11. Impact of the art Library exhibition spaces
• Provide an opportunity for Rutgers students, faculty, and staff to
exhibit their work.
• Many exhibitors have learned more about installing an exhibit from
creation to consumption, including installation, marketing, and
reception planning.
• Provides an opportunity for individuals to view artworks in person as
opposed to studying an image in a book.
• Formed a deeper connection to the departments with whom I liaise.
• Formed new connections with departments on campus that might
not visit the Art Library.
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12. Art of the Tattoo
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13. Protein Databank
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14. Marking time- prison arts

15. Amee J. Pollack & Laurie Spitz
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16. Byrne seminar students
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17. Fidalis Buehler and Juana Valdes
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18. EVENTS

19. EXPERIENCES WITH LIVING ARTISTS

20. POP-UP MAKERSPACES
• LEGO play
• Button-making
• Coloring initiatives
• Lotts, Megan. “Low Cost High-Impact Makerspaces at the Rutgers
University Art Library.” Art Documentation 36, (Fall 2017): 345- 362.
• Lotts, Megan. “Implementing a Culture of Creativity: Pop Up Making
Spaces and Participating Events in Academic Libraries.” College &
Research Libraries News 76, no. 2 (February 2015): 72-75.
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21. Coloring initiatives

22. Coloring initiatives

23. Coloring initiatives

24. Button making

25. Button making

26. Button making
Buttons made for exhibits & Events: Buttons made for clubs & individuals: Collaborative events including buttons & button making events: Buttons made for conferences: Rutgers University Libraries Button making events
RUL Speical Collections and University
Archives: Lautenberg Exhibit The Rutgers Social Experient University Academic Affairs and RUL "busy bag" collaboration
Art Libraries Soceity of North America Mentoring
Subcommittee buttons
Art Librarian Reference Hours in lobby of Landscape
Architecture Department
RUL Speical Collections and University
Archives: New Jersey History Forum Rutgers Seeing Eye Puppy Club
Rutgers University Programming Association (RUPA) and RUL
collaboration for Leadership Week Lecture ft. DeRay Mckesson
Megan Lotts and Tara Marharjan Poster session at
ALA annual conference July 2018
Art Librarian Reference Hours in lobby of Visual Arts
Department
Rutgers Special Collections and
University Archives: Rutgers 250 exhibit
Film promotional buttons for Graduate MFA
candidate Zimmerli Art Museum(ZAM) and RUL "For Freedoms" collaboration
COAPI event at ALA annual conference session July
2018
RUL Stressbusters events twice a semester 2016,
2017, and 2018
Rutgers Special Collections and
University Archives: World War I
exhibit
Buttons made for library employee wedding take-
aways ZAM and RUL collaboration for High School Diversity event
New Brusnwick Music Scene Archives Poster
session at Rare Book and Manuscripts Section pre-
ALA annual conference July 2018. Family Weekend
RUL Speical Collections and University
Archives: Moumouth County Archives
and History Day Rutgers Figure Skating Club
School of Arts & Sciences (SAS) Honors Program and RUL button
making event for SAS Honors Winter dance
Association of College and Research Libraries Arts
Section buttons for 2017 annual conference Geek Week
Rutgers Special Collections and University
Archives: Art+Feminism Wikipedia Edit-a-
thon Rutgers Vietnamese Student Association
Rutgers Art History Students Association (RAHSA) and RUL
collaboration for club button making event Banned Books Week
Rutgers Special Collections and
University Archives: New Jersey Book
Arts Symposium
Magnets made for library employee's retirement
party
Rutgers Visual Arts Printing Making Students and RUL collaboration
for button making event Rutgers Welcome Week
Rutgers Special Collections and
University Archives: @Rutgers_SCUA:
Social Media and Archives
Rutgers Mexican American Student Association
(MASA)
School of Environmental and Biological Sciences and RUL
collaborative buttons making event to publicize library services RUL yearly employee picnic
Rutgers Day Hub City Opera & Dance
School of Arts & Science Students and RUL Students in Transition
Passport program collaboration RUL State of the Libraries
Merlins Kids
Mason Gross Visual Arts Print 1A course and RUL collaboration at
the Art Library Rutgers Day
Rutgers Department of Biochemistry and
Microbiology
Rutgers Mason Gross Advance Printmaking course and RUL
collaboration for Banned Books Week
Rutgers Living Learning Communities
SAS Honors Program and RUL Art Club collaboration at the Art
Library
Rutgers Windows for Understanding Project

27. Button making

28. LEGO Play

29. LEGO play

30. LEGO play

31. Assessment
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32. WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?

33. questions
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/
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34. References & Additional readings
• Lotts, Megan. “Low Cost High-Impact Makerspaces at the Rutgers
University Art Library.” Art Documentation 36, (Fall 2017): 345- 362.
• Lotts, Megan. “On the Road, Playing with LEGO, and Learning about
the Library: The Rutgers Art Library Lego Playing Station, Part Two.”
Journal of Library Administration 56, Iss. 5 (Summer 2016): 499-525.
• Lotts, Megan. “Playing with LEGO, Learning about the Library and
‘Making’ Campus Connections: The Rutgers Art Library Lego Playing
Station, Part One.” Journal of Library Administration 56, Iss. 4 (May
2016): 359-380.
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35. REFERENCES & Additional readings
• Lotts, Megan. “Building Bridges, Creating Partnerships, and Elevating
the Arts.” College & Research Libraries News 77, no. 5 (May 2016):
226-230.
• Lotts, Megan. “Implementing a Culture of Creativity: Pop Up Making
Spaces and Participating Events in Academic Libraries.” College &
Research Libraries News 76, no. 2 (February 2015): 72-75.
• Kranich, Nancy, Megan Lotts, and Gene Springs. “The Promise of
Academic Libraries Turning Outward to Transform Campus
Communities.” College & Research Libraries News 75, no. 4 (April
2014): 182-186.
@MCLotts

36. REFERENCES & Additional readings
• Lotts, Megan and Tara Maharjan. “Engagement, Learning, Outreach,
and Fun in 60 Seconds: Button Making at the Rutgers University
Libraries.” College & Research Libraries News 79, no.7 (2018): 364-
368.
• Lotts, Megan. “Coloring outside the Information Literacy Lines”.
Association of College & Research Libraries and American Library
Association Instruction Section Newsletter 34, no. 2 (Fall 2017): 5-6.
• Lotts, Megan. “Woodblock Woodstock: The Drive By Press at Morris
Library.” College & Research Libraries News 74, no. 2 (February 2013):
86-89.
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