A few months ago on Programming Librarian, I talked about asking a trivia question as part of your passive programming. Now, I've taken it a step further to create a Trivia Master Challenge that encourages students to search the library’s catalog, explore our nonfiction section, and learn how to search successfully within a book.
Fans of "The Mysterious Benedict Society" (MBS) book series participate in an adventure featuring secret codes, puzzles and riddles. Participants learn Morse Code and how to make decoder rings and hand-made marshmallow shooters.
An escape room was one of those things that I figured was out the question for a library as small as ours. For one thing, we don’t have any separate rooms to lock people into; our entire library is just one large room. Where would attendees escape from? Plus, escape rooms are complex, high-tech and expensive; it would be impossible to pull it off in a tiny library, right? Wrong!
Corning Public Library serves a town of 1,500 in southwest Iowa. There's not a lot in Corning; we are the largest town in our county, the nearest city is a 90-minute drive away.
The library is especially important in communities like ours, as we provide programming that both entertains and inspires. Hosting an Amazing Race program allowed us to entertain our patrons while showing them that they don’t have to travel to find interesting things to do with their friends and families.  Â
As a Neighborhood Champion for Small Business Saturday®, Tamarack District Library organized a scavenger hunt showcasing local businesses and incorporating Shop Small® swag.
The event was held in collaboration with 19 small businesses, including restaurants, retail shops, an artist studio and a grocery store. Participants had a week to visit the businesses, pick up a Small Business Saturday card that the library created for them, and return to the library to collect a prize.
Our library has created a PokĂ©mon marathon event, called a PokĂ©thon, based on the popular PokĂ©mon Go game.Â
Part-geocache, part-hidden exhibit, part-library scavenger hunt, ARTCACHE gives participants an opportunity not only to participate in this interactive exhibit, but also to have some fun, learn more about the library, and brush up on their research and problem-solving skills.
Like many libraries, the University of Dayton Libraries has worked to implement a fast, informative and fun orientation activity to replace the traditional library tour. We started with a scripted, librarian-led tour and scavenger hunt with clues posted around the library. However, this format required both librarian time and a lot of that awkward, backward walking that tour guides do. The scavenger hunt's clues, though clever, required set-up and tear-down time.
