Walkley Library Friday 23rd June

Walkley Library are hosting a Board Game night tonight, I suspect there will be Monopoly and Scrabble so I am going to go and ambush them with Kingdomino and maybe Pandemic and Splendor. If anyone wants to join me it's from 7.30pm at Walkley Carnegie Library.

Take timeline.
I bought it after our game the other month as an intro for some of the family and it worked a treat.

Ianm wrote:Take timeline.
I bought it after our game the other month as an intro for some of the family and it worked a treat.

Good idea thanks, I'll do that!

Yes hopefully I'll be popping down too, see you there. Would quite like to play Timeline too.

There seems to be a bit of a thing with games in libraries at the moment. I've been to a couple of the central library's monthly game evenings, where American Andy organises a few games matching that month's reading room theme (I think it's 'exploration' this month).

Burngreave library has a weekly game night, aimed mainly at kids up to teenagers, and I've donated Tsuro, Dobble, Pick a Pig and Hey, That's My Fish! to help broaden their selection a bit. I did see them trying to get excitable 7 year olds to play Risk at one point. I'm not sure how that went.

BeardyTom wrote:There seems to be a bit of a thing with games in libraries at the moment. I've been to a couple of the central library's monthly game evenings, where American Andy organises a few games matching that month's reading room theme (I think it's 'exploration' this month).

Burngreave library has a weekly game night, aimed mainly at kids up to teenagers, and I've donated Tsuro, Dobble, Pick a Pig and Hey, That's My Fish! to help broaden their selection a bit. I did see them trying to get excitable 7 year olds to play Risk at one point. I'm not sure how that went.

Apparently it's adults only tonight, no kids allowed.

It was good, I'm glad Samuel came down with me otherwise they might have made me play Boggle!  We roped in a sucker volunteer and played a couple of games of Timeline then Tsuro then Tea Time.  I think we might have struggled to play anything more complicated than that.  It was interesting that a lady came over to look and said "Are you making the rules up as you go along?" then "I think you should play something neutral that you have all played" like we brought these games so we must be masters of them.  A bit patronising.  

Sam shall we take some massive