by Jennifer Taylor
For those who might not already be aware or could have missed the news of it happening this November, we are well into International Games Month 2022!
International Games Month (IGM) is an initiative begun by librarians to promote the value of games and gaming in libraries. It was originally called International Games Day and then in 2017 it became International Games Week, and this year becoming International Games Month, it is celebrating its 15th anniversary.
In a special part of this year’s IGM activities, libraries are actively involved in promoting Game Jams, which are events where participants try to create a game in a set period of time. The Game Jams should be connected to one or both of this years themes:
“The Connections We make Through Reading” and “Happy Anniversary”.
If you would like to participate in the first International Game Jams Month Game Jam, entries are being accepted through November 30th here: https://itch.io/jam/international-games-month
As of today, there are over 590 libraries throughout the world that have registered as participants in the International Games Month initiative this year. If your library had not registered to be a part of the International Games Month, that can still be done at any point through the month of November by following this link: https://forms.gle/PTopGvjeTu6pHwCB9
Registering is important because it helps us continue to grow the initiative and to make sure that in December, when we send out the survey to all registered participants, that we can get feedback from as many people as possible on how we can make improvements or new things to include and be involved with in the future. If you are already registered for your library to participate, make sure to fill out the survey you will receive in December. This helps us know what we can build on in the future to keep this initiative a success.
There have been several clever and fun programs organized to celebrate games in libraries so far this month, shared on Facebook and on the GameRT Discord Server. Every library has different & creative ideas of how to promote gaming in their library. If you’re stumped, it never hurts to ask your fellow librarians for suggestions and ideas. It doesn’t have to be anything complicated, it could be something as simple as a display. We went with Dinosaurs playing D&D in my own library (above). However you might promote gaming in your library, we encourage it!
Jennifer Taylor is the Teen & Adult Services librarian for the Hagerstown Public Library in the scenic small town of Hagerstown, Indiana where she has worked for almost 10 years, developing a circulating board game collection and multiple successful tabletop gaming programs. She is a “2nd Generation Gamer” determined to teach as many others as she can – be they family, friends or complete strangers – the joys and benefits of gaming, particularly RPGs.