
Publications
- March, L. & Melo, M. (2021, December 9). It’s Time to Tackle Perfectionism Head-On in the Classroom. Times Higher Education (THE).
- Melo, M. & March, L. (2021, October 11). By the Book: A Pedagogy of Authentic Learning Experiences for Emerging Makerspace Information Professionals. Journal of Education for Library and Information Science (JELIS). DOI: 10.3138/jelis-2020-0046
- Melo, M., March, L. & Hirsh, K. (2021, September 22). Examining the Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Library Makerspaces and LIS Makerspace Curricula. ALISE: The Association for Library and Information Science Education Virtual Conference.
- Melo, M., March, L. & Hirsh, K. (2021, July 15). A Hidden Link to Foster Equity and Inclusion? A Study on the Defining Features of Academic Makerspaces. MIRA: Makerspaces for Innovation and Research in Academics Conference.
- Melo, M. (2020). How Do Makerspaces Communicate Who Belongs? Examining Gender Inclusion through the Analysis of User Journey Maps in a Makerspace. Journal of Learning Spaces, 9(1).
- From Needs Analysis to Power Analysis: A Framework to Examine and Broker Power in Makerspaces. Re-making the Library Makerspace: Critical Theories, Reflections, and Practices. https://doi.org/10.17615/jmes-rx78 (2019).
- Melo, M. (2019). Developing LIS Curricula for Information Professionals in Library Makerspaces. ALISE 2019 Proceedings.
- Melo, M., Bentley, E., McAllister, K. S., & Cortez, J. (2019). Pedagogy of Productive Failure: Navigating the Challenges of Integrating VR into the Classroom. Journal for Virtual Worlds Research, 12(1).
- Melo, M. (2018, May 3). Pedagogical Violence and the Power of Language. Hybrid Pedagogy. ISSN 2332-2098.
- Melo, M. (2018). Knotty Cartographies: Augmenting Everyday Looking Practices of Craft and Race. Craft Research, 9(1), 59-74.
- Nichols, J., Melo, M., & Dewland, J. (2017). Unifying Space and Service for Makers, Entrepreneurs, and Digital Scholars. portal: Libraries and the Academy, 17(2), 363-374.
Products of Engaged Scholarship
Images & Photographs
Data Physicalization Artifact Showcase: Inclusive Information Services for Diverse Populations
Symposium on Information for Social Good – April 14, 2021
Each data physicalization artifact and contains a video and Spark page that details the making process and rationale governing each piece. For more context, please refer to the assignment. Artifacts center on a range of topics such as gender representation in LGBTQ+ YA novels, textbook prices and food insecurity, and restorative justice.
These pieces were presented via a virtual presentation and viewers were encouraged to leave digital feedback.

Maker Culture Counternarratives: Bibliocircuitry Project Showcase 2020
This project is a reflective design challenge: how can we punctuate the familiarity and ordinariness of a book? This project was inspired by Hancock et al.’s term, bibliocircuitry: the use of “physical books as platforms for experimenting with computation” (78). Students both disrupted and extended dominant narratives around maker culture through the creation of a book artifact that tells a (counter)story. Specifically, each artifact has the following features:
- A clear focus on a maker (broadly defined as it should be)
- The artifact either tells a story, displays a scene, captures a feeling, etc. Students were encouraged to be as literal or figurative as they’d like.
- The thoughtful and intentional integration of at least 3 of the following technologies: 3D printing, laser cutting, augmented reality, paper crafts, circuits, micro-controllers.
- Students were encouraged to incorporate previous skills to count for one of the technologies used in this project.
Over the course of several weeks, students from Maggie Melo’s INLS 690: Information Professionals in the Makerspace course used their newly learned technical skills (e.g. laser cutting, 3D printing, augmented reality, etc.) to transform books into new, tech-infused stories. They showcased their work at “Old Books, New Stories: Storytelling with Tech-Infused Books” on Oct. 16, 2019 in Wilson Library. Photo credit: Katherine Perales
The UA Women’s Hackathon (formerly known as the Women Techmakers Tucson Hackathon) is an annual hackathon for women and non-gender binary participants. It is the first hackathon of its kind in the Southwest. These photographs were taken between 2015 and 2019.