Makerspaces: Aotearoa New Zealand: September 2017

Saturday, 30 September 2017

Weekend Watch: Gaming Terrain with Vee, The Crafting Muse

Get inspired to make amazing fantasy gaming terrain with The Crafting Muse.

The post Weekend Watch: Gaming Terrain with Vee, The Crafting Muse appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2xFw5WX
via IFTTT

Friday, 29 September 2017

Tips of the Week: Rolling Epoxy Putty in Flour, Cooling Plastic-Drilling with Water, Clever Uses of Black Hot Glue

A week of top tips for drilling, tapping, pressing, and rolling out epoxy like it's bread dough.

Read more on MAKE

The post Tips of the Week: Rolling Epoxy Putty in Flour, Cooling Plastic-Drilling with Water, Clever Uses of Black Hot Glue appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2fXhPhR
via IFTTT

Welcome to the Maker Culture in Turkey

Istanbul's featured Maker Faire is sure to be a wonderful experience.

Read more on MAKE

The post Welcome to the Maker Culture in Turkey appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2x2dch9
via IFTTT

Prank Your Friends with This Chirping, Blinking Throwie

This tiny circuit will annoy friends and family with its piezo buzzer that makes unwanted sounds, and an LED that will blink in the wee hours of the night.

Read more on MAKE

The post Prank Your Friends with This Chirping, Blinking Throwie appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2woBSfE
via IFTTT

Casa Jasmina Explores the Meaning of the Maker Home of the Future

Upstairs from the Torino Fab Lab, Casa Jasmina is a home where objects and services are made by open source, maker-style methods.

Read more on MAKE

The post Casa Jasmina Explores the Meaning of the Maker Home of the Future appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2hzqriz
via IFTTT

Thursday, 28 September 2017

How to Age and Distress Wood

A few quick video primers on how to weather, age, and beat up wood for an antique look.

Read more on MAKE

The post How to Age and Distress Wood appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2fBYpm6
via IFTTT

Edible Innovations: Text This Machine and It Will Get You a Coffee

Matthew Oswald is an innovator who's responsible for creating Mugsy, the world’s first hackable, customizable, robotic coffee maker.

Read more on MAKE

The post Edible Innovations: Text This Machine and It Will Get You a Coffee appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2xI7IGY
via IFTTT

Late @ the Library: Ultimate Maker Party

by Ann Miller, Makerspace Coordinator at Mead Public Library

Imagine a gorgeous Friday evening in July. You’ve just finished your long work week, and you are ready to mingle with friends and relax. Where do you go?

To our complete delight, the answer turned out to be Mead Public Library. For months we planned our first adults-only, after hours program. We set a steep attendance goal for ourselves of 50-100 participants, and we acknowledged that starting on a Friday night in summer was a huge gamble, but we were game for the challenge.

The program was Late @ the Library: Ultimate Maker Party, and it was the beginning of a new series for us. We offered making activities that were tech and craft, and we invited some of our neighbors to help.

The event began at 6:00 pm, and we had a line at the front doors waiting to get in. The mood was set with upbeat popular hits from the 1980s, 1990s, and early aughts and the tantalizing aroma of tapas and sangria-like punch by Luz de Luna, a local Spanish restaurant.

We set the activities along a designated path between our first and second floors. As guests were greeted at the front, they were invited to make their own souvenir Late @ the Library button pin before entering the first room which contained the food, virtual reality play, and a wheel of activities that could be spun if they couldn’t decide what to do first.

The path next led to the Red Raider Robotics team, who had competed at the FIRST Robotics WORLD competition. They demonstrated and allowed test driving of their team-built robot, as well as taught color coding with our Ozobots and managed our Sphero obstacle course.

Photo courtesy of Josh Lintereur.

Our 2nd floor offered tables for making artbots, paper flowers and bling magnets, catapult building and launching, Lego construction, and a giant mural for coloring. The Imaginarium, our makerspace, featured rock painting with Becky Bickner of Sheboygan Rocks! and the creation of plant pets, sock creatures that sprout seeds, with Allissa Montgomery of Bookworm Gardens.

At the end of the path was our Circuit Playground which was managed by Tim Pasche and his volunteers from MAKER Break and the Étude Group. In this room you could watch 3D printer demonstrations while experimenting with littleBits, Makey Makey, LilyPad, Arduino, Lego Mindstorms, and Raspberry Pi practice kits. By the end of the evening a Lego Wall-e was zooming around greeting guests while they tried their hand at the Makey Makey banana piano.

