LAST CHANCE for BIG POINTS! Don't miss the AADL BOARD MEETING MONDAY 8/15!

Fri, 08/12/2016 - 10:47am by eli

While you're anxiously awaiting this week's badge drop, and the 6 PM RESTOCKENING of Coffee and Tea, plus the release of 4 COMPLETELY NEW SHOP ITEMS.... we wanted to remind you that NEXT MONDAY, AUGUST 15th, is your LAST CHANCE this summer to get totally HUGE POINTS by attending a meeting of the AADL BOARD OF TRUSTEES!

It's exhilarating, we know. But if you come to the 4th floor of the Downtown Library by 7 PM on Monday, August 15th, you'll find a 500-point code with a 250-point badge bonus JUST FOR SHOWING UP, plus a staggering 1000-point code with a 500-point badge bonus for MAKING A PUBLIC COMMENT TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES! That's 2,250 points just for TELLING YOUR VERY OWN ELECTED OFFICIALS WHAT YOU THINK!

An opportunity like this won't come around again, until next summer that is, so come to the 4th floor of the Downtown Library by 7 PM to make a public comment! There are opportunities for comment at the beginning and at the end of the meeting, and the board president will ask if there are any Public Comments. You don't have to say much, but you have to approach the podium to see the code!

Hope to see you all there, and THANKS FOR PLAYING!

Badge Drop #8 Is Here To Push Your Buttons!!

Fri, 08/05/2016 - 6:48pm by nicole

There's a button for everything nowadays. Have you run out of detergent? THERE'S A BUTTON FOR THAT! Can't find your keys? THERE'S A BUTTON FOR THAT TOO! Is your dog like, "Hey, human, you have basically one job and that is to put FOOD into my MOUTH so WHERE'S MY DINNER?" There are at least 60 BUTTONS IN THE WORLD that will SOLVE THAT PROBLEM! (Probably. We don't have any actual evidence, but that's gotta exist somewhere, right?)



So let's just imagine for a moment that RIGHT HERE in Summer Game Headquarters there is a BUTTON that, when pressed, drops somewhere between 2 and 2,000 pounds of RIDDLING, PUZZLING, GAMIFIED awesomeness into your lap. Ready?



We're readying the GIANT, ANIMATRONIC BUTTON-PUSHING HAND...



We're holding it over the GREAT, GLOWING, SLIGHTY-RADIOACTIVE-LOOKING BADGE-PRODUCING BUTTON...



(Is the suspense killing you? It's killing you, isn't it?)



AAAAAAAAND PUSH!



Oh jeez. LOOK OUT BELOW!!!

SEE?! Wasn't that SATISFYING?! And while we're making up IMAGINARY BUTTONS and throwing around UNSUPPORTED FACTS all willy-nilly, let's imagine a few more!!



THIS button lights up all the badges about DINOSAURS and DEEP SEA CITIES and DANCING COWBOYS! It's a feast for the eyeballs! THAT button makes all the badges that require SOME SORT OF LEG-MOVING ACTION spin around in DIZZYING CIRCLES! Hooray for queasiness! And the HUGE, WHITE button shaped like a TOILET produces HUGE, WHITE arrows that point to all the badges about POOP!



Ah. So, just the one then.



And THIS button....well, uh, we're not totally sure what that button does yet--either it will give you ALL THE CODES FOR EVERY BADGE...or it will launch you into space. In either case, EXCITING OUTCOMES AND TOTALLY WORTH IT!



And don't forget about the ALL-NEW-SUMMER-GAME-PRIZE-GETTING button! Since it's FRIDAY that button will soon be lit up in the shape of AADL'S MAGNIFICENT LOGO and just waiting to be pushed by POINT-WIELDING GAMERS! Remember, new prizes roll into the Summer Game Shop EVERY FRIDAY!



And if you haven't earned any points or you're a hungry pet dog looking for something to do while your human is frantically looking for their BEEPING KEYS, you can push THIS button right here to GET STARTED!



Have fun pushing those buttons, people (and pets) and...



THANKS FOR PLAYING!!!

Buckle Up, Gamers! Badge Drop #7 Puts the Pedal to the Metal!

