Author: Oliver Murray

By Ava Gessl, Undergraduate Library Making Fellow, 2024-2025

As my final semester at Berkeley comes to a close, so does my time at the Makerspace. Over the past three years, I’ve had the chance to be a part of the development of this space and have been able to interact with so much of the Berkeley community. More than anything, what stands out to me is the community we’ve built. I’m so happy that the Makerspace is something that many people hear about through word of mouth, with people who attended Drop-in Hours or workshops enthusiastically sharing the space with their friends. 

When I first started working in the Makerspace, we were out in the open of Doe 190, with less people milling about and getting the chance to see us. Since our move, the surrounding tables have filled with students and more people are able to curiously glance around our space as they walk by. There’s been a steady flow of students coming through the space, and it’s always exciting to learn about how they found out about the Makerspace. 

One of the biggest changes that I’ve appreciated is how workshops are structured. We work together as a team to draft comprehensive guides for how the workshops should run and try to prepare for different levels of student experience and attendance. Behind every sewing, vinyl, papercraft, felting, and every other workshop there is a surprising amount of coordination. We choose materials, write clear instructions for attendees, and estimate how long each part of the workshop should take. I’ve come to really love that behind-the-scenes work, especially having a chance to try the craft out myself to try and identify areas where students might get stuck. It’s fun looking for ways to improve instructions and finding new ways to use the given instructions to make something else. 

Over the years, I’ve helped with many workshops and each one has taught me something new. Not just about the craft, but about teaching, patience, and how to create an inviting learning environment. I’ve worked with students who’ve never touched a sewing machine before, and others who’ve come in with something they thrifted that morning and are coming to adjust the hems like they’ve done dozens of times before. 

I came into the Makerspace with sewing as my biggest skill, with an interest in other crafts but not much experience outside of an art class. The Makerspace has allowed me to develop more skills and made me fall in love with felting, stamp carving, and crocheting. Each new skill makes me think about how to plan ahead, visualize each step, and how I’d teach it to someone else so they could avoid some of the mistakes I made. Those one-on-one interactions are some of my favorite moments, the small moments of sitting next to someone and teaching them something whether I’ve done it a hundred times or I just learned it last week. One such interaction has been when someone came to the Makerspace with a big plan of learning to sew and make a shirt. Though we weren’t able to get to the shirt that day, I was able to direct them through different sewing exercises and give them advice about their fabric and pattern choice. When they returned the next day, they came to show me their fabric and tell me about what they planned to do that day. It was such a nice moment to have someone come back to the Makerspace and excitedly tell me about how they planned to use the skills I helped teach them to complete a project. 

As I wrap up my time here, I feel grateful for everything this role has given me. I’ve gained practical skills, yes, but also a deeper understanding of how to lead with empathy, how to collaborate with a team, and how to support others in their creative journeys. I’m leaving the Makerspace better than I found it, but I also know it will keep growing after I’m gone. Thank you to everyone I’ve worked with, learned from, and taught along the way. I’ll forever be grateful for my time here, and I hope to continue to use the skills I learned to craft new things to share with others.

By Kati Khov, Undergraduate Library Making Fellow, 2024-2025

During our Fall program evaluation meeting, my cohort and I reviewed Makerspace highlights and opportunities for growth. We reflected on our accomplishments by discussing our strengths, opportunities, aspirations, and what results we can predict. One thing we noticed was that these quotes are often said by visiting students:

“I can’t believe I’ve never heard of this place before!”

“Wow, I’ve been here since I was a freshman and never utilized these great resources!”

A common theme emerges. The Makerspace needs to increase and innovate its current outreach methods to catch the eyes of more undergraduates. Serving as a resource hub with a generous amount of creative supplies and tools, students deserve to know they have opportunities to utilize the Makerspace right at their fingertips.

Aside from the physical perks of having access to the Makerspace, the inclusive community in the Makerspace serves as an example of enhancing students’ quality of life, particularly for vulnerable populations such as LGBTQIA+ individuals.

