We’ve all heard the phrase that goes something like; “If I could get just one person to—insert accomplishment— my work is done here!” This is exactly what International Games Day (IGD) did for us. Our thought was: if IGD could help us promote the library by informing just one person we are here, helping one person see what the library has to offer, or if we could gain just one library patron as a result of IGD; our job would be done. Amazingly this is exactly what happened.
At the end of IGD, thanks in great part to IGD’s sponsors who kindly donated game prizes, a child who came to the library for the first time with his grandmother not only had a great time but he also won one of the prizes. The program and the prize proved such a wonderful experience for this young patron that he has become an all-time regular. Not a week or two goes by without us spotting this young boy. His grandmother has told us that he loves the library, asks to go to the library, and (most importantly) asks when we will have another IGD program.
The fond memories this young boy is forming about the library today will ensure he keeps coming for years to come; maybe even his entire life. One day he may even share his love for the library with his own kids, who in turn might share their love for the library with their kids. Imagine how great it would be if one day we could trace two, or perhaps even more, generations of regular library goers to an International Games Day event?
The small things we do today can have very long ramifications and it’s precisely because of this that what we do matters. Librarianship is a humble yet rewarding profession. Sure enthusiasm is contagious, and if we love and are passionate about what we do people feel it and will want to come back, but enthusiasm and passion alone are not enough. We need good, fun, and memorable programs to keep people excited about the library and International Games Day is exactly that. Without IGD, who knows if this child would have ever developed the love for the library he now feels.
Dario Toribio graduated from Emporia State in December of 2012 and started working at Denver Public Library in March 2013. He is a father of four, originally from Uruguay but moved to the States in the year 2000. He is a musician, a chess player, he make websites for fun, he loves astronomy, his hero is Carl Sagan! Oh, and he has way too many hobbies!