When the day was done, we were elated to discover that our goal of 50-100 attendees was exceeded by the whopping turnout of 168 people. Not only that, attendees stayed for the entire evening to try nearly everything and to simply laugh and converse while they were making.

We were packed with makers age 18 through retirement, but nothing felt rushed or crowded. Everyone was there to have a good time. A few even shared that it was their date night and that they hoped we would do this again. We were especially excited that we had a lot of 30-somethings in attendance. For us, that age group is a demographic that we struggle to attract to our programs.

The only major issue that we had was due to playlist playing problems. I was forced to improvise by playing the music off of my old and not fully charged iPod through our PA system. This led to my device announcing, “Battery low”, when the music stopped at 9:00 pm. The message was laughed at by all and turned out to be a perfect way to announce that the evening had come to its end.

from Library as Incubator Project http://ift.tt/2fsA1zi
via IFTTThttp://ift.tt/2yak50b

Wednesday, 27 September 2017

Curious and Curiouser: Romance in the Glasshouse

by Rebecca Hopman

The Rakow Research Library’s current exhibition, Curious and Curiouser: Surprising Finds from the Rakow Library, explores themes of surprise, curiosity, and inspiration in the library. One of our main goals for the exhibition was to show the many ways the Rakow Library has been used as an incubator, and to inspire visitors to see it as a place they can be creative.

Many people who visit the Library expect to find scholarly and technical information, but few realize that we also have a fiction collection. Because our mission is to collect comprehensively on the subject of glass, we include fiction that deals with glass and glassmaking. You can find books like Glassigator by Dan and Allison Dailey, Shadows in the Glasshouse by Megan McDonald, and The Glass-Blowers by Daphne du Maurier among many others on our shelves.

We even have several romance novels, including The Glassmakers Saga. Written by Donna Baker (a penname for British romance novelist Lilian Harry), this trilogy follows the lives and loves of the Henzel family of glassmakers.

Baker first decided to write about glassmakers when she saw the “glowing red-hot furnaces” of the Stuart Crystal glasshouse in Stourbridge, England. “The sight was so dramatic that it immediately caught my imagination,” she recalls. She went back to that glasshouse several times to see the glassblowers at work, and spent much of her time going through primary sources like 19^th-century trade journals to set the scene for her stories.

Crystal and Black Cameo, the first two books in the series, take place in Europe, but Chalice, the final book, brings the Henzels across the Atlantic to Corning, NY. Known as the Crystal City for its high production of American Brilliant Cut Glass, Corning became home to many early 20^th-century immigrants talented in cutting and engraving glass.

Baker traveled to Corning to familiarize herself with the town and its rich history of glassmaking. She “walked the streets for miles, traced the route of the Monkey Run* and visualised the effects of the great flood of 1872.” She spent time in The Corning Museum of Glass and spoke with a local historian. And, of course, she spent time researching local glass industry history at the Rakow Library. Baker used many resources at the Library, including histories of Corning cut glass firms, biographies of local glassmakers, and historical sketches of the town and county.

You could say that Corning, its residents, and the Rakow Library served as one big incubator for Baker’s work. She would certainly agree – “All of this informed and inspired my own work and, I hope, resulted in a book which even the residents of Corning could enjoy!”

Laura and Erinn were super excited to discover the series when they visited the Museum in 2015

Curious? Learn more about the exhibition by reading the monthly posts published on the CMoG blog and the LAIP blog, and follow us on social media at @corningmuseum.

*Monkey Run is a conduit for rainwater that was built to prevent flooding of the town and glass factories.

This post is shared here with permission from the CMOG and the Rakow Research Library.

Rebecca Hopman is the Outreach Librarian at The Rakow Research Library of The Corning Museum of Glass. She has worked in a number of libraries and archives since 2005 and received her MLS from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2012. When she’s not at the library, you might find her embroidering, writing snail mail, or cheering on the Chicago Cubs. Follow her on tumblrextabulis.tumblr.com.

from Library as Incubator Project http://ift.tt/2k2YPDp
via IFTTThttp://ift.tt/2y7v2zx

Tuesday, 26 September 2017

Quick Modeling Tip: Sprue Makes Great Greeble!

