When it comes to summer programming, creativity is key—and Texas libraries are proving that artificial intelligence (AI) can be a powerful tool for bringing big ideas to life without stretching small teams too thin.

This summer, two libraries—North Angelo Branch Library in Tom Green County and Pasadena Public Library near Houston—are showing how AI can do more than write papers or generate images. It can help libraries craft immersive experiences that draw patrons in, encourage exploration, and make learning feel like an adventure.

Tom Green County Library: An Immersive Adventure Spanning Three Library Branches

At the North Angelo Branch, Librarians Chelsea Preas and Cayddrick Ballard have turned a fun idea into a full-scale interactive adventure game that spans all three branches of their library system. Now in its second year, this year’s program, The Amazing Race: The Colorful Lost Legends of the Libraries, invites families and friend groups to travel from branch to branch, complete creative tasks, and uncover nine original “legends” along the way.

They were also inspired to create programming that would involve all branches of the county library. “We have three wonderful libraries and we do separate summer programs that are great, but the branches are all kind of in their own bubble,” Ballard said. “We came up with the idea of doing a program involving all three, and that’s how the amazing race idea was born. It would take place over three days so you could visit all three libraries.”

The heart of the program is storytelling—and that’s where AI comes in.

Ballard drafted each of the colorful legends, inspired by real historical figures and feats, and used ChatGPT to refine the narratives, balance difficulty levels for challenges, and suggest age-appropriate crafts. “I’d always been around computers my entire career business-application wise, but I had never used them creatively in this context.”

One tale features Guillermo Telluride, a fictional explorer based on a real French adventurer who attempted to circumnavigate the Arctic in a hot air balloon. Another tells of Hetty Bellamy, whose story is grounded in historical research and elevated into legend.

To make the experience even more immersive, the team turned to ElevenLabs to generate audio recordings for each story, complete with culturally appropriate voice accents. Ballard said, “There are people who have uploaded French or British accents. We really wanted to make it multicultural and keep the amazing race theme, so having wonderful accents was very important. I just created a short script from the legends I wrote, and AI did the rest.”

Patrons can listen to the legends on their phones before diving into a related hands-on activity—like building a mini hot air balloon that lifts off with a hair dryer. The audio tracks are full of professional touches, including dramatic pauses and nuanced intonation, thanks to the team’s experimentation with basic coding and prompt engineering.

The program is designed to be self-led and scalable, which was a deliberate choice. “ChatGPT acted as our writing partner, editor, and project manager,” said Preas. “It let us stay creative without getting bogged down in logistics.”

And the response? Over 100 people participated in last year’s event, and buzz began building for this year’s edition months in advance. One local news station even covered the event, and library staff across the system make their cases to choose which legends their branches will host. Patrons receive prizes for completion of the race.

The key takeaway? AI didn’t replace the librarians’ creativity—it amplified it. As Ballard put it, “I want AI to do my laundry and dishes so I can focus on art and writing. That’s exactly what happened here.”

The Amazing Race: The Colorful Lost Legends of the Libraries programming will run from June 24-26.

Pasadena Public Library: Solving Mysteries with AI-Powered Clues

At Pasadena Public Library, Community Engagement Manager Steve Zach is also using AI to craft creative programming—this time for grown-ups.

Inspired by the TV show Only Murders in the Building, Zach designed a mystery night event where patrons work in teams of three and interact with other teams to find more information. That game also incorporated plot elements from a mystery novel by best-selling author Laura Childs, which was featured in a Friends group event. A second program was based on Gulf Coast Reads selection “Night Will Find You” by Julia Heaberlin. “The book was partly about belief, science, and misinformation so it worked well for a program that included clues and articles created with AI,” Zach said.

Using ChatGPT, Zach generated character descriptions, red herrings, and clues based on the book. Participants received scenario packets, pieced together alibis, talked to other groups for hidden information, and even interacted with library staff to find information. Along the way, they were introduced to library databases and digital resources, which became part of the mystery-solving process. “It’s a great way to introduce them to other library resources and staff,” Zach said. “It was also a good way for me to learn about AI tools that I hadn’t used before and to show patrons what they do.”

The event demonstrated another great use of AI: building complex programs without starting from scratch. “ChatGPT was helpful in brainstorming and can quickly create documents and character back stories that I could edit,” Zach said. “It enables us to create our own game based on a book or something else we’d like to promote.”

The result? Patrons loved it—and they’re already asking for more.

Whether it’s crafting a globe-trotting adventure or unraveling a book-based whodunit, these two Texas libraries show that AI can be a powerful partner for public programming. The tech helps staff save time, reduce barriers, and lean into the most creative parts of their job: telling stories, making connections, and engaging their communities.

So if you’re a library thinking AI is just for writing essays or generating graphics, think again. With a little curiosity—and a few prompts—you might just create the next great adventure.