Games @ the Library: Ideas for Your Branch
Board Games / Chess Tournament / Card Games / Role-Playing Games / Trivia / Scavenger Hunt / Video Gaming / Geocaching / Community Outreach / Mix It Up
Consider bringing board games from home, which would otherwise be just collecting dust. Some retailers, like Wal-Mart, will donate returned games to local libraries, or offer libraries discounts. Board games can be set up on tables for kids, teens, or adults to play, for a simple Games@theLibrary event. (Please note: This year APLA will not be requesting game donations from Hasbro Canada).
Chess fans are passionate about the game! Try contacting a local chess club in your area who may loan chess sets or volunteer to help out with your event. The Chess Federation of Canada’s website has contact info for each province.
Choose a card game, such as cribbage or bridge, and have an evening event with refreshments. Library staff may have old decks of cards or cribbage boards gathering dust at home, and cards can also be purchased cheaply at your local dollar store. Especially popular with seniors! You might not think our grand prize, a Nintendo Wii, would interest seniors, but they would likely be thrilled to win it for a grandchild!
Offer local teens or young adults a space to play role-playing games or RPGs. RPGs are games where players take the role of fictional characters. The most well known is Dungeons and Dragons. Contact nearby highschools, colleges, or universities to see if they have any role playing clubs who might be interested in an event at your library. For everything you need to know about hosting an RPG, check out RHPL's Dungeons & Dragons site.
Hold a structured trivia event, with participants forming teams, during lunch hour or afterschool for teens, or a Saturday afternoon for kids. Another option is to have a trivia contest that runs for the entire Games@theLibrary week, in which people can complete a “trivia ballot” (with as few or as many questions as you like) with a winner announced at week’s end.
For trivia question ideas, check out the following websites:
Have a Dewey Decimal or Library of Congress Scavenger Hunt! First, make a list of titles with call numbers. You will need at least 25 titles for a good hunt, and it is best to mix up the order of the titles on each list so everyone isn’t looking for the same book at the same time. Prior to starting the game, hide a rectangle of coloured paper inside each book. Different colours are worth different points (i.e. red is 10 points, blue is 5 points, green is 1 point, etc). Having participants form teams is more fun. Set a time limit, and at the end of the game, whichever team has the most point wins. Another option, for younger children, is to place stickers inside the books.
Your library doesn’t own a video gaming console? No problem! Organizing a gaming event can be easier than you think.
Gaming Without Any Equipment:
Have a gaming event where participants bring their own handheld gaming consoles (Game Boy, Nintendo DS, Playstation Portable). Nintendo DS users can even play together without an internet connection when their consoles are within 30 feet of each other. Participants could also use cell phones, iPod Touch, or iPhones. This would be a great event for teens. If you haven’t tried gaming at your branch yet, this is a perfect opportunity!
For younger kids, have online games ready to play on the library computers. Here are some websites with games for kids:
Try asking staff, family or friends, or a local video game store to loan your library a gaming console for your event. You only need one, but if you anticipate a large turn-out, setting up a second or third gaming station (if possible) will ensure more participants can play. Consider "classic" games, like Atari, which are still popular for their retro appeal, and can be cheaper and easier to obtain.
Don’t Know Anything About Video Gaming?
Does your branch have any teen volunteers who would like to help out with the event? At many libraries, teens help run the gaming programs. There are also great websites that have all the information you need to start gaming:
Geocaching is an extremely popular treasure hunting game played using a GPS, or "global positioning system" device. Hide a geocache in your library! Caches typically consist of a small container filled with a few trinkets. When a cache is found, treasure hunters take one item from the cache and leave something of equal or greater value. For more information visit the official geocaching website.
The event doesn't have to be held in the library! Consider bringing your game event to a senior center or nursing home, community centre, school, or other community organization. Partnering with the community is a great opportunity to promote the library.
Try combining two or more activities. For example, have a board game and card playing area set up with your video gaming event. That way there’s something for everyone.
Do you have an idea? Email juliamayo@nlpl.ca and share!