In the 21st century there has been a resurgence of the DIY movement and many libraries are incorporating makerspaces into their organizations. Making opportunities can provide hands on self-driven learning opportunities that exercise creative thinking and problem solving skills, as well as create new interactive and fun ways to learn. Creative spaces can encourage cross-disciplinary collaboration and provide an opportunity to bring individuals together who might not otherwise connect with the library. This webinar will include a review of makerspaces found in academic and public libraries, as well as provide practical examples of pop-up making spaces including: Holiday card making, Edible Books, Polynomiography, an Art Library Coloring Book, and a Lego® Playing Station. Pop-up making spaces can be a low cost opportunity to create new partnership, as well as an impactful solution to implementing a culture of creativity within your organization.

1. HANDS-ON LEARNING AND MAKERSPACES:
HOW TO IMPLEMENT A CULTURE OF
CREATIVITY IN YOUR LIBRARY!
MEGAN LOTTS, ART LIBRARIAN
RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW JERSEY

2. WHO AM I
• Art librarian, Rutgers the State
University of New Jersey.
• Reference librarian & liaison to: art
history, digital filmmaking,
landscape architecture, and visual
arts.
• Research interests: creativity,
engagement, and making in
academic libraries.
• MFA, trained in painting, but
consider myself a site-specific
conceptual artist.
Twitter: @MCLotts

3. OUTLINE
• Brief history of making
• What is a makerspace
• Brief review of makerspaces in public & academic libraries
• Pop-up makerspaces at Rutgers University libraries
• Holiday card making
• Edible books
• Polynomiography
• Art library coloring book
• Art library LEGO® playing station
• Button making
• Assessment, finding partners, making it happen, & conclusion
Twitter: @MCLotts

4. BRIEF HISTORY OF MAKING
• 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 FY 1960 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 Free Library makerspace, the first 21st century makerspace opened in
the Fayetteville Free Library. It was the first of its kind in a public library and includes a 3D
printer that works in a mobile capacity.
Twitter: @MCLotts

5. WHAT IS A MAKERSPACE
• Merriam-Webster Dictionary Online says...
• Wikipedia re-directs individuals to hackerspace, which is defined as a community
space where people with common interests in technology come together to collaborate
(“hackerspace”).
• According to makerspace.com, “[m]odeled after hackerspaces, a makerspace is a
place where young people have an opportunity to explore their own interests, learn to
use tools and materials, and develop creative projects. (Hamilton, 2012).
Twitter: @MCLotts

6. WHAT IS A MAKERSPACE
• Library as Incubator says, “[m]akerspaces are collaborative learning environments
where people come together to share materials and learn new skills…makerspaces are
not necessarily born out of a specific set of materials or spaces but rather a mindset of
community partnership, collaboration, and creation.”
• To put it more simply, Mark Hatch, (2014) at the time CEO of Techshop (a leader in
commercial makerspaces) states, “A makerspace is a center or workspace where like-
minded get together and make things” (Hatch, 2014, p.13).
Twitter: @MCLotts

7. WHAT IS A MAKERSPACE
• Ellyssa Kroski notes, “makerspaces are creative, DIY spaces where people can gather
to create, invent, and learn,” also sees 4 types (Kroski, 2014):
• Fablabs- focus on providing access to electronic equipment such as laser cutters,
routers, and milling machines.
• Hackerspaces- are places where computer programmers congregate to socialize and
collaborate.
• Techshops- are a chain of for-profit spaces that charge membership fees to use their
high tech industrial tools.
• Makerspaces- are places where individuals come to solve problems with hands-on
learning.
Twitter: @MCLotts

8. WHAT'S IN A MAKERSPACE
• High tech: 3D printers, digital recording equip, computers, laser cutters, video & photo
editing, and some of the commercial spaces have serious tools.
• Low tech: coloring implements, colored paper, crafting supplies, duct tape, LEGO®,
scissors, adhesives, etc…
• In a blog post, your curriculum is not about 3D printers or zombies, Troy Swanson
interviewed Justin Hoenke, who believes, “if libraries want to get into the maker
movement, they don’t really need a 3D printer. They really just need a roll of duct tape and
some raw materials to use in building” (Swanson, 2014).
Twitter: @MCLotts