Turn plastic sprue material into cool-looking details on your models.

Read more on MAKE

The post Quick Modeling Tip: Sprue Makes Great Greeble! appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2fPhONd
via IFTTT

When Things Start to Gossip and Other Computational Matters

What are the implications of our devices exchanging information about our identities, abilities, and actions? They're all quite the gossip.

Read more on MAKE

The post When Things Start to Gossip and Other Computational Matters appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2wREPtp
via IFTTT

Maker Pro News: Foodtech Founders, 3D Printing on the Factory Floor, and More

Maker pros in both the food and 3D printing fields worked hard last week in prep for World Maker Faire New York.

Read more on MAKE

The post Maker Pro News: Foodtech Founders, 3D Printing on the Factory Floor, and More appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2ypS9BC
via IFTTT

Edible Innovations: This Designer Created a Chocolate Mold from a Wine Box and Vacuum

Sebastian is a food designer and entrepreneur. He's recently crafted a new type of chocolate that has been molded to look like mountains.

Read more on MAKE

The post Edible Innovations: This Designer Created a Chocolate Mold from a Wine Box and Vacuum appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2y6nRYk
via IFTTT

#IArtLibraries | Music History: The Chuck Brown /Go-Go Archive at DC Public Library

This post originally appeared on the Library as Incubator Project in August 2012.

by Erinn Batykefer

As any music buff knows, a light went out this past May when Chuck Brown, the “godfather of Go-go,” died at Johns Hopkins Hospital at the age of 75. Go-go is something of a DC phenomenon; the genre developed in the 70s and has evolved into a hip-shaking blend of funk, R&B, and early hip-hop that relies on jam grooves and call-and-response vocals, with notable artists like The Young Senators, Black Heat, and of course, Chuck Brown and The Soul Searchers.

This photo was taken on September 15, 2010 in Mount Vernon Square, Washington, DC, US, using an Apple iPhone. Via Flickr user, Burnt Pixel.

Go-go still thrives as a regional form in the DC Metro area. It is inextricably linked to the history and culture of the city, and Chuck Brown is acknowledged as its driving creative force. So it makes sense that the DC Public Library has big plans to memorialize Chuck Brown with a one-of-a-kind archival collection that will be part of their Washingtoniana Special Collection.

According to Washingtoniana Archivist Derek Gray, DCPL’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library is in the midst of a massive 40th birthday party this week, and festivities will include some outreach for the growing collection of Chuck Brown / Go-Go ephemera:

“The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library will be celebrating its 40^th anniversary from Tuesday, August 21 to Saturday, August, 25. The closing event for the celebration will be a 70s-style family block party. I plan to speak briefly about the Archive; Jimi Dougans, founding member of the Young Senators, will also speak about his group and Go-go’s cultural impact on the city. We’ll have a table set up to accept donations of materials related to Chuck Brown and Go-go, and hopefully this latest outreach effort will be successful!”

Want to get involved?

Learn how you can contribute to the Chuck Brown/Go-Go Archive:

May 29th Press Release from DCPL | Library Seeks Public’s Help Creating Chuck Brown Archive
Share Your Memories | Contribute to the DCPL Go-Go Archive

And stay tuned for updates on this #libraryasincubator collection in the future!

from Library as Incubator Project http://ift.tt/1xSGgmb
via IFTTThttp://ift.tt/2xIfEJ1

Monday, 25 September 2017

5 Super-Useful 3D Printable Tools

Actually useful, everyday tools that you can print from any 3D printer.

Read more on MAKE

The post 5 Super-Useful 3D Printable Tools appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2wRT24G
via IFTTT

Math Monday: Marbinary Counter

counting marbles, with math!

Read more on MAKE

The post Math Monday: Marbinary Counter appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2xuOZgz
via IFTTT

Two New Trotbots Mean More Agility And Cheaper Builds

Adding toes makes a huge difference in how these multi-legged TrotBots can move. They are now much faster than they were before.

Read more on MAKE

The post Two New Trotbots Mean More Agility And Cheaper Builds appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2xzCtxQ
via IFTTT

Keep Your Cabinets Secure with a Touch-Sensitive Lock

Keep the contents of your cabinets secure from your children with this touch-sensitive lock that is hidden in plain site.