Fri, 07/29/2016 - 7:17pm by nicole

Traveling is all the rage during summer. We know it. We're down with the trends. We've been doing a lot of traveling this summer and you've probably been doing a bit of traveling too, right? Traveling through the catalog for codes. Traveling to parks in the hothothot sun for glorious points. Traveling to your Aunt Gertrude's house for dignity-crushing cheek-pinches. And we're sure lots of you have been traveling around your neighborhood and walking into walls and falling off of docks playing a certain game that rhymes with Frokemon Shmo.



We know you're about ready to sit down and take a break and that's cool. Breaks are nice. But you know what's better?



BADGES.



OBVIOUSLY.

So GET UP, gamer! Get out of that SWIVELLY COMPUTER CHAIR, abandon AUNT GERTRUDE'S PLASTIC-COVERED COUCH, pull YOURSELF and your DAMAGED PHONE out of whatever RIVER/LAKE/POND was at the end of that dock, and buckle those seat belts because this game is NON-STOP!



If you look to your right you'll see some brand new ARBOR EXPLORER badges! If you look to your left you'll spot CIV CITY, where the currency is CIVIC ENGAGEMENT and everyone is FILTHY RICH! And if you look right up ahead you'll probably have all kinds of comments to make because this week marks the drop of our COMMENT MASTER BADGES!!! "Whaaaaat?!" you might say! Or maybe "Wooooow!" Or possibly "Oooooooh!" and also "Aaaaaah!" It's really up to you what comments you make--that's the beauty of FREE WILL and THE SUMMER GAME!



Now, the Summer Game might not make any stops, but your LOCAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY is ALL ABOUT making stops and we've teamed up with them to bring you some BUS-A-RIFFIC, TRANSIT-TASTIC badges that will make all of these seat belt references seem ridiculous because BUSES ARE INHERENTLY SEAT BELTLESS.



And since it's Friday you can count on some pretty cool prizes rolling into the Summer Game Shop, so stay tuned for more on that!



Now it's time to get up, get out, and get going!



Happy travels, gamers, and THANKS FOR PLAYING!

AADL & TheRide Summer Game Bonus: Free Ride Fridays In August With Your AADL Library Card

Fri, 07/29/2016 - 8:55am by TimG

AADL and the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (TheRide) are partnering this summer for a fun, new addition to this year’s summer game!

Every Friday in August, AADL cardholders can ride any of TheRide’s local fixed-route buses for free. The only item you need to take out of your wallet is your AADL Library card.
Show the driver your card and ride for free!

While you ride, look for the summer game code sign inside the bus and win 1,000 points to trade in for great Summer Game Shop prizes. It’s easy – there’s only one code to find, repeated on every single bus. When you see it, text the code to 4AADL (42235) or visit play.aadl.org to enter the code and get 1,000 points.

TheRide and AADL have created even more ways to get summer game points:
• Find the code featured on the outside of several buses for 500 points.
• Find the codes at bus stops nearest to any AADL location for 500 points.
• Codes are also hidden on TheRide’s website - TheRide.org.

Find all the codes to earn the Ride Master Badge and a 500 point bonus!

It’s a great way to end the summer – ride TheRide for free, and get points to trade in for excellent prizes at the Summer Game Shop. For more information about TheRide’s buses and schedules, visit TheRide.org

New to the AADL summer game? Last year, there were 5,476 active summer game players who were awarded 85,850 badges and selected 7,227 prizes. Will you be a player this year?

Visit play.aadl.org or text NEW PLAYER to 4AADL (42235) to get started.

Badge Drop #6: Summer Game by the Numbers

Fri, 07/22/2016 - 6:24pm by andrewjmac

You know what Summer Gamers are always saying? They always say that the Summer Game needs more MATH. Sure, it's got BOOKS and MOVIES and MUSIC and TV and COMICS and ART and GOVERNMENTAL MEETINGS, but it rarely has enough HARD, SOLID NUMBERS. Because you know what they say: EVERYONE LOVES MATH. With that in mind, I've decided to bring you a badge drop post that is ALL ABOUT the numbers. I considered scrapping all of these badges in favor of calculus problems, but the other gamemakers convinced me this was just as good.



So let's talk NUMBERS. Just how much have you guys done so far in Summer Game 2016? A multitudinous

5,099 PLAYERS have received

39,909 BADGES and entered

240,160 CODES to earn them

67,511,795 POINTS!