9. REVIEW OF MAKERSPACES
• Makerspaces in academic libraries
• Makerspaces in public libraries
• Commercial spaces
• Mobile makerspaces
• Pop-up makerspaces
Twitter: @MCLotts

10. ACADEMIC
• Dearth of established scholarly literature (More-field Lang (2015) & Rich (2014).
• Web survey 2013: 36% of 109 libraries were academic & less than 1 yr old (Burke, 2013).
• In his survey of makerspaces from 2013, Burke notes that academic libraries tend to lean
towards digital creation when it comes to makerspaces, while excluding activities that
involve physical making such as arts and crafts, as well as LEGO® (Burke, 2015).
• Fisher believes that currently there is a shift in the academic landscape, as we are
moving from a traditional teaching culture to more active learning techniques (Fisher,
2012).
Twitter: @MCLotts

11. ACADEMIC
• Caitlin Bagley’s Makerspaces: Top Trailblazing Projects worthy study of how to create a
makerspace in an academic library (ALA, 2014).
• In a 2015 study, Moorefield-Lang interviewed 12 librarians about makerspaces. Four of
these interviews discuss makerspaces in academic libraries (Moorefield-Lang, 2015).
• In A Survey of Makerspaces in Academic Libraries, a master’s thesis by Samantha N.
Rich, the author sent out a survey of 10 questions about the role of makerspaces in
academic libraries (Rich, 2014).
• Pop-up making spaces (Lotts, 2015).
Twitter: @MCLotts

12. PUBLIC
• Bubbler/Madison Public Library: http://madisonbubbler.Org/
• Fayetteville Free Library: https://www.Fflib.Org/make/makerspace-faqs
• Harold Washington Library Center/Chicago Public Library:
http://www.Chipublib.Org/maker-lab/
• Makerjawn: http://makerjawn.Org/about/
• The Hive: http://www.Hcplc.Org/hcplc/locations/hve/
Twitter: @MCLotts

13. CONCERNS ABOUT MAKERSPACES
• Is it messy?
• Does it smell?
• How much space will one need?
• Who will run the space(s)?
• How much is all this going to cost?
• How will we sustain this?
Twitter: @MCLotts

14. POP-UP MAKERSPACES
• Low cost.
• Easy to put up, take down, & store.
• Foster creativity & critical thinking skills.
• Create spontaneous community.
• Encourage cross-disciplinary collaboration.
Twitter: @MCLotts

15. POP-UP MAKERSPACES
• Baskets of yarn and knitting needle, box-making, confess your stress
selfie photo booth, coloring, graffiti walls, jigsaw puzzles, LEGOâ,
origami, pumpkin decorating, snowflake making, linocut lessons, music
clubs, zine nights, beading circles, sketch book project book making
workshops.
• Recreation station including; toothpicks, pipe cleaners, fabric, paper,
and googly eyes.
• Making cart.
Twitter: @MCLotts

16. POP-UP MAKING AT RUTGERS UNIVERSITY
LIBRARIES
• Holiday card making.
• Edible books.
• Polynomiography.
• Art library LEGO® playing station.
• Art library coloring book.
• Button making.
Twitter: @MCLotts

17. HOLIDAY CARD MAKERSPACE
• All materials used to make were donated by RUL faculty & staff.
• Associate university librarian 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.
Twitter: @MCLotts

18. HOLIDAY CARD MAKERSPACE
Twitter: @MCLotts

19. EDIBLE BOOKS
• 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.
• Created a dialogue about rare materials, how does one catalog an edible book, and what
other kind of books & materials does the library have.
Twitter: @MCLotts

20. EDIBLE BOOKS
Twitter: @MCLotts

21. EDIBLE BOOKS
Twitter: @MCLotts

22. POLYNOMIOGRAPHY
• Cross-disciplinary collaboration w/ Bahman Kalantari.
• Borrowed the laptops from RUL administrative & art library laptops.
• Software created by Bahman Kalantari.
• 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.
Twitter: @MCLotts

23. POLYNOMIOGRAPHY
LIBRARY OF SCIENCE & MEDICINE (LSM)- RUTGERS
Twitter: @MCLotts

24. POLYNOMIOGRAPHY
ART LIBRARY- RUTGERS
Twitter: @MCLotts

25. ART LIBRARY LEGO® PLAYING STATION
• Have held over 20 events using the LEGO®.
• Publicity was key.
• Engaged with multiple departments on Rutgers campuses.
• Used on a daily basis, regularly find interesting models.
Twitter: @MCLotts