Read more on MAKE

The post Keep Your Cabinets Secure with a Touch-Sensitive Lock appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2xuW9RX
via IFTTT

Sunday, 24 September 2017

Maker Faire Producers from Across the Globe Convene at Maker Faire New York 2017

Producers from across the global network of Maker Faires glean all kinds of inspiration and hard skills at Maker Faire New York 2017.

Read more on MAKE

The post Maker Faire Producers from Across the Globe Convene at Maker Faire New York 2017 appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2yyMFoJ
via IFTTT

This Week in Making: Visit World Maker Faire New York, Make a Smarter Home, and More

This week, we travelled to New York for World Maker Faire. Be sure to catch up on all the exhibits via our live blog and live stream.

Read more on MAKE

The post This Week in Making: Visit World Maker Faire New York, Make a Smarter Home, and More appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2ylUo8X
via IFTTT

Saturday, 23 September 2017

Arduino Widens Wireless Offerings With Two New Boards

Today at World Maker Faire New York, Massimo Banzi took stage to unveil two new Arduino boards, the long-range radio (LoRa)-equipped MKR WAN 1300 and the cellular-capable MKR GSM 1400.

Read more on MAKE

The post Arduino Widens Wireless Offerings With Two New Boards appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2xYHKAs
via IFTTT

Dremel Announces 40 Watt Laser Cutter

Dremel enters the laser cutter market with very nice looking machine.

Read more on MAKE

The post Dremel Announces 40 Watt Laser Cutter appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2xvdZWu
via IFTTT

Josef Prusa Announces New Prusa i3 MK3 at Maker Faire New York

Prusa Research has launched their new 3D printer the MK3 at Maker Faire New York and we have a review of an early unit.

Read more on MAKE

The post Josef Prusa Announces New Prusa i3 MK3 at Maker Faire New York appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2wNPd07
via IFTTT

Slinging Pies: The Winner of Our 2016 Maker Faire Pizza Oven Giveaway Checks In

For anyone who dares to try making it, pizza is more than food. It’s a time-honored quest that promises challenge and frustration and, most importantly, a sense of delight that transcends bodily nourishment. Building my own outdoor brick pizza oven was a fun and fitting way to start a journey […]

Read more on MAKE

The post Slinging Pies: The Winner of Our 2016 Maker Faire Pizza Oven Giveaway Checks In appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2wHBOeR
via IFTTT

Live Updates from Maker Faire New York

Not in New York for Maker Faire? Check back here often for live updates from the ground as we rove the fairegrounds in search of robots, sawdust, bubbles, fire, and magic. SATURDAY: It is early and bright and breezy here in Queens as Maker Faire kicks off. Gates open at 10am, […]

Read more on MAKE

The post Live Updates from Maker Faire New York appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2jQzGLO
via IFTTT

Friday, 22 September 2017

Tips of the Week: Epoxy Palettes, Magnets in the Shop, Making Your Own Solder Flux

A fine week of solder, glue, flux, and paint tips. And how to use magnets in the shop.

Read more on MAKE

The post Tips of the Week: Epoxy Palettes, Magnets in the Shop, Making Your Own Solder Flux appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2wNdFio
via IFTTT

More Computer Science isn’t the Answer

Whenever we encounter some exciting new technology, the first question we ask ourselves is how do we use this to make the world a better place?

Read more on MAKE

The post More Computer Science isn’t the Answer appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2xuf7Ke
via IFTTT

Makers Lend a Hand in the Wake of Hurricane Harvey and Prep for Maker Faire Houston

Houston's first fully featured Faire takes place next month on October 22 and 23, with a special emphasis on humanitarian aid for hurricane victims.

Read more on MAKE

The post Makers Lend a Hand in the Wake of Hurricane Harvey and Prep for Maker Faire Houston appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2xWfI8F
via IFTTT

Can’t Make it to Maker Faire New York? Don’t Miss Our Live Stream!

If you're not in New York, you can still get the Maker Faire experience by tuning in to our live stream on YouTube!

Read more on MAKE

The post Can’t Make it to Maker Faire New York? Don’t Miss Our Live Stream! appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2xWHKkK
via IFTTT

The Man Who Makes Lightning on Demand

Electrical engineer Greg Leyh is no stranger to high voltage. He invites it, measures it, and controls it.

Read more on MAKE

The post The Man Who Makes Lightning on Demand appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2waow6z
via IFTTT

Designing an Adorable Robot and Killing It on Stage to Teach Empathy

How do you teach someone empathy with a life-less robot? It's easy, you just build something cute and then kill it.

