Hi all, it’s been a busy Fall, between Nana fun, work, and conference season. I just got back from my state library conference (and brought con crud with me), where I gave one presentation and guested on two additional panels. It was exciting and so much fun, and I’m reminded yet again how lucky I am do be doing things I love for a living.
I gave a presentation on Tabletop Games to Try Before You Buy for the second year running. It’s part presentation, part gaming speed dating: after a quick presentation on suggested games, resources, and where to find games for libraries, we play! The panel took place in a large ballroom, so we were able to put games on multiple tables and teach folks a quick game; they moved on after a round or two. Here I am, teaching folks to play a round of King of Tokyo. (Photo credit: Clarisa Rosario-DeGroat)
The breakout success for this year was Mantis, from The Oatmeal! Everyone enjoyed the quick gameplay and easy-to-learn mechanics. Sushi Go received a lot of praise, as did Villainous.
I was part of a panel called Gone Clubbin’, where we talked about game clubs at the library. My colleague Barron Angell talked about his video game club; colleague Clarisa Rosario-DeGroat talked about her Pokemon club (and great extension activities), and I talked up Magic: The Gathering. Folks seemed really engaged and excited, and since Pokemon and Magic have been around for a while, that was great to see!
Finally, I spoke on a panel with Dr. Rajesh Singh called Beyond Cultural Competence: Actionable Advocacy for Inclusive Library Services. I met some wonderful librarians who are giving their all for their library communities, and made some good connections. All in all, it was another great year for our state library convention. I’m happy to share slides if anyone would like.
And now, back to books! (And games!)
Mom Read It 