26. ART LIBRARY LEGO® PLAYING STATION
• Installed in August 2014.
• Used existing table & chairs.
• Created signage, “Take pics not LEGO”.
• Comment box w/ paper & pen.
• All legos were upcycled for project.
Twitter: @MCLotts

27. PRESS
Check out Rutgers today (Bowman 2014) https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=izhhlwoy9yc
Twitter: @MCLotts

28. RU LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE DEPT. EDA
COURSE 100-1ST YEAR L.A. STUDENTS
Twitter: @MCLotts

29. ACADEMIC COACHES RUTGERS LEARNING
CENTERS
• January 2015- team building
LEGO® workshop w/ 6 academic
coaches for an introduction to
the library & information literacy
skills.
• Following the art library intern
created a series of posters for
the academic coaches to use as
talking points w/ their clients.
Twitter: @MCLotts

30. RU LIBRARY FACULTY & STAFF SPRING
STRESSBUSTING LEGO PLAY
Twitter: @MCLotts

31. NEW JERSEY’S FIRST ANNUAL MAKER DAY
BLOCK PARTY AT RUTGERS ART LIBRARY
Twitter: @MCLotts

32. LEGO WORKSHOP CAMDEN STUDENT CENTER
28 STUDENT EMPLOYEES.
Twitter: @MCLotts

33. ART LIBRARY LEGO® PLAYING STATION
Twitter: @MCLotts

34. ART LIBRARY LEGO® PLAYING STATION
Twitter: @MCLotts

35. ART LIBRARY LEGO® PLAYING STATION
Twitter: @MCLotts

36. #LEGOMAKE TOUR
• 6 week tour by car w/100 lbs. of
LEGO®.
• Visited 20 academic libraries in 7
states facilitating workshops that
foster creative & critical thinking skills,
as well as encouraging team work.
• Worked with 240 individuals.
• 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, vol. 56, iss.5
(Summer 2016).
Twitter: @MCLotts

37. ART LIBRARY COLORING BOOK
• October 3, 2016, art library held a pop-up coloring event to release book & highlight
materials from the collection (Albers & Lynda Barry coloring book).
• Color the archives- later approached by office of disability services.
• Printed 500, edition copies were circulated over 3 week span.
• Total cost $330 for printing and 500 packages of pre-wrapped crayons
• Opportunity for individuals to post images to Twitter or Instagram.
• Self-driven, hands-on, learning opportunity.
Twitter: @MCLotts

38. ART LIBRARY COLORING BOOK
Twitter: @MCLotts

39. ART LIBRARY COLORING BOOK
Queens Building, Historic American Buildings Survey
Special Collections and University Archives (@Rutgers_SCUA)
Coloring the Archives
Twitter: @MCLotts

40. BUTTON MAKING
• Button maker is worth its weight in gold. A magnet for engagement- we’ve held 5 events &
collaborated with art history, visual arts, Zimmerli Art Museum, and SAS honors program.
• Initial investment $500 for machines including supplies for 1000 buttons. Re-ordering
supplies, 8 cents a button.
• Participants are mesmerized when they create & make their own button.
• Events provide an opportunity to talk about images, fair use and copyright, & we always get a
few reference & follow-up questions.
• Fast, low cost, hands-on making activity that includes an opportunity to engage, and the
participant gets a take away.
Twitter: @MCLotts

41. BUTTON MAKING
Twitter: @MCLotts

42. ASSESSMENT
• Documentation- analyze the images.
• Surveys.
• Monitor & count social media.
• Observation & stories.
• Counting reference questions.
• Rutgers formed the events assessment task force
Twitter: @MCLotts

43. FINDING PARTNERS & MAKING IN HAPPEN
IN YOUR LIBRARY
• You don’t need a lot money to create a makerspace, crowdsource materials, share costs.
• Marketing & outreach.
• Cross-disciplinary collaboration, find good partnerships.
• Incentives can help.
Twitter: @MCLotts