Read more on MAKE

The post Designing an Adorable Robot and Killing It on Stage to Teach Empathy appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2xX3VHc
via IFTTT

Thursday, 21 September 2017

Understanding Gas Pump Credit Card Skimmers

SparkFun teams with law enforcement to better understand gas station skimmers and to take evasive action.

Read more on MAKE

The post Understanding Gas Pump Credit Card Skimmers appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2w9fqXG
via IFTTT

These Robotic Friends Teach Kids How to Code

Wonder Workshops' robots Dot and Cue are both valuable tools for teaching aspiring programmers how to code.

Read more on MAKE

The post These Robotic Friends Teach Kids How to Code appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2flbq3e
via IFTTT

Three Women Making Waves on the Colorado Maker Scene

These three women have all had a large impact on their respective maker communities. Meet them all at Maker Faire Denver.

Read more on MAKE

The post Three Women Making Waves on the Colorado Maker Scene appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2wCdvPK
via IFTTT

Edible Innovations: 6 More Food Makers Coming to Maker Faire New York

Here are six more food makers and maker pros that you have to meet if you are going to World Maker Faire New York.

Read more on MAKE

The post Edible Innovations: 6 More Food Makers Coming to Maker Faire New York appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2wJgroB
via IFTTT

Strictly Analog | Developing a Gaming Program at your Library

by Kristy Bowen

Gaming and libraries are often a perfect match. As community gathering spots, libraries offer ample opportunities for members to come together, both for social interaction and intellectual stimulation. Resources and collections fill a great supporting role for games like trivia nights and scavenger hunts. In addition, collections of circulating games, be they analog or digital, can be quite popular, and offer users access to materials they might not have at home. Analog gaming, which requires little in the way of expensive equipment and gaming modules, is a great way to get a lot of programming mileage out of very little money.

Building a Collection of Games

If your library is able to purchase games as a part of your collection development, you are at a distinct advantage. There are, however, other ways to build a collection of games that don’t require a lot of financial investment.

Consider a donation drive. Many people have rarely played and barely used game sets sitting around at home. Ideally they will be completely intact with all parts and pieces included. If you are, in fact, missing any valuable components, it’s an excellent chance to make creative new ones, either by hand or with a 3-D printer. Cards and play money can always be reprinted and laminated if needed.

Thrift stores, estate sales, and garage sales are also an excellent place to pick up board games at a steal and usually have a wide selection of newer and classic games to fill out a collection (sometimes still wrapped in the plastic they came in.)

If you’re wondering where to start, you can begin with some of the classics (checkers, chess, Monopoly, Uno, Yahtzee) and then pick up newer and trendy/ popular games as user interest warrants.

Inexpensive & Creative Programming Ideas

Board, Card, & Tabletop Game Nights

Each semester, The CCC Library kicks off the semester with an Old School Board Game Night that gives students, new and old, a chance to mingle and play games they are most likely somewhat familiar with. You can also organize events around a single game or subject matter, ie. an event featuring different types of Monopoly games with various pop culture themes, or a tournament devoted to word games (Scrabble, Boggle, Scattergories). The community gathering aspect also works well for card and role playing games like Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons and Dragons, particularly since these types of games often have avid and passionate fans that the library can help bring together.

Trivia Nights

Across the country, trivia nights in bars, cafes, and other venues are booming. On any given night in any city, you can find a venue perfect for fine tuning and displaying your wealth of knowledge general (pop culture, science, history) and incredibly specific (The Simpsons, The Walking Dead) Libraries, as centers of information and resources, are the perfect place for the creation and implementation of trivia programming. Columbia College Library’s Gaming Society regularly hosts trivia nights in a variety of focus areas, (horror films, 80’s teen movies) as well as more general specialty areas (Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, Buffy the Vampire Slayer).

Consider your audience and what may be a popular topic. In an academic library like Columbia, you can also work with interest groups on campus and specific classes to develop and participate in trivia areas of expertise. For example, a French Revolution class could host a trivia bowl in the library to test their knowledge against the general campus community to prepare for an exam. You could also pit faculty and students against each other in a variety of subject areas.

You can either garner questions from existing trivia games you may have access to or find questions online (or even better, develop your own questions in areas you or your staff are familiar with). Once you have your subject matter, decide whether your game will be individuals or teams? How many rounds and categories? What will determine the winner?