DO YOU GUYS EVEN KNOW HOW MANY EVERYTHINGS THAT IS? We always know we can count on you guys to blow us away, and, yup, you sure have! We did one of these at this very same time last year and the number of points you had earned was a FRACTION of what you've gotten so far this year! For reference, that fraction is approximately 1/2 but I can't be more precise, I haven't got time to reduce fractions. And WHY haven't I got time to reduce fractions? I'VE GOT BADGES TO DROP:

This week has new installments of all of your favorite WEB SEARCH badges, an ARBOR EXPLORER trip to Gallup Park, the premier of the POWERART! series, and a fresh ANN ARBOR STORIES badge about one of the giants of Ann Arbor busking, Shakey Jake! This week also sees the debut of the REVIEW MASTER series. This one is all about what YOU like, so go share your opinions about what was good and bad in the catalog! Remember that if you are going to write a review, try to make it something meaningful that will really help someone figure out if they want to give that thing a shot or leave it on the shelf.



And don't forget that it's FRIDAY, and apart from being BADGE DROP day, it's also SHOP DROP day! New items hit the shop today and every Friday, guaranteed to be festooned with AADL logos! I'm sure there are people who aren't interested in things with the AADL logo, but those people are not us! Let's just say there's no accounting for taste and GET US SOME GREAT SHOP SWAG!



If the numerous badges and a call to review and logo-rific shop items aren't enough to keep you busy, you might see if you can root out a bonus code. There are four words in this blog post that are in italics for NO GOOD REASON. Combine those four to find the name of a band who made an album all about numbers, just like this post. Now's the tricky part: figure out the one digit that DOESN'T appear anywhere in this post and track down the song about it. If you can figure out the name of that song, put it in for your code and get an appropriate bonus!




THANKS 4 PLAYING!

Badge Drop #5: Running Hot and Cold

Fri, 07/15/2016 - 5:33pm by andrewjmac

Boy, isn't summer great? You know my FAVORITE part of summer? The sweltering, oppressive heat that makes you want to die! Don't you just LOVE that? Actually, the only good thing about all that HEAT is coming into the cool, crisp air conditioning. And then when you get too cold (because you are only wearing shorts and a t-shirt and sandals due to the sweltering & oppressive & wanting to die), you can head back out into the heat which, just then, for that split second, feels pretty nice!



We here at Summer Game Headquarters felt that it was our duty to help you come in from the hot and out from the cold as many times as possible this week with BADGE DROP #5, the in-and-outinest badge drop that ever turned down the thermostat!



We've got the premiere of the BRANCH EXPLORER SERIES that sends you to all four library locations around town to search for codes! What could be better than THAT? How about three, count 'em THREE new Arbor Explorer badges! We've got Kerrytown Circuit to help you learn more about one of Ann Arbor's historic neighborhoods! We've got Briarwood Rows, the badge that asks you to hunt around the shopping mall to get codes WHILE YOU BUY SOCKS! Plus, the first in a series of badges that take you to super secret locations around town! This week also has the first badge in HINE'S QUEST that takes you to see the super-cool artwork of Hine Mizushima! First off is a trip to Vault of Midnight and it's definitely worth a visit (as though Vault isn't ALWAYS worth a visit)!



Is it getting HOT in here? Let's head to a Library Board meeting at 6 PM Monday July 18th to beat the heat, share some thoughts at the podium, and earn this year's stupendous Above Board badge, the badge you get for standing up and saying what you think! If you need any further help cooling off, take a dip under the sea and down into The Midnight Zone, smell the salty sea air and relax to the sound of the gulls with Murder Most Fowl (boy, that sounds like a LOT of gulls, doesn't it?), and pray for a summer shower with Singin Through the Pain!!



This week also sees the arrival of the TAG MASTER SERIES! Share your knowledge about library stuff by adding tags to the aadl.org catalog! It helps people find stuff. It also earns you tons of points and badges! Somehow, even with all of that, there're STILL more badges that I haven't mentioned! Let's go to the DROP:

Man oh man that's a lot of badges to earn! Can you do it? And if you do, what will you have to show for it (the answer is pride, pretty badges, a spot on the leaderboard, bragging rights, etc.)? I guess you'll just have a bunch of points...THAT YOU CAN SPEND IN THE TOTALLY STUPENDOUS SUMMER GAME SHOP! Even if you've seen everything in there, remember that every week on Friday there are HOT, NEW ITEMS added that can cover YOU in library logos and fill your life with joy (joy not guaranteed). What's that you say? TODAY is Friday?! Then get over there and get spending! This week's new items include a tiny robot, a singing cube, and the long awaited return of an AADL UMBRELLA!




