The Madera County Library sought to engage visitors with online library programming that didn’t involve sitting down at a computer station. They were looking for a program that could improve literacy in English and Spanish while getting visitors more engaged with their diverse local community as they learn.
The Madera County Library began using Agents of Discovery as a way to increase literacy in a fun and interactive way. They chose this platform because the active outdoor element set it apart from other educational apps. Many families come to the library in search of activities that can help them learn and grow together. They see the Agent Owliv cutout when they enter, and they can then easily scan the QR code (or ask a staff member to get started with the Mission). The library also 3D prints their own prizes to incentivize players to play more Missions.
Expanding Library Learning into the Community
Ignacio Negrete, Desktop Support Technician at Madera County Library, wanted to use Agents as a way to “take visitors beyond the book and connect them to the community.” Visitors start their Agents of Discovery journey at their local library branch with a scavenger hunt Mission. This Mission serves as an introduction to Agents and the library, and encourages players to try an outdoor Mission a couple blocks from the library, which is a bit more challenging.
Taking Advantage of Resources to Save Time
Madera County Library keeps regular visitors engaged by offering a variety of Missions throughout the year. They often create Missions around revolving library exhibits. They also take advantage of the pre-made Challenges Agents of Discovery offers to create Missions about a variety of topics. This can be really helpful for organizations that don’t have much time to dedicate to making Missions. With various themes in library programming throughout the year, applying those themes to the Agents of Discovery Missions helps keep the Mission content fresh so that participants always have something new to experience.
Madera County Library combines Agents of Discovery with Beanstack to enhance their programming. Having Beanstack’s Activity Code linked to the Agents of Discovery Reward Message was a convenience that allowed participants to record their progress in Beanstack as soon as they finished a Mission. Ignacio: “I simply used the capabilities of both systems to work together for an upgrade to a simple passport style campaign.”
“I see Agents of Discovery as a great way to provide asynchronous passive programming. Libraries can create their own Mission Challenges or use pre-made content to get Missions out quickly. Agents of Discovery’s collection of pre-made content saves time to make a little effort go a long way.”
Ignacio Negrete
Desktop Support Technician
Madera County Library