The American Library Association’s Games and Gaming Round Table have been busy!  If you want to add some well-vetted board games to your circulating collection or to your programming toolkit, check out their recent Platinum Play winners, “evergreen titles well-suited to library programs and collections.”  There are several games on the list I am considering purchasing for an IFLS kit (or for myself!).  The list is relatively short and it includes board and card games, tabletop role-playing games, and video games.

Another project co-sponsored by the ALA’s Games and Gaming Round Table and the Indiana State Library, and featuring Wisconsin superstar librarians (including Jenna Gilles from Chippewa Falls!):

Wednesday, December 11th, from 10:00-11:00 am CST (11:00 am – Noon EST), Featuring Chris Baker (Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction); Jenna Gilles (Chippewa Falls Public Library) and Jamie Hein (Clintonville Public Library) Part two in a series to guide librarians in how to create robust video game collections in libraries! This session will include

• “So – once you’ve acquired the games themselves for your collection… what then? Have no fear! In this second part of our series, we’ll return to tackle the functional, ‘nuts and bolts’ methods and best practices of ongoing video game collection management. This webinar will delve into processing recommendations (like labeling, marking, & barcoding), cataloging considerations (e.g., how long should games’ checkout periods be?), displaying the collections to be browsable for patrons (where in the library? How should they be organized? Should you ‘care’ about ratings?), procedural standards for keeping your games ‘safe’ (and easily navigable for staff!) – and more. We aim to illustrate that – with a bit of diligence and learning for staff and patrons alike – the ongoing facilitation of video game collections in libraries ought to be no more burdensome on day-to-day operations than offering any other collection, all while allowing libraries to better meet the needs of entirely new user groups – and increase circulation!”
• For more information (and to add the event to your calendar), head here!
• And if you missed part #1 (about Selection & Acquisition), you can check it out here!