How The Library Helped Melanie Jacobs Grow Her Art Business with Some Purr-fect Buttons

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Thwap. Thwap. Thwap. The button maker sounds through the library’s Tech Central space as Melanie Jacobs presses down on the machine again and again. She aligns her quirky cat illustrations on top of pieces of metal, creating colorful, collectible buttons. For Melanie, that satisfying sound gives her an opportunity every artist wants – more exposure for and more recognition of her art. 

It was just over a year ago that Melanie felt like she was on the cusp of something. She had found her niche; people loved the funny cat illustrations she was creating. She was selling the prints at art shows and markets, and she had recently come up with the name for her art business – Cat Loaf Studios. But she knew she still had room to grow.

Then a friend introduced her to the button maker at the Tech Central Innovation and Maker Lab at the Des Moines Public Library. Melanie, a digital artist who hand-draws everything on a tablet, started putting together a plan: use the art she had already created to make buttons and magnets. 

“Buttons are really good impulse buys,” says Melanie. She notes that many people may not have the space on their walls for a print, or the money to spend on one. “But if they still love your art and want to support you as an artist, a $4 button or $5 magnet is something they don’t think twice about.”

Melanie says there was a small learning curve when it came to operating the button maker. She struggled with getting the sizing right at first and occasionally jammed the machine. But thankfully, library staff were always there to help. “There are always librarians there who are really smart and know how to operate the machinery,” says Melanie. “Everyone I’ve worked with has been amazing. They’re all super nice and helpful.”

Creating buttons at the library also had an immediate positive impact on her business. When she sold them at markets, comic-cons, and festivals, it helped build word-of-mouth buzz for her business. “When people are wearing them around a show, others will ask, ‘Where’d you get that?’ she says. "They think it looks cute and look for me later. It helps spread the brand.”

Melanie’s button-making momentum isn’t slowing down. She has plans to create a button box and wholesale it to the 18 locations that currently sell her art. She’s also constantly testing new button and magnet designs, because you never know which one will catch someone’s eye. She's become pretty proficient at the process too, recently creating 100 buttons in an hour and a half at the Central Library. Now, she's trying out some other aspects of Tech Central, like the sublimination printer. 

“I think it’s great that the library has these resources available. You can try them out and see if they work for you," says Melanie. "You can find out if it’s something worth investing in for your business.”

For Melanie, getting a free library card to use Tech Central has been a game changer, for both her business and her life. Learn more about the Tech Central Innovation and Maker Lab at dmpl.org/tech-central.

Share your own library story! Tell us how you use the library by going to dmpl.org/advocacy.