Guest post by International Games Month Sponsor, TTRPGKids
I’m Steph, founder of the ENnie awarded TTRPGkids.com, which is a resource for families, friends, and facilitators to find TableTop Role-Playing Game (TTRPG) materials and support for their kids.
This year, I’m a sponsor for International Games Month using library donations made by backers for some of my projects like A Construct’s Nature and Making a Tabletop RPG for YOUR Particular Kid!
Today, I want to talk about how library books and TTRPGs can be closely tied to helping players have fun in the game and build a strong love of reading.
When my family vacations to a new place, we usually visit the city library for at least part of one day since it’s a good low stimulation activity for my 5 year old kid… and I also really enjoy seeing how each library is a little different. However, I’ve noticed something that they’ve all recently had in common: fliers for youth D&D groups on their notice boards.
From a combination of hype from Stranger Things, captivating performances on Critical Role, acceptance of “nerd culture”, and so many other reasons, TTRPGs have greatly increased in popularity over the past few years, and youth activities are reflecting this.
Running games is often seen as the core for facilitating this interest, but you can connect your library’s book collection to this too.
By displaying books that focus on themes from your library’s game sessions, you can help players find other stories that they relate to. If you have a high seas campaign that you’re running, featuring Treasure Island, One Piece, or P is for Pirate can help encourage more reading activities that bounce off the excitement from your game.
For those interested in TTRPGs but who aren’t looking for a group to commit to, having TTRPG story books available and providing a recommended reading list can help. Roll for Initiative, So You Want to Be a Paladin, and Whispers of the Voidbringer are all excellent stories made for kids and teens that involve TTRPGs and give a window into what the game is… but that don’t require you to play or have prior knowledge.
Then, there’s books for grown ups. TTRPGs are now being used as therapeutic tools, teaching mediums, and family bonding time, and adults who didn’t play TTRPGs as youth are now looking for resources to help with this. There’s Tabletop Role Playing Therapy, Rolling With the Youth, Let’s Roll, Teacher-Gamer Handbook, and so many more! In 2024 alone, I know that there’s my book (Making a Tabletop RPG for YOUR Particular Kid) and at least two other pending releases from other creators in this field because there’s a need for these supporting texts.
Introducing TTRPGs to your library doesn’t always have to involve running a game, and, if you are running a game, there’s plenty of opportunities for that adventure to reach into your library collection! I hope this article has helped, and if you’re looking for curated TTRPG-related content beyond what’s above, I have a list of books here that can help. Many of the featured titles have reviews so you can get a feel for the book before requesting it.
Please make sure to sign up for International Game Month if you’re looking to add copies of various games and game-related books to your library, including Making a Tabletop RPG for YOUR Particular Kid.
Please also follow along with A Construct’s Nature by TTRPGkids to either donate a TTRPGkids game/book copy to IGM or get a copy of this solarpunk adventure for yourself!