Photo Courtesy of Grace Terhune
Pay the studio a visit next time you have a creative project to get done!
I do not like studying in Milne Library. The lighting is harsh, it tends to get quite busy, and the seats are uncomfortable. However, I have recently discovered a tucked-away space in Milne that contains the materials of any crafter’s dreams: the Publishing and Creativity Studio. Or, as my friends and I like to call it, the craft room. The studio is located right next to the research librarians’ offices on the second floor of the library.
The studio is small but mighty, and it wastes no space to supply students with free materials for them to explore and create. I spoke with one of the two interns of the space, Mimi Swinton, who gave The Lamron the scoop on everything the space has to offer. Mimi, alongside her fellow intern Addie Balogun, “help organize supplies, do inventory, set up materials for events and workshops, and keep the studio clean and organized.” Everything has a place in the studio, from the stamps and ink pads that sit on the main desk space to the book binding supplies in the cabinet space.
For my communication capstone experience this semester, I was determined to make a scrapbook of my senior year. Scrapbooks can be a fun way of sharing and preserving memories and keepsakes. So when I stumbled upon the Publishing and Creativity Studio, I was delighted to see the amount of scrapbooking supplies the studio had to offer. With all the different assortments of paper, washi tape, and one very nice paper cutter, I found myself using the space a lot to create my scrapbook.
Mimi shared that her favorite things to create in the space are “flyers [using] Canva or InDesign to promote events and share information that catches people’s attention.” With four desktop computers in the space, students are able to access different programs to use as a creative tool. For example, the Adobe Creative Suite, which includes Indesign and Photoshop, are available for students to use.
A popular item to make in the studio are zines! According to California State University’s library, zines are “handmade publications in booklet form about ANY topic that are alternatives to mainstream media. They can be made with just plain paper and a marker, with fancy paper and design software, and anything in between!” If your professor has assigned a final project of creating a zine, the studio may be the place for you! There are a handful of zines on display in the studio if you are looking for some inspiration. If you would like to create a zine for fun, the supplies are still waiting for you to use them.
Besides just being an open space for students to come in as they please, the studio also hosts events from time to time. The studio interns recently hosted a “Make Your Own Halloween Plush” event. Mimi expressed, “Addie and I put a lot of time and effort into planning the event and we had a decent turnout which was exciting!”
Mimi wanted to share with students “that they should not be afraid to stop by and explore the studio, even if they do not have experience with anything we have in the studio.” There are some more advanced tools in the studio, including a typewriter, a letterpress, and advanced bookmaking kits. Mimi and Addie both hold office hours in the space and can help students learn more about the tools. Allison Brown, who is the Digital Publishing Services Manager, can also help any students with “training on software, equipment, or [a] general consultation.”
Stay on the lookout for flyers around campus as Mimi and Addie are currently planning their next event with the studio. Mimi shares that “there will be several different fun and easy crafts to do that will help you decompress before finals!”