As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, I can attest that being in a creative space where I can find like-minded people makes me feel welcome. When our cohort and an additional four people are cramped together in the Fiber Arts room, loudly chatting and laughing, it’s so rewarding when our conversations entice other participants to chime in and form connections. There’s something so special and intimate about having a shared space built on a supportive and inclusive foundation. You don’t need to be a crafting expert or pay for materials and tools to use the Makerspace. In the same vein, you don’t need to fit into a specific mold around your identity and self-expression to belong here. The Makerspace allows everyone to express themselves in ways beyond creative methods.

Not to mention, arts and crafts has also played a lasting impact in queer culture. The Makerspace supplies crafts like buttons and zines, which have historically been used by queer folks to identify one another, advocate, and share their life experiences. 

As reflected in the City of Berkeley’s recently published Community Health Assessment (CHA), a project I was fortunate to provide input on, LGBTQIA+ safety was noted as a high priority:

“Young people who identify as LGBTQIA+ experience higher rates of attempted suicide, depression, and anxiety. There are very few programs that provide mental health services to this demographic”  (Jon Snow Inc., 29).

With the current gap in mental health services for young LGBTQIA+ individuals, the Makerspace has become an ad hoc community space to bridge the lack of resources. It is abundantly clear that increasing its outreach is necessary.

Previous 2021-2022 Makerspace fellows, Maura Adela Cruz, Chloe Chu, Alysa Liu, and Christina Park, also worked on a similar project to increase outreach for the Makerspace. From what I gathered from their blog posts, there was a focus on increasing outreach specifically for non-traditional students. Their research and outreach approach served as a great inspiration for my pitch to develop a qualitative research project.

Although I had come prepared with a detailed outline and timeline, flyers, and digital and physical survey formats for both focus groups and surveys, I may have overestimated the feasibility of conducting this study. And that’s okay! I’ve learned that showing intent and passion demonstrates a strong commitment and initiation for the project, and there’s always the option to scale back if necessary. With my mentor and cohort’s feedback, I narrowed the study’s scope to focus on one survey dedicated to assessing the discoverability of the Makerspace for undergraduate students. 

The survey was separated into two sections to discuss specific themes around participants’ choice of communities and increasing outreach. I first asked students to identify any clubs or organizations they belonged to in a short answer summary, then followed up with a multiple-choice selection to ask if these communities had physical venues and what makes them appealing to visit in person. Participants were able to select multiple of the following:

• Close to where I frequently visit (home, school, work, third spaces, etc)
• I can easily find relevant and updated information
• I enjoy the outcome of each event. I learn something new and/or can bring something back home, such as food or supplies.
• There is a strong sense of community. I can make new connections through these communities.
• They can accommodate my needs and/or their venues are accessible.
• They offer a wide range of services and resources.
• They offer a wide availability of hours. I can drop in at this location and/or the events have long run times during hours I can attend.

The next section determined where and how students discovered events and resources, including the Makerspace. Lastly, the survey included a section for students to share their thoughts in greater detail. 

In just two weeks, we reached our goal of 30 respondents. We had a lot of input to comb through for our analysis! I was surprised by how consistent our data was right off the bat. I expected to need more time to create conclusions, but many shared similar sentiments about their preferred community spaces and forms of outreach:

• Students expressed a desire for longer drop-in service hours, but deeper analysis concludes this may not be a primary solution
• Students suggest that online outreach methods, such as newsletters and social media, drive discoverability
• Community impact goes a long way in sustaining students’ well-being

Now, for those reading with a background in data science, you might identify some of the gaps in how I structured the survey. I should have 1) avoided using a short answer format to collect data on students’ spaces of belonging and 2) avoided multiple choice selections. While I was moved by how thoughtful people’s short answer responses were, it was harder to categorize people’s answers when moving into the data analysis portion. This demonstrated an important lesson about how survey structures should account for how you plan to interpret your data. A decision as simple as using multiple-choice selections can create complexities when generating pivot tables accessible to a broader audience.

My lived experiences shaped how I wanted to analyze the effectiveness of certain outreach methods to support community resources. The goal of this project was not to specifically target a single demographic, but to identify opportunities for growth regarding outreach methods relative to the needs and attitudes of people across different identities and spaces they belong to. 

