This resource includes a document with various relevant links to help libraries and other educators begin to develop board game collections and programs for their users. This document was created by the Brown County Library in Wisconsin, and was shared with permission by Katie Boettcher, Library Staff. The resource also includes presentation slides from a presentation offered by Brown County Library Staff at the Wisconsin Library Association 2022 annual conference.Library staff that are interested in learning more about how to integrate board games into library collections and programming will find plenty of useful links and resources here! Big thanks to the Katie Boettcher and the Brown County Library Staff for sharing these.

These slides are associated with a presentation done about integrating board games in library borrowing collections (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpHfTPBG87Q) that was offered as a part of the Wild Wisconsin Winter Web Conference 2024. The presentation was given by David McHugh (Teaching Faculty Member, UW-Madison iSchool (Wisconsin).Presentation description: "Board games have never been so popular, with immense social, educational, and creative opportunities for libraries.  Join us to learn the key practical considerations for choosing games and organizing game events.  Get up to speed on the vast range of hands-on games, from cooperative problem-solvers to Dungeons & Dragons to Pokémon card tournaments.  Let the games begin!".

This video webinar (about integrating board game collections in libraries) was offered by David McHugh (a member of the Teaching Faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison iSchool; https://ischool.wisc.edu/staff/mchugh-david/) on Thursday, January 24th, 2024, as a part of the Wild Wisconsin Winter Web Conference (https://www.wildwiscwinterweb.com/) 2024.

Presentation Description: "Board games have never been so popular, with immense social, educational, and creative opportunities for libraries. Join us to learn the key practical considerations for choosing games and organizing game events. Get up to speed on the vast range of hands-on games, from cooperative problem-solvers to Dungeons & Dragons to Pokémon card tournaments. Let the games begin!"

Tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) – Dungeons & Dragons being the most popular example - can positively impact the multiple facets of students’ lives: academics, durable skills, social-emotional learning. In Part One of our two part series, let's quest together as we encounter how research supports using TTRPGs in education, explore stories of teachers using TTRPGs in their classrooms, and discover ideas and ways that librarians and the library can play a critical role in making such transformative game-based learning a success.

Before the webinar begins, please complete Slides 3-5 of the “Character Sheet Reflection Tool” (i.e. “Before the Quest”). We will complete the second half (“At the End of the Quest”) of the Reflection Tool at the end of the webinar.

Webinar Date & Time:
Wednesday May 8, 2024 at 3:30 PM EDT

Presenter:
Adam Watson
email: awatson@ovec.org
Kentucky Educators for Role Playing Games website: kyedrpg.com
social media: @watsonedtech and @kyedrpg (#kyedrpg)

Adam Watson has been a Kentucky educator since 2005, starting out as a high school English teacher and became National Board Certified in 2013. In 2014, he was hired at Shelby County Public Schools to be its district Digital Learning Coordinator, where he was a leader in several initiatives, including a 1:1 Chromebook implementation and the launch of Shelby's Profile of a Graduate. In his role at Shelby, Adam also was the lead liaison for the district’s librarians. In 2022, he joined the Ohio Valley Educational Cooperative (OVEC) as a Deeper Learning Design Specialist. Adam is a frequent presenter, PD facilitator, and published writer on innovative education, particularly on the topics of edtech and game-based learning. In 2019, KySTE (the state chapter of the International Society for Technology in Education) named him the Outstanding Leader of the Year. For more on Adam’s educational journey, please visit adamwatson.org.

"As an avid board game hobbyist, I love when libraries include games in their collections. Games are a source of entertainment, social joy, and intellectual challenge. What better place to showcase those things than at the library!

The world of board gaming has exploded in the last few decades, and while this has infinitely improved the hobby, it has also made it much more difficult to organize. If a library wants to craft a truly great board game collection, it has to look beyond merely well-known classics such as chess and Monopoly. Consequently, as the quality of the games in the collection improve, so must the quality of the cataloging.

In this project, I endeavor to showcase how libraries currently manage board games collections as well as offer a few suggestions I have for improvement. " ~Maria Becker, Instructional, Reference, & Research Support Librarian at Rincker Memorial Library.

Website includes CURRENT CATALOGING PRACTICES, COLLECTION MANAGEMENT FAQS, SUGGESTIONS TO IMPROVE BOARD GAME COLLECTION MANAGEMENT, MARC CATALOGING EXAMPLES, and BIBLIOGRAPHY AND FURTHER READING.