Scavenger Hunts

Scavenger Hunts are a perfect way to get users exploring the library and what it has to offer. Clues and paths can be wrought among the libraries physical and electronic resources and are an excellent way to get patrons exploring what you have to offer. Scavenger hunts are often a great idea for new library users to get used to using the online catalog, databases, and build familiarity with whatever classification system you use. The hunts themselves can be as simple or as complicated as needed, employing simple trivia (where the clues are straight forward) or advanced puzzles and games that allow patrons to work together or alone to solve the hunt. Such hunts are also great team building and socialization opportunities perfect for orientations and the beginning of the term. The Columbia Library’s ARTCACHE (co-sponsored with the Aesthetics of Research initiative) is an art exhibit and scavenger hunt rolled into one, where participants use a set of clues and trivia questions to find the hidden interactive exhibit. In the Fall of 2016, the library hosted a Search for the Sorcerer’s Stone, a Harry Potter hunt that featured games and puzzles that had to be solved to find the coveted stone.

Murder Mysteries

Murder mystery events are a fun and creative way to highlight library spaces and resources, as well as create interesting and memorable experiences for users. There are many approaches to hosting a mystery, some as simple as purchasing a pre-made “Mystery in a Box” set, some as complex as creating your own custom mystery from scratch. Instructions for creating your own custom event can also be found online with a little googling.

There are also a multitude of ways to play. In some, patrons move through the game based on strategically placed clues to solve the mystery. Others are even more interactive, with participants taking on the part of characters and acting out roles. You can set up the mystery in any way you prefer—singles or teams, as well as determine how tricky your mystery is to solve—red herrings, false leads, etc.

Such mysteries are an excellent chance to get library users comfortable and familiar with your spaces, as well as your databases and other resources. The CCC Library has hosted mysteries that involved clue locations that had to be determined by using the catalog or finding specific pieces of information (or specific locales in the library) to proceed.

Themes can also be great fun. Last spring, we incorporated a baking themed mystery game (The Bundt Cake Bump-Off) into our annual Edible Books event (whose theme itself was “Mysteries”). This year, we hosted an 80’s Horror Themed Prom Mystery and featured costumes, 80’s Music, and a murdered prom queen.

Promotion and Prizes

The CCC Library Gaming Society has done a number of promotions that have had great impact. The Society, initially called “The Gaming Committee” when it was started in 2013, eventually became the “Gaming Society”, a name which invites “members” (ie. all interested persons) to help coordinate and facilitate the events they are interested in seeing happen.

We have also had dynamic partnerships with other entities on campus, most notably the college’s Harry Potter Club, The Muggles, who have collaborated with us on several events related to Harry Potter and other fandoms. In the Fall of 2016, The Gaming Society, co-sponsored GAME ON: A Miscellany of Tabletop, Board and Card Game Art, and exhibit which featured game related visual art on the Library’s 1st & 2nd floor.

This fall, we are implementing a ticket incentive, where both attendance and winning at gaming events will furnish players with arcade style tickets that can be redeemed for prizes of varying sizes throughout the semester. We are also hosting our first every GOOGLE BOWL, a sort of trivia game in reverse, that will land in various spots on campus throughout the semester and offer more chances to win tickets.

Our prizes for gaming events have won the gamut from simple ready-made items like prize baskets of treats to items made in the library using our Maker Lab equipment and other supplies–a creepy doll head trophy plaque for Horror Movie Trivia Night, a customized letter opener (the murder weapon) for the Horror Prom, 3-D Printed Game of Thrones Objects, a themed coloring book for Buffy the Vampire Slayer trivia night. There are also plenty of other ideas that can happen with a little bit more funding—new game giveaways, gift certificates to game stores (brick & mortar or online), Amazon gift cards, etc.

But whatever resources you are working with, with a bit of ingenuity, you can create a thriving and popular gaming series at your library.

A writer and visual artist, Kristy Bowen is an Access Services Assistant at Columbia College Chicago Library and Co-Curator of The Aesthetics of Research, an ongoing project dedicated to exploring the role that libraries and their collections play in artistic process, creative community building, and resource-sharing in the arts.

from Library as Incubator Project http://ift.tt/2xTe4os
via IFTTThttp://ift.tt/2ys132a