When I presented my project to my mentor and cohort at the end of the semester, it was important to emphasize that the Makerspace has an underlying responsibility to fill in resource gaps for Berkeley’s youth population. As many of us are also LGBTQIA+-identifying, our history demonstrates the need for advocacy to make change. As the present calls for us to advocate once more, we must strive to ensure resources are accessible for everyone. 

I want to acknowledge and express my gratitude to my mentor and cohort, resources such as D-Lab, and friends who participated in the survey and provided advice on the project. As I will be graduating this semester, I hope this project invites future fellows to consider self-initiating their own projects to work on alongside their fellowship. I went from having little experience with data analysis to suddenly learning about different programs and research methods! To those interested in working with the Makerspace and for those who just want to visit, this is my advice: when provided with an opportunity to explore something you’ve always wanted to, take it and never stop learning.

By Madison Lee, Undergraduate Library Making Fellow, 2024-2025

As my time as a Makerspace Fellow comes to a close, I’ve been reflecting on the past year—and realizing the Makerspace has become so much more than a workplace. It became a second home.

Some days, I’d stop by just to finish a 3D printing project. Other times, I found myself in the Fiber Arts Room on a quiet weekend—not to sew, but simply to sit, fold a piece of origami, or breathe in the calm energy of a space filled with texture, color, and possibility.

This semester wasn’t about tying up loose ends. I knew my fellowship was ending, but there are still unfinished stitches on the embroidery I started last fall. The serger machine I wanted to try on a hem is still waiting. A potential Makerspace website redesign still lives in a PowerPoint. And yet, I’ve learned not to measure this experience by a checklist of completed tasks. If I had, I might have missed the joy of turning a personal experiment—the paper flowers I once made for some friends—into a full-fledged Valentine’s Day workshop, with students designing heartfelt bouquet cards of their own. 

In preparation, we experimented with different petal shapes and sizes to add variety, created card templates, and even designed a 3D-printed rolling tool that students could attach to a pencil to make flower assembly easier. Some students were hesitant at first—unsure how a flat spiral could transform into a flower—but we worked through it together, modifying layouts, adding leaf cutouts, and building layered bouquets on cardstock that opened like pop-up scenes. One student even turned theirs into a lily pad design with floating flowers and hot glue dew drops. It was exciting to see everyone personalize their cards with unique color combinations, messages, and interpretations. The workshop reminded me that making is never a one-size-fits-all process, but rather a shared act of discovery, with space for every style, pace, and idea.

What stays with me most are the small, vibrant moments: The joyful chaos of the Cal Merch workshop, where even a misbehaving Silhouette cutter couldn’t stop students from printing their own tote bags. The Fiber Arts room buzzing with activity—tables covered in fabric, stickers, stamps, and sewing machines humming as students helped each other troubleshoot. The thrill of watching someone discover they can make something with their own hands.

Beyond the hands-on projects, I also had the chance to reshape our digital space, such as revamping our LibGuides to feel more visual, more intuitive, more Makerspace. Shifting the tools page design from a carousel to a gallery format became its own form of crafting: thoughtful, iterative, and grounded in empathy for the user.

Throughout the semester, I kept hearing students say, “I wish I had found the Makerspace sooner.” I used to feel that way too. But now, I think we all found it when we were ready—when we needed it most.

In a campus culture where productivity often overshadows presence, the Makerspace taught me how to slow down—to make room for creativity, imperfection, and spontaneous joy. It reminded me, and so many others, that creativity doesn’t have to be perfect or even purposeful to be meaningful. Sometimes, it’s enough just to show up. To experiment. To be surrounded by others who are also figuring it out.

I’ll carry that mindset with me through the rest of my time at Berkeley—trying new things, savoring moments, and resisting the urge to reduce everything to a checklist. Because the most meaningful things we make here aren’t always physical. Sometimes, they’re the quiet moments of connection, the confidence built one attempt at a time, the joy of learning something unexpected. Those are the memories that last.

Looking ahead, I know I’ll return to this lesson—not just in how I make, but in how I live, learn, and show up for others. And for that, I’ll always be grateful.

