Libraries at Play: Exploring Creativity, Curiosity, and Community

Play is more than recreation—it’s a mindset, a framework for inquiry, and a catalyst for innovation. When embraced in libraries, play can spark curiosity, foster connection, and transform how patrons engage with information and each other.

This presentation invites participants to explore how play can be defined, located, and assessed within library spaces and programming. Through case studies highlighting Creative Arts Therapies (CATS), community collaborations, and game-based learning, we’ll uncover the many ways play can serve as both a learning tool and a bridge to engagement.

The session will include a 30-minute interactive presentation, 20 minutes of playful hands-on exercises, and a 10-minute reflective discussion. 

**Please bring a few sheets of paper and your favorite writing tool—because even academic inquiry deserves a little playtime.

Presenter:

Megan Lotts is the Art Librarian at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, where she embraces creativity and play when teaching, building collections, engaging with colleagues, and facilitating programming and events across the New Brunswick campuses. In 2021 the American Libraries Association published her first book Advancing a Culture of Creativity in Libraries: Programming and Engagement and her second book, The Playful Library: Building Environments for Learning & Creativity was published in September 2024. Lotts earned an MFA (2004) and MLIS (2007) from University of Wisconsin-Madison and continues to explore and create site specific art installations and happenings.