Jeez, I need a cool glass of lemonade, this is just getting to be too much for me. Just give me a minute to...wait, you're not even still here, are you? You're all off earning badges, aren't you? OF COURSE YOU ARE! Get out there (and in there) and get those badges, players, and THANKS FOR PLAYING!

Badge Drop #4: THE PRIZES ARE COMING, THE PRIZES ARE COMING!

Fri, 07/08/2016 - 6:05pm by Sara W

Oh, hey, game players. What's up? Aw, thanks, I'm pretty good. Actually... I could use your help if you've got a minute. I'm carrying ALL.THESE.BADGES. And I'd hate to DROP THEM.



KERRRRSPLOOOOOOONK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Oh no!!! It's a badge-tastrophe!!!!! Well, now I really need some help. Some help COLLECTING ALL THESE BADGES!!! And who better to tackle this TREMENDOUS task then you, you gaming game players, you! Because these are not just any badges. They are the Muppetiest, Steveniest, National Parkiest, other miscellaneous-thingiest badges we've dropped all summer! We're dropping the first round of Contributor badges. We're introducing a brand new badge series, called Ann Arbor Stories which you will earn by listening to a podcast called, wait for it, ANN ARBOR STORIES. That's right. We can't be stopped!

It's badge drop #4, but who's counting? Oh, you are? Like, as closely as you are counting your points? Well, do you know what you're going to do with all those glorious points? ...Because I may have forgotten to mention that it's SUMMER GAME SHOP WEEK!!!!!!



That's right - the SUMMER GAME SHOP IS NOW OPEN!




Tell your mom! Tell your friends! Tell your cousin! Tell your barber! He'll be like, stop squirming around, kid. And you'll be like, I can't! I have to TELL EVERYONE! THE SUMMER GAME SHOP RIDES AGAIN!!!




So gear up to spend you some points - we've got another amazing, a-crazing selection of bonkers delights! A CUBE that tells TIME! A GLASS made of WONDER! A KITE for your POCKET! And new items coming with EVERY BADGE DROP THROUGH MID-AUGUST! WOW!



So go forth, Summer Gamers and game on! Oh, and might I also just say...




THANKS FOR PLAYING!

P.S. If you want a SNEAK PEEK at some of the forthcoming summer game shop PRIZES visit the DOWNTOWN youth department and look for the DISPLAY case!

Badge Drop #3: MAY THE FOURTH BADGE WITH YOU

Fri, 07/01/2016 - 6:08pm by Sara W

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!!!!! *fireworks* *more fireworks* *ooh, i like the purple ones!* *fireworks again* *hang on, i'm eating a s'more* *fireworks*



What better way to celebrate America's favorite HOT DOG EATIN', FIREWORKS-WATCHIN', FLAG-WAVIN' day than with a BADGE DROP!!?!??!



Today's drop is BADGE-TASTIC. It's BADGE-UTIFUL. It's... THE THIRD BADGE DROP OF SUMMER GAME!!!!

This week brings a CIVIC ENGAGEMENT EXPLOSION with the release of CIVCITY BADGES!!!! There's nothing finer than making Ann Arbor finer, and that's what earnin' those badges does, my friends.



This week also brings us ONE WEEK CLOSER to the opening of the appealing, the appalling, the amusing, the amazing SUMMER GAME SHOP!!!!!!! The Shop opens next Friday, so please plan on going COMPLETELY BONKERS. Glorious, glorious STUFF IS BACK, point people!




Finally, this week brings something else. Something special. Something magical. Something TWICE AS GOOD AS IT WAS BEFORE.




It's the one, the only, the NEW AND IMPROVED AND EXPANDED LEADERBOARD!!!!!!!



Because all you summer gamers out there (especially you, you are my favorite) are not just five hundred good. Oh no. YOU ARE ONE THOUSAND GOOD, and now, SO IS THE LEADERBOARD!!! So lead on, leaders, and today as always...




THANKS FOR PLAYING!

