Vernon Area Library launches 'Activity Finder'
As libraries, museums and theaters closed their doors to support social distancing, many opened up an unprecedented level of public access online.
A flood of performances, presentations and tours became available from your computer, and on the other end was an at-home audience hungry for things to do.
Vernon Area Public Library recognized a need to connect the two. The problem was the volume of offerings.
"It was quickly apparent that we needed to make those options available in a way that wasn't overwhelming," Vernon Area Public Library spokesperson Catherine Savage said. "A massive list or an overstuffed calendar wasn't going to be a friendly solution."
To make this content readily accessible and help people find what interests them most, Vernon Area Public Library developed "Activity Finder," an interactive website at activityfinder.vapld.info.
The "Activity Finder" is an interactive tool that allows users to sort and filter a variety of online offerings in a way that is visual and fun.
"In some ways, it's like browsing a shelf of activities," Savage said.
Tags like performance, exhibit or discussion, and subject areas like animals, history or travel can be toggled on and off. Tabs allow users to narrow offerings by age group, from pre-K through adults. The finder is completely dynamic: as tags are selected, the results appear on the page, making it easy to see what's available.
The finder currently includes more than 125 activities, with more being added all the time.
The inspiration for the "Activity Finder" was National Public Radio's "Book Concierge," an annual interactive reading guide first published in 2013. The mix-and-match tags on the concierge help users find a great book from among the hundreds included in NPR's year-end roundup. Even better, NPR made the code behind its popular tool available for use and adaptation.
Pixel People in Naperville adapted the open source code for the library's use. Library staff contributed their favorite picks from around the web: authors, illustrators, STEM experiments, virtual exhibits and tours, great performances. And the always-expanding tool is now live for everyone to use.
"Libraries curate content. We help the public connect with information, culture and community. The 'Activity Finder' is just a new way of delivering on that mission. It's what our community needs right now," Savage said.
Access the tool anytime at activityfinder.vapld.info. No library card required. And, if you have ideas for additions, click "Suggest an Activity" at the bottom of the finder.
The Vernon Area Library building remains closed at this time. Plans for reopening are in process and will be widely communicated to the public when confirmed.