Previous math-focused programs at the library required registration and involved worksheets, completed while sitting at tables. Program feedback showed the need for an inclusive and accessible modern math program that was interdisciplinary and met the needs of several types of learners. Math Quest is entirely different; it is a drop-in program that occurs throughout the library. Math Quest has changed how students use the library, and is becoming known as an essential program unlike any other.

Math Quest involves video and role playing game language, creating a format for play students recognize and understand. Math Quest is constantly evolving, as staff, volunteers and children regularly submit new ideas for quests online. Math Quest cards are inclusive and were tested with English Language Learners. Math Quest was designed to dispel the speed myth — reinforcing math as a “growth subject,” about learning and not performing — and appeal to girls and boys.

The library has succeeded in offering a high-standard program that reaches more children. From the program’s March 2017 launch to December 2017, 5,983 students attended 659 classes at 18 libraries, a 27 percent attendance increase over 2016. Rare for STEM programs, Math Quest has equal attendance from boys and girls. In 2017, 147 adult and 430 youth volunteers facilitated Math Quest.
Math Quest has attracted interest across North America, and another Canadian library implemented the program.