In a campus culture where productivity often overshadows presence, the Makerspace taught me how to slow down. How to make space for creativity, imperfection, and spontaneous joy. The Makerspace reminded me and so many others that creativity doesn’t need to be perfect or productive to be meaningful. Sometimes, it’s enough to show up. To experiment. To be surrounded by people who are also figuring it out, together. 

Looking ahead, I carry that lesson with me—not just in how I make, but in how I live and learn. And for that, I’ll always be thankful.

By Willow Beyer, Undergraduate Library Making Fellow, 2024-2025

One of the best parts of working as a Makerspace Fellow this past year has been showing new people around and watching the space fill up. During Drop-in Hours in the past weeks have seen all of our sewing machines in use, at least one project 3D printing, and several people in the button maker room. People come with very specific plans, an idea that needs support in execution, or just wanting to wander through and see what we have to offer. Whatever brings them, the energy that comes from people learning, collaborating, and making together makes the space feel so alive.

Our users teach each other newly learned skills, trade old tricks, and compliment each others’ design choices. As a fellow, I get to do tons of button making and sewing machine tutorials, troubleshoot with heat press complications, and answer questions about miscellaneous materials, but mostly I just watch the space breathe. On one particular occasion, a student was working on a sewing project and needed help with garment construction. I had a few ideas, but the four or five other people also sewing were able to come up with a whole range of possibilities to choose from. The collaboration was not only helpful for her project, but gave everyone a chance to get to know each other. 

The Makerspace is for anyone who wants to explore, experiment, or just take a break from the rest of their day. You don’t need to be any kind of expert or even know what it is you want to learn. The materials and support are here, and I’ve witnessed how our growing community is more than ready to welcome new people and fresh ideas. During our Cal Merch Workshop, participants complimented each other’s designs, taught each other how to use the equipment, and provided support in troubleshooting issues as they came up. We are always looking for ways to make the space more fun and inviting, so whether it’s signing up for a workshop, dropping in for the Make of the Month, or bringing in a project of your own, stop by and see what the space can do for you!

By Willow Beyer, Undergraduate Library Making Fellow, 2024-2025

Over the course of my first semester as a Makerspace Fellow, I have had the opportunity to learn and grow beyond my new skills in crafting. I have watched and experienced the ways that art is not about just the finished product, the skills that go into creating it, or what it communicates; it’s about how its production affects the artist.

When visiting the Makerspace for the first time, many people comment on how calming the act of creating can be. Undergrads come here to work with their hands, take a breath outside of the academic demand of their day to day life, and help each other approach new problems. Sharing advice, working out the logistics of their ideas together, and showing off what they’ve been working on is an essential part of using the Makerspace. In the fiber arts room, it’s always fun to see the clothes people are making and think through the best way to accomplish their goals in a room full of people with varied sewing backgrounds. I love when people teach each other skills they learned that day, like using the Silhouette machine or button makers, because they get to not only solidify that knowledge for themselves, but meet someone new.

The Makerspace quietly works as a space for its users to decompress. Dedicating my service hours to creating has had a massive positive impact on my life. As Library Fellows, we work to create not just physical projects, but an intentional cohort where collaboration and feedback are valued and the methods through which they are carried out are clearly defined and respected. We work on a variety of shared projects, including workshop design and promotion and Make of the Month setup. Because we prioritize each other’s feedback, it’s much easier for me to share my ideas for my peers’ work and I feel more confident that I will get honest and helpful responses. By incorporating others’ insight into my Silhouette designs, stamps, and posters, I have been able to improve more quickly. By practicing articulating my thoughts on others’ work, I have improved in communication and solidified what I’m learning in design. Exposure to a community of intentional crafters and dedicated time for making has been helpful in alleviating stress and lifting my mood throughout the semester. While overwhelmed, spending an hour where my only job is to work on my knitting skills or to carve a stamp or make a Silhouette design helps to give me a break from the theory and abstract thought of my studies to work on something I can actually hold in my hands. I have found this experience very grounding, and can’t recommend enough that you stop by and see what the space can bring to your life!

