Let’s play!

Library offers board games for check out

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BROOKINGS – Want a good rousing activity that you can do with your family or friends? Go check out a board game – literally.

Board games are rising in popularity across the country and can now be found at your local library.

Libraries have always offered books to be checked out by patrons. Over the years, they’ve kept up with the times by offering vinyl records, CDs, and DVD movies. Now, the Brookings Public Library is catching the wave started by other libraries and putting board games on the list, said Nancy Swenson, technology services librarian.

The Brookings Public Library has a collection of 86 games, which have been available since the end of October, said Ashia Gustafson, director of library services.

“They’ve been super popular so far,” Swenson said. “It surprised me how quickly they go off the shelves. The response has been awesome. It’s very exciting.”

She’s seen all ages checking out board games.

“Small kids, 6-7 years old with their parents,” through teens and college students on up, Swenson said.

Settlers of Catan, where players build cities with roads to earn points, “is probably checked out the most. There are probably 10 or so that are the really popular ones,” she said.

“We also have some lesser known ones. We have one called Unexploded Cow that I had never heard of before,” Swenson said. After playing it at some family gatherings, she said, “It’s great, it’s so much fun.”

They have classic games like Hi Ho Cherry O, Sorry, Monopoly, Scrabble, and also have “trendy” contemporary board games like Click Clack Lumberjack, Pandemic, Kill Dr. Lucky, and Guillotine, she said.

There are games for every age, starting with Wheels on the Bus for very young children, to those that “have adult themes to them,” Swenson said.  

Guillotine, for instance, is based on the French Revolution and includes a little cardboard guillotine. Kill Doctor Lucky is “kind of like Clue, but instead of trying to find the killer, you are trying to kill this character,” Swenson said.

As with all the library’s materials, it’s up to parents to monitor what their children are getting, she added.

“They all have suggested age ranges on them from the manufacturers. The ones for kids 8 and younger, we have labeled with an ‘easy sticker’ to show those are for the younger groups,” she said. A list of the available games and age ranges is posted by the board game shelves.

“I think we have a wide variety, so if patrons come in and they don’t necessarily know what they want to play, I think there’s something for everyone,” Swenson said.

Board games can be checked out on your library card for four weeks, put on hold or renewed, just like books or other materials. 

There are a couple of differences: you can only check out one game on one card at a time, and you should return it to the circulation desk, not the book drop.

“Because if you put it in the book drop, I think pieces would go everywhere,” Swenson said. 

Families that come in with more than one card can check out as many games as they have cards.

“They each get one that they’re interested in and I think they play as a family,” Swenson said.

She said she’s been seeing this trend for board games popping up all over.

“There are quite a few libraries across the country that have been doing this for a while,” Swenson said.

When she became technology services librarian about a year ago, she looked into what she wanted as part of the audio-visual offerings.

“Board games were one of the first things that I looked at,” Swenson said.

The children’s librarian had some games in storage, so they went into the collection. The Friends of the Library organization gave the initial funding to buy new games. A game distributor gave a great discount. 

“It makes our money go farther,” she said.

Swenson reached out to 20 to 30 board game companies and “seven to 10 gave us free games; some have sent one or two games. One company offered to send us all of the games they had if we wanted them, so they’ve been very helpful,” Swenson said. “They’re excited to help get games into libraries because they realize that then people will be engaged with them and it may grow their company.”

People have already asked if they can donate used games, and yes, the library accepts donations of games in good condition. Those that are will be put in the collection; others may be held for spare parts or be put in the Friends of the Library sales. 

“That money comes right back into the library for items,” Swenson said.

She found out the American Library Association is a big advocate for board games because it’s “one of the few offerings that libraries have that actually encourage social interaction,” Swenson said.

The swing toward board games may be a reaction to the technology craze where people spend hours with electronic devices and their own company.

“Kids and families maybe aren’t interacting as much as they used to, so board games foster that attitude and interaction,” Swenson said. “People were looking for ways to get together with their friends and do things and that’s an easy way to do that. It speaks to sort of the social need that people have.”

She’s seen that with the adult members of her own family who all have different personalities and interests, “but we can typically find a board game that we all enjoy and we can play together,” she said.

Board games have other benefits, too.

“They’re also great for skill building, whether you’re playing with young kids or teens, whether it’s counting (or learning the) alphabet, up to critical thinking skills and strategy,” Swenson said.

To foster more interaction between players, Swenson said the library plans to add board game events in the future and eventually organize some tournaments.

In the meantime, she’s satisfied with the reaction so far.

“Truly, they’re just fun and I think they’re a great addition to the library for our community,” Swenson said.

Contact Jodelle Greiner at jgreiner@brookingsregister.com.