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Addlestone Library is open to the College of Charleston community and affiliates via card access. Visitors may access Addlestone Library Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm, and must present a government issued ID and sign in upon entry.

Buttons: Home

How to Guide for using the CofC Libraries Button Maker!

Button Makers for Checkout!

The library has three button maker kits available for checkout.  Each kit contains one American Button Machines button maker (1", 2.25" or 3"),  one adjustable circle cutter that has been pre-set for each size button maker (no fiddling required) and one cutting plate.


American Button Machines

Button Maker Guidelines

Button Maker Guidelines

  • The button maker can be checked out for 3 days by College of Charleston groups, departments, staff, faculty and students. Checkout requests are mediated by the library and will require approval before a reservation request can be confirmed.
  • The user/group/department is responsible for purchasing their own button maker supplies, so please plan accordingly when making reservations. Only use library approved supplies within the button maker. It is not compatible with most supplies found online or in craft stores.
  • Supplies can be purchased online at American Button Machines. See supply list for purchase URLs for button maker kits by size.
  • Buttons are intended for College sponsored events/activities.
  • Avoid using images under copyright when creating buttons. A listing of royalty free image sites is located on the "How To Make Buttons" page.
  • Please do not attempt to clear any jams or issues on your own. If you run into issues, please contact the library for assistance. The user/group/department is responsible for any damage caused to the machine and any repair/replacement charges.

Button Making Kit Supplies (Consumables)

Image Credits

College of Charleston Libraries Button Designs

  • College of Charleston Libraries button designs were created by Librarian Elena Rodriguez. 

Reserve A Button Maker

Spaces, equipment, resources, and services for curricular activities related to digital scholarship and media creation located in Addlestone Library. 

Digital Projects

Digital Workstations

Mac workstations for media creation, digital scholarship, and DIY activities that support curricular assignments.

Digital Workstations

A Brief History of Buttons


www.buttonmuseum.org

Since pinback buttons were patented in 1896, people have found many ways to express their life events through buttons. We created the Button Museum to show how people commemorated noteworthy times in their lives by creating and collecting these wearable mementos. The words, artwork, printing style, color, and size were the final result of a vision they wanted to communicate or be a part of.