By Madison Lee, Undergraduate Library Making Fellow, 2024-2025

At Berkeley, it’s easy to be swept up in the relentless pace of “hustle culture.” Lectures, exams, and extracurriculars often dominate every waking moment, leaving little time to breathe, let alone nurture one’s creative side. Amid this whirlwind, the Makerspace became an unexpected refuge—a space where I can pause, reset, and rediscover the joy of creating.

I’m grateful to have discovered the Makerspace during a Makerspace Crawl. Until that event, I had no idea it even existed. It’s a place that has allowed me to step away from the grind and reconnect with hands-on crafts and activities that have brought me a deep sense of calm and fulfillment. It rekindled a love for creating that I didn’t realize I had set aside. So I hope that more students will have the chance to also experience it.

This past semester as a Library Fellow in the Makerspace, has been a journey filled with learning, experimentation, and connection. One of my earliest experiences involved learning to thread and use a sewing machine just minutes before a student walked in, eager to learn how to sew. Together, we tackled those first stitches—initial panic giving way to laughter and discovery. That moment set the tone for the collaborative and shared learning experiences that would follow.

As I immersed myself in the Makerspace, I was continually amazed by the projects and passions I encountered. One of my favorite moments was helping a student 3D-print a miniature spider figure. Listening to them share their love for miniatures, I marveled at the dedication and detail they poured into their work. These glimpses into others’ creative worlds became a constant source of inspiration.

Throughout the semester, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing students grow in their craft. Watching someone’s confidence blossom is nothing short of magical. One student I taught to use the sewing machine began by practicing straight stitches on paper. Week by week, they returned, steadily improving their skills and eventually completing a beautiful handbag project. Others brought in ideas for buttons and T-shirts for their clubs, clothes for fashion shows, and even intricate cosplays and Halloween costumes. Each creation told a unique story, and I felt deeply honored to play a small part in their journeys.

The workshops were another highlight of my time. I enjoyed collaborating with the other Makerspace fellows to select workshop topics that would spark creativity and plan detailed outlines and instructions to ensure the projects were approachable for everyone. Working with students to complete their first projects—whether guiding them through using Silhouette software to cut vinyl stickers or helping them transfer designs onto rubber for stamp carving—was absolutely infectious. These experiences reminded me that making isn’t just about the finished product; it’s about the process. The trial and error, the learning curve, and those moments of triumph along the way are where the real magic happens.

Of course, there were challenges. I struggled with teaching when I was a beginner and didn’t have much experience with certain crafts or tools in the Makerspace. At times, I felt incompetent—especially when a student asked for help, and I wasn’t sure how to assist them. However, I quickly learned that asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness but a crucial step in the growth process. Whether I sought advice from fellow Makerspace staff or consulted more knowledgeable users, I came to deeply value the collaborative spirit that defines this space.

This journey has profoundly deepened my appreciation for hands-on learning and the ability of making to bring people together. Serving as a Library Fellow feels like the perfect opportunity to merge my passion for creativity with my desire to uplift and inspire others. The Makerspace embodies a vibrant culture of curiosity, hands-on discovery, and shared growth—a community that celebrates not only the things we create but also the joy we find in the process.

By Kati Khov, Undergraduate Library Making Fellow, 2024-2025

It all began with a random Google search while lying in bed during one of my first weeks attending UC Berkeley.

“Sewing machines in Berkeley free to use”

After previously working at a public library, I knew about the many creative resources available in local community spaces. I needed a publicly accessible sewing machine as I figured bringing my own machine wouldn’t make for great roommate etiquette. I was stressed about having to commute to another city to work on my project.

But to my surprise, the first entry to my search was a link to the UC Berkeley Library guide detailing all the resources the Makerspace provided. Situated in Doe Library, I was ecstatic to find a space to work on my creative projects. From that day forward, I regularly attended the Makerspace Drop-in Hours, nearly every day it was open. Without the resources and people working at the Makerspace, I would have been unable to complete my cosplay project from Perfect Blue, a psychological thriller anime from the 90’s. I submitted my costume to Anime Los Angeles’s Masquerade contest where my partner and I won a judge’s award.

Even after completing my work, I still attended the Makerspace to hone my skills in other creative forms, such as crocheting. After such a positive experience with the community in the Makerspace, I decided to apply as an Undergraduate Library Makerspace Fellow because I wanted to instill the same creative opportunities and community-building for other students interested in art.