44. RE-CAP
• Brief history of making
• What is a makerspace
• Review of makerspaces in libraries
• Pop-up makerspaces at Rutgers University Libraries
• Holiday card making
• Edible books
• Polynomiography
• Art library coloring book
• Art library LEGO® playing station
• Button making
• Assessment, finding partners & making it happen
Twitter: @MCLotts

45. FINAL THOUGHTS…
• Creativity & making can stimulate broader conversations among patrons and library
employees about the value of the libraries, and what’s possible.
• Makerspaces can be affordable scholarly fun, and a way to engage w/patrons as well as,
connect to communities.
Twitter: @MCLotts

46. FINAL THOUGHTS…
• Making, provides opportunities for, & encourages cross disciplinary collaboration.
• Patrons are more likely to learn and/or come back when they are having fun!
• Creativity, making, & engagement helps build critical thinking skills & these are skills
that are applicable to library research.
Twitter: @MCLotts

47. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
• Library & Maker Culture: A Resource Guide: http://library-maker-culture.Weebly.Com/makerspaces-in-
libraries.Html
• Library as Incubator: http://www.Libraryasincubatorproject.Org/
• Make it @ Your Library: http://makeitatyourlibrary.Org/
• Make Magazine: http://makezine.Com/
• Makerfaire: http://makerfaire.Com/
• Makerspace resources: http://www.Users.Miamioh.Edu/burkejj/makerspaces.Html
• Facebook- makerspaces & the participatory library: https://www.Facebook.Com/groups/librarymaker/
Twitter: @MCLotts

48. REFERENCES
• A History of Making. (2013, February 6). American Libraries. Retrieved August 3, 2015, from
http://americanlibrariesmagazine.Org/2013/02/06/manufacturing-makerspaces/
• Bowman, C. (Producer). (2014). Lego Building Fosters Creativity on Rutgers Campus [online video]. New
Brunswick: Rutgers Today. Retrieved August 3, 2015, from https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=izhhlwoy9yc
• Burke, J. (2013). Makerspaces in Libraries Survey Results 2013. Retrieved from
http://www.Users.Miamioh.Edu/burkejj/makerspaces%20in%20libraries%20survey%20results%202013.pdf
• Burke, J. (2015). Making Sense: Can Makerspaces Work in Academic Libraries? [Electronic version]. ACRL
Conference Proceedings, 497-504.
http://www.Ala.Org/acrl/sites/ala.Org.Acrl/files/content/conferences/confsandpreconfs/2015/burke.pdf
Twitter: @MCLotts

49. REFERENCES
• Hamilton, B. (2012, June 28). Makerspaces, Participatory Learning, and Libraries. The Unquiet Librarian.
Retrieved from https://theunquietlibrarian.Wordpress.Com/2012/06/28/makerspaces-participatory-learning-
and-libraries/
• Kroski, E. (2014, October 15). The 4 Flavors of Makerspaces. In open education database. Retrieved from
http://oedb.Org/ilibrarian/4-flavors-makerspaces/
• Hatch, M. (2014). The Maker Movement Manifesto: Rules for Innovation in the New World of Crafters, Hackers,
and Tinkerers. New York: McGraw-Hill Education. 13.
• Hackerspace. (N.D.). On Wikipedia. Retrieved August 3, 2015, from
https://en.Wikipedia.Org/wiki/hackerspace
Twitter: @MCLotts

50. REFERENCES
• Lotts, M. (2015, February). Implementing a Culture of Creativity: Pop-up Making Spaces and Participating Event
in Academic Libraries [electronic version]. C & RL News, 76 (2), 72-75. Doi:
http://dx.Doi.Org/doi:10.7282/t3d2208v
• Moorefield-Lang, H. (2015, May). Change in the Making: Makerspaces and the Ever-changing Landscape of
Libraries. Techtrends, 59(3), 107-112.
• Rich, S.N. (2014). A Survey of Makerspaces in Academic Libraries.
Https://cdr.Lib.Unc.Edu/record/uuid:b8da8527-b84f-4d47-bc79-014c67942e9f
• Swanson, T. (2014, April 17). Your Curriculum is not about 3D Printers or Zombies. TTW: Tame the Web.
Retrieved from http://tametheweb.Com/2014/04/17/your-curriculum-is-not-about-3d-printers-or-zombies-by-
ttw-contributor-troy-swanson/
Twitter: @MCLotts

51. 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/
Twitter: @MCLotts