Badge Drop #2: The RE-BADGERING

Fri, 06/24/2016 - 6:42pm by nicole

Can you believe it's only been a WEEK since Summer Game opened and we're ALREADY back for ROUND TWO???



Clearly we're NUTS, but we couldn't be happier because Summer Game has gotten BIGGER THAN EVER this year! Can't you feel the energy of THOUSANDS of code-hunters CLAMORING? Can't you smell the BURNING RUBBER of squillions of RUBBER-SOLED SNEAKERS? Can't you hear the NERVOUS GROANING of the AADL WEBSITE as it processes BAJILLIONS of GAME CODES??



Well if you can't hear that, how about the sound of a bunch of NEW BADGES dropping like a ton of bricks? Wait for it.

WHUMPF.



There it is. Isn't that a nice sound?



This week marks the drop of one of the most IMPORTANT badges of the summer--JOSIE'S BADGE! For those of you who don't know, that's your LIBRARY DIRECTOR'S badge and it's located in your LIBRARY DIRECTOR'S office, so DIRECT yourself to the Downtown LIBRARY to get the oodles of points that this badge is worth!




On top of that, we're rolling out more, more, MOAR of your FAVORITES! MOAR DINOSAURS! MOAR TROUBLESOME TRAINS! MOAR VIDEO GAMES! MOAR PARKS! And this badge drop also features the first of this year's ever-so-popular ARBOR EXPLORER badges so that you can get out and get some sun as you explore your INCREDIBLE TOWN!




And DON'T FORGET: the VERY LAST TOP OF THE PARK that AADL is hosting happens THIS SUNDAY, so stop by the AADL tent at TOP to get a code worth 500 POINTS! In the meantime, don't forget to TAG, RATE, REVIEW, and HUNT for those codes hidden around the libraries and in the catalog! And if you're just jumping in, make sure to stop by our GET STARTED page to find out what's what!



With SO MUCH to do and see this week, it would be a CRIME to make you wait even one more second so, see you next week and...




THANKS FOR PLAYING!

Badge Drop #1 COMING IN HOT!!!

Fri, 06/17/2016 - 6:26pm by nicole

Oh, hey guys. How's it going? How ya been? How's your family? Your pets doing okay? Is the weather nice where you are?




That's nice.




Now that we've gotten the pleasantries out of the way...




IT'S TIME FOR THE VERY FIRST BADGE DROP OF 2016!! And we're pretty sure you're all ready to COMBUST, so let's skip the small talk and get right down to BUSINESS! Because as you all know SUMMER GAME is the most SERIOUS BUSINESS out there and we're laying it on you IMMEDIATELY RIGHT NOW! PREPARE FOR TAKEOFF!

WOW. I mean, look at those BADGE-TO-THE-BONE badges just waiting to get EARNIFIED! To be RECEIVERATED! To be ALL-LIT-UP-ON-YOUR-BADGE-PAGE-ERIZED!




This very first badge drop brings you ALL the goodness you've come to know and love! Badges about DAHL, DINOSAURS, and DANGEROUS TRAINS! Badges about MUPPETS and NARWHALS and WITCHES!




But this year we're also bringing you a WHOLE NEW, BETTER-THAN-EVER badge-getting EXPERIENCE! Now each badge series comes complete with its very own DIFFICULTY LEVEL, for those of you who like to take it nice and easy, or for those of you who are SO EXCITED that your brains have LOST THE ABILITY TO CAN. Difficulty levels are marked by handy-dandy QUESTION marks, from one to four and NOTHING MORE because anything higher would be ROCKET SCIENCE.




And not only that, but BADGES THEMSELVES have been given levels of their own! You never know when one of those badge series might have a ROGUE BADGE that's just a bit harder or easier than the rest, so check the badge levels to find a badge that works for YOU!




What this all means is that now you can decide just how INTENSE you want your Summer Game to be!




Now, if you have NO CLUE, what's going on (maybe you're just wandering around on the regular aadl.org site and you are ALARMED by the amount of CAPS LOCK you see), head over to the GET STARTED page for clarification and possibly even SNACKS*!!!




(*There are no snacks.)




PHEW. That's a lot of talking right? Maybe it's time to just get on with it, yes?




...




...




...




Well. What are you waiting for??? GET TO IT and...




THANKS FOR PLAYING!