Abstract
Button making is a low-cost, high-impact, pop-up makerspace activity that libraries can use to facilitate outreach, connect patrons with collections, teach about copyright, and promote creativity and fun, all in just 60 seconds. In the fall of 2016, the Rutgers University Libraries- New Brunswick Learning and Engagement team spent $518 to purchase a button maker and supplies to make 1,000 buttons. Since then, the libraries have collaborated on button projects with many departments on campus including the Rutgers Art History Student Association, the Zimmerli Art Museum, and the School of Arts & Sciences Honors program. These partnerships have helped the libraries build strong ties with the Rutgers New Brunswick communities and attracted a devoted group of button makers who regularly come to library events. Making a button provides quick moment of engagement between a patron and a library staff member, but it is from these kinds of meaningful brief encounters that libraries can learn about their patrons’ lives and needs. These encounters can also be a source for the powerful stories, images, and statistics that help libraries demonstrate their impact and value to their communities.