Session 5: Remixing PLIX activities

How would a PLIX activity work in your space and community? Share your thoughts below.

Also check out the PLIX remix guide, and forum posts with the #remix tag. Have you created a remix? We would love to hear about it!

Crafts in general are very popular at my branches, but as my patrons skew older they tend to be averse to anything involving technology. This is why I chose Paper Circuits for my programming bin: it’s a low-floor/high-ceiling/wide-walls activity! I feel it’s simple enough that anyone can participate but complex enough that it’ll be a reward when they complete it. I also love combining art and technology to make the technology more accessible to older patrons (my “spinach in the brownies” philosophy).

We’re doing Paper Circuits tomorrow and Saturday so I will report back how it was received! :partying_face:

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Hi Stefanie, Thank you for sharing your experience here. Paper Circuits is definitely one of my favorite activities because of the low-high tech component. Low cost, no coding, and definitely highly rewarding.

Looking forward to hearing your reflections from your Paper Circuits workshop! Also, I love your “spinach in the brownies” philosophy. I imagine your patrons have a :yum: :face_with_monocle: :scream: :man_dancing: expression, when they experience it.

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@ada that is the same exact reaction sequence my staff had when doing this craft! :joy: Like I said, all but one person’s project lit up on the first try, and if not, they troubleshooted (?) it brilliantly. Yes, they’re librarians, but a few are in the demographic we most often serve (55+, not very tech-savvy or tech-averse) so that was a great gauge to see it in action.

I’ve advised my fellow teammembers to try it with their teams first, so we’ll see how that goes as well!

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That’s so good to hear! Sounds like you’ve been doing a fantastic job facilitating for your staff and patrons.

Hello! I’ve been trying to imagine a remix and having a tough time. One thing I tried out was sort of a remix of the spatial poetry, but instead it would be with landscapes. I was thinking participants could collage a landscape together. I’m iffy about what exactly would be the learning objective. I attached an image of what I made as I was thinking about remixing this. I think it might invite the opportunity to think about foreground, background, and middle ground, but I’m left wondering what extension activity could raise the ceiling for more advanced participants?

I also wonder about remixing paper circuits with vintage photos and weaving in a social studies element to the workshop as well. We could learn about portrait photography of the era and the types of clothes people used to wear, etc.

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Hi @Trisha ,

Thank you for sharing your struggle. Remixing can be difficult when you’re explicitly asked it do it!

Instead, consider how these activities can serve your library. What topics or books are being discussed? What do your library patrons care about? What do you care about that you want to share with others?

Using the activities as a platform for expressing and exploring interests and topics of concern will help engage and encourage learners to do deeper dives.

I love your idea about vintage portraits. There is so much that people can find interesting in them, from, as you’ve said, clothing, to background scenes, to things people did or owned. You can ask people to bring in old photos of their relatives, and do a photo op to compare themselves with their predecessors.

Oh thank you for that idea, ada. I think the group that I’m thinking of would absolutely love to bring in family photos. That is something I’ll totally keep in mind for the future. Thanks!

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I think one way I could remix the (In)visible Self activity is making it more group-friendly and interactive. I live in a dorm, where each floor is pretty small and we are always trying to find ways to get people to connect and share. I was thinking that having some sort of poster/magnetic board visible on the floor (probably on our bulletin which everyone sees as they exit the elevator) where people can choose from different magnets or stickers to express their overall mood that day. I think it would be a great way for people on the floor to anonymously express their feelings while maybe finding solace in knowing that others may be having a tough time as well, or feeling happy that their fellow dormmates are experiencing good things.

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