Hey Games and Gaming Roundtable members! It’s voting season once more, and we have some exciting candidates on the ballot this year. By now you should have received your ALA ballot in your email with your unique login. At this month’s Board Meeting, we had the candidates introduce themselves; below, we share each excellent member and what makes them awesome. We have some time left, but remember to cast your vote by April 7!
We have four excellent candidates running for three spots as Member-at-Large this year. They all bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise and are all huge gaming nerds. Read about each candidate below!
Jenn Bartlett
Jenn is the Head of Reference and Adult Services at the Manchester Public Library, in Manchester, Connecticut. She is also the current GameRT Past President and has worked tirelessly to build the roundtable to what it is now. Aside from actively promoting games in her library and through the roundtable, Jenn also shares her expertise online at her blog, The Board Game Librarian, and also on Instagram and Facebook.
Jenn is really excited about long-term GameRT initiatives that were started or improved during her tenure, such as the gaming grant which received 35 applications this year. But after steering the roundtable in her presidential roles, she wants to continue the work, from the ground up this time as a Member-at-Large. She hopes her role in the group will be as a liaison to the outside world, including to the gaming industry, with which she has already been working to strength ties.
Danielle Costello
Danielle is the Reference LTA at the Odum Library of Valdosta State University in Valdosta, Georgia. Danielle has been building a game collection at the OPdum Library over the past few years while advocating for the importance of games in her community by showing how academics and games intersect in interesting ways. Games are not just for entertainment but for education as well. At Odum Library, Danielle also spearheads the commitment to not only providing access to games, but teaching students how to play them as well, including how to run D&D and other games for self-service. Danielle is exploring using games to build community in and out of the classroom and is looking to diversify Odum Library’s game collection to represent game makers from a wide variety of demographics and backgrounds.
Currently, Danielle serves on GameRT’s Programming committee. She is excited to run for a Member-at-Large position and hopes to also help GameRT teach librarians how to play specific games so the roundtable can lead with a train the trainer model. Danielle also hopes to promote or help create resources and best practices to help librarians connect with diverse games and game developers.
Dana E. Scott
Dana, aka the Loud Librarian, is the Library Director of the Marion County Library in Yellville, Arizona. Since her time in Yellville, Dana has tremendously expanded teen and adult gaming programs, and currently oversees three gaming programs each week. Dana was also instrumental in developing a circulating board game collection of over 200 titles, which includes a tutorial for each game if needed so the patrons don’t spend the entire time learning the rules.
Dana has been an active member of GameRT since meeting Jenn Bartlett at ALA, and has never looked back. Dana currently serves on the GameRT Membership & Promotion committee. She is excited to be considered for the position of Member-at-Large for this awesome group!
Matthew Stephenson
Matthew is the Teen Librarian at Pendleton Community Public Library in Pendleton, Indiana. He runs regular D&D, videogame, and Minecraft programs at his library. He has been a passionate gamer since he was a child, and his emotional wellbeing has been improved because of gaming. He firmly stands behind the principle espoused by S. R. Ranganathan that, like every book has its reader, so too every game has its player. For that reason, he is very passionate about gamers’ advisory from a wide variety of formats. He has seen how essential games have been in American society throughout the pandemic, and he really believes in the importance of gaming for teens to maintain social opportunities.
Like everyone else, he has had to shift top a virtual environment during the past year, and as a potential Member-at-Large, wans to use his role to ensure that gaming is inclusive and reaches everyone, at the library or safe at home.
For complete information on these awesome members, be sure to read your ballot information. And don’t forget to check out our other post, introducing our President-Elect candidate!