Board Games in LibrariesUsing Games to Support Literacy

Library People - About Me (Libraries)Started working in public libraries 20 years ago Worked in Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset libraries

Academic background in spatial ecology No formal training in librarianship or education

Library People - About Me (Games)Run games events in libraries for 5 years UK Coordinator for International Games Week

Member of ALA GameRT & ALT Playful Learning SIG Run seminars at UKGE and Game Library Camp

Photo-credits © Tom Garnett

Aims

● Create list of games that could be used for supporting literacy programs

● Share tips on how games have and could be used in our libraries

Tip 1 - Remove barriers to entryDO - Use staff or volunteers to demonstrate games DO - Make use of online how to play videos

DO - Use simplified rules-sheets / info-sheets DON’T - Put games behind the desk

Photo-credits © UK Games Expo © Be Bold Games

Word GamesGames based around the spelling & meaning of words Help improve vocabulary and spelling

Competitive games favour those with existing skills Can be pictorial rather than text based.

Photo-credits © Stuff by Bez, Yoppy

Word Games

● Boggle● Codenames● Dixit● Dobble● Moveable Type● Outburst● Paperback● Scrabble● Upwords

Photo-credits © Robin David

● Wibbell++● Word on the

Street● Word Slam● Word Spiel● Wordsy

Word Games

Free word games for libraries registered to International Games Week

To register visit games.ala.org/internationalgameweek

Get your free games at bit.ly/UK_IGW_2018

Photo-credits © BInca Games

Tip 2 - Make it easy to join in and drop outDO - Use staff or volunteers to encourage participation DO - Choose quick games, 20min optimal 1 hour max

DO - Pick games that cope with variable player count DON’T - Choose critically acclaimed epics

Photo-credits © Bananagrams © Francois Philipp

Story GamesGames based around creating and telling stories Help creative thinking, improvisation

Often collaborative but can be competitive Often take longer and may need more staff input

Photo-credits © Asmodee UK, Diacritica (CC-BY-SA 3.0)

Story Games

● Choose Your Own Adventure

● Dungeons & Dragons

● The Extraordinary Adventures of Baron Munchausen

Photo-credits ©

● Fiasco● Hobbit Tales● Noirlandia● Once Upon a

Time● Pathfinder● Untold

Adventures Await

Tip 3 - CollaborateDO - Contact local games clubs and stores for help DO - Try to foster a two-way relationship

DO - Ensure collaborators understand your goals DON’T - Get involved in nerd politics

Photo-credits © Bournemouth Library, Coffee & Dice

Literary Tie-ins

Photo-credits © Mick Garrat (CC-By-SA 2.0), Bournemouth Library

Popular games franchises often have spin-off novels Equally many popular novels have spin-off games

Useful Links

● American Library Association Games and Gaming Roundtable○ games.ala.org

● Scott Nicholson (co-founder of ALA GameRT)○ Scottnicholson.com

● Meeple Like Us○ Meeplelikeus.co.uk

● Board Game Geek○ boardgamegeek.com