Virtual Variety - Passive Programs Part 1

A riddle shared on our teen Instagram stories @rplteens

Lindy Liedl from the Rice Lake Public Library returns with her monthly column on all things virtual to help you connect with your patrons!

A great way to keep your library Discord server or Instagram active while benefiting from those good stats is to share passive programs on there! I haven’t tried these on Facebook, but it could be worth a try.

What is Discord?

I did a previous post on how to make a library Discord, but to summarize that, it’s mainly a fun virtual space. Mostly geared towards teens and adults to chat and share photos. Discord also features some video/voice calling capabilities like Zoom for virtual programming all–in one place! Only those with a linked invitation to your server can join.

Passive Program: Riddle Days!

Our teens have really enjoyed guessing the answers to riddles virtually as a passive program. If not teens, your adult following on social media might enjoy this too! Once a week, I’ll share a riddle and then sit back and watch the speculation or check back later. We track how many people interact with the question, and at the end of the day–or once school lets out–I reveal the answer and send anyone who guessed correctly a little trophy emoji.

A riddle post created in Canva and shared on our Discord server.

I’ve thought about providing small prizes, but so far they get enough satisfaction just from being right. There’s usually one pro who guesses it right away, but sometimes their responses are funnier or more clever than the actual answer. It’s interesting to see where their minds take it. 

Riddles are easy to find, either on Pinterest or via a Google search. I try to aim for ones that have a funny answer and aren’t too easy/well known. 

More virtual passive program ideas coming next time!