IMPLEMENTING A CULTURE OF CREATIVITYMEGAN 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”

@MCLotts

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.

@MCLotts

HOLIDAY CARD MAKER SPACEKILMER & 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 SPACEALEXANDER LIBRARY- RUTGERS

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HOLIDAY CARD MAKER SPACEKILMER LIBRARY- RUTGERS

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EDIBLE BOOKSSIUC & 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 BOOKSSIUC & RUTGERS

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EDIBLE BOOKSSIUC & RUTGERS

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POLYNOMIOGRAPHYART 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.

POLYNOMIOGRAPHYLIBRARY OF SCIENCE & MEDICINE (LSM)- RUTGERS

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POLYNOMIOGRAPHYART LIBRARY- RUTGERS

RUTGERS ART LIBRARY LEGO PLAYING STATIONHOW 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 COURSE100-1ST 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 & STAFFSPRING STRESSBUSTING LEGO PLAY

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NEW JERSEY’S FIRST ANNUAL MAKER DAYBLOCK 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

@MCLotts

• 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

@MCLotts

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

@MCLotts

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