The Games and Gaming Round Table (GameRT) of the American Library Association provides a venue for librarians interested in the use of games and gaming in libraries of all types a place to gather and share.

The Games & Gaming Round Table (GameRT) of the American Library Association (ALA) provides a venue for networking and collaboration for library workers interested in the use of games and gaming in libraries. GameRT was formed in 2011 and with members from all types of libraries, GameRT encompasses a wide variety of viewpoints, situations, and user types.

The mission of the GameRT is to:

- Provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and concerns surrounding games in libraries;
- Share resources to the library community that support building and maintaining library game collections;
- Advocate for initiating and supporting game programming in libraries;
- Create an awareness of, and need for, the support of the value of gaming and play in libraries, schools, and related learning communities;
- Create an awareness of the value of games and gaming in library outreach and community engagement plans.

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.

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!"

Are you looking for a fun and engaging way to empower your students to become more confident, tackle challenges head-on, and learn perseverance? Explore these standards-based programs with activities that take students through critical-thinking exercises inspired by the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game and its characters. Students and teachers do not need prior knowledge of D&D to use the programs. They just need imagination and a collaborative spirit!

For grades 4-6, and 6-8 (Subject Area: Language Arts, STEAM). Made possible by: Wizards of the Coast

Website includes lesson plans, a "Field Guide to Dragons", "Storytelling with the Bard", Activity Books, Coloring Pages, "Build an Adventure" kit, a Digital Magazine, Character Wardrobes & Gear, free "Encounters", guides, "How-to's", webinars about the pedagogical benefits of D&D, and more!!

This resource is a link to slides of a presentation titled "Esports - A Good fit for Librarians", offered by Shelly Napier, District Librarian for the Slinger School District in Wisconsin, at the Wisconsin Educational Media & Technology Association (WEMTA) annual conference 2024.

Shelly shared outstanding and inspirational info about her journey of going from a "total newbie" in the Esports world to developing a wildly successful and popular (officially recognized) Esports team at her school, reaching new students who hadn't necessarily found their "group" prior.

To contact Shelly directly, you can email her at: shelly.napier@slingerschools.org

A series of excellent webinars and presentations about Games & Gaming in Libraries (covering a number of different subtopics -- like D&D integration in library programs, game collection development, LARPing / ARGs, playful learning science, and more) facilitated and hosted by the Indiana State Library.

The League of Librarian Gamers is a closed group affiliated with the ALA Games and Gaming Round Table (GameRT). GameRT facilitates this space as a positive, progressive, and inclusive venue for library workers and game designers/publishers interested in the use of games in libraries to gather, discuss, and share resources and expertise. There is no requirement to join ALA or GameRT to utilize and join this Facebook group (please note joining this group is not the same as being an ALA GameRT member).

We discuss board games, card games, RPGs, video games, tabletop games, Magic: the Gathering, miniatures, dice games, classic games, strategic games, educational games, and escape games/puzzles. We have a particular interest in how these games can be applied to the library space (academic, public, school, and special).

The League of Librarian Gamers Facebook group was established in January 2014 by Joshua J. Carlson.

Here at MagiKids, our mission is simple:

TO SUPPORT THE INTELLECTUAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS WITH MAGIC: THE GATHERING
We give kids access to the card game Magic: The Gathering, by giving teachers and mentors the cards and resources they need to teach the game.

But why teach kids Magic: The Gathering?

We believe that teaching Magic builds skills such as critical thinking, math, and reading. Magic also helps encourage socialization and engagement. At our local MagiKids groups, there’s not a phone in sight. Our Sort, Build, Play curriculum gets kids to engage with the game in a way that not only keeps them focused on the learning in that moment, but makes it more likely they will stick with it down the road.

How do we accomplish this?

MagiKids collects unwanted Magic cards, which we provide to teachers and mentors for free. We also supply them with deckboxes, sleeves, dice, and other accessories- anything that helps kids with taking ownership of their cards has a positive effect on their engagement. We also give teachers and mentors a number of teaching resources, from quick-reference cards for the kids, to information on our Sort, Build, Play curriculum.

We have shipped kits to dozens of teachers and mentors across the US, as well as working with local organizations and the Boys and Girls Clubs in our region. We have brought Magic: The Gathering to hundreds of kids so far, and we hope to spread this opportunity to many more.

"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.