As a Library Fellow, I have enhanced many of my skills and learned new ones, from graphic design to making vinyl stickers using the Silhouette Machine. I would not have realized that learning new art forms isn’t as time-consuming and daunting when people have the materials and guidance they need. One of my favorite feelings is when students are impressed with their work at the end of a workshop we put together, and that they will come back and keep learning. The Makerspace has taught me that no skill is too difficult to learn when working with a community that encourages growth and opportunity.

By Ava Gessl, Undergraduate Library Making Fellow, 2024-2025

As I finish the first half of my third and final year as a Library Fellow in the Doe Library Makerspace, I am deeply grateful for all of my experiences both learning and teaching new crafting skills. It has been rewarding to watch the Makerspace grow and have new people coming in every week, either discovering it for the first time or to continue work on ongoing projects. I’ve had the privilege of teaching sewing, crochet, and other crafting techniques, while also learning from students, the new Makerspace fellows, and the Makerspace staff about the challenges and rewards of crafting and teaching.

One of the highlights of this year has been my involvement with the Make of the Month, a series of crafts that my other library fellows and I worked on to prepare materials and instructions for fun and simple crafts on Tuesdays this semester. This opportunity has allowed me to interact with students in a relaxed and informal setting. I enjoyed guiding students through the craft and helping them walk away with something they made. I think the beauty of these workshops lies in their accessibility. They’re perfect for anyone—whether you’re a seasoned crafter or someone who’s just picked up a needle and thread for the first time. People are able to walk into the Makerspace for the first time and get the chance to learn about the space and create something.

However, what I’ve learned about teaching these workshops is that it’s not always as easy as it seems. Behind each session, there’s a lot of planning and preparation that goes into making sure everything runs smoothly. From learning the craft myself to breaking down each step into digestible instructions, there’s an entire process of trial and error. However, each hiccup presents an opportunity to learn from the other library fellows to refine my approach and learn how to better navigate these situations in the future.

One of the workshops I participated in was designing and leading a card-making class. I had the opportunity to design a few new card designs and explore how to make them interactive and fun. One of my favorites was creating a slider card of a cow being abducted by aliens. It was a blast finding new ways to make these cards work and experimenting with different mechanisms to get the sliders to move smoothly. It reminded me how much fun it is to play with paper and explore new ways to create something beautiful and functional. Seeing students want to try my design and lighting up when they completed it was a moment of pride, and it was amazing to share that sense of accomplishment with them.

Another workshop I loved was the Needle Felted Mushroom series. I’ve always been drawn to needle felting, and this workshop gave me a chance to not only teach from experience but also indulge my own creative side. In preparing for this workshop I created three tiny felted mushrooms of different colors and shapes, to display to students the wide variety of creative options needle felting allows. The process of sculpting wool fibers into such delicate, three-dimensional shapes was both relaxing and fulfilling. It was especially fun to watch students get lost in the rhythm of felting, turning simple materials into tiny works of art.

Another key aspect of being a Library Fellow this year has been working more closely with the new cohort of fellows. It’s been an exciting experience to collaborate, share tips, and troubleshoot together. In many ways, teaching is just as much about learning from your students and fellow Makerspace staff as it is about offering instruction. As a team, we’ve spent a lot of time refining our teaching strategies, streamlining workshop materials, and developing a more effective way to guide students through each project. Working together to develop the Make of the Month and monthly workshops has been very helpful in gaining multiple perspectives on how students may want to pursue their crafts and how best to support them.

Looking ahead to my final semester, I’m excited to continue exploring new crafting techniques and working alongside students and other Makerspace fellows. I’ve learned so much over my experience as a Makerspace fellow, and I know there’s still so much more to discover. Each workshop is an opportunity to grow, to connect, and to share in the joy of making something from scratch. The Makerspace has become a place where I feel not only challenged and inspired but also supported by a community of fellow makers who share the same passion for creativity and crafting. I’m grateful to be part of such a dynamic and supportive community of makers. The possibilities are endless, and I’m excited to keep crafting, teaching, and inspiring the next wave of creative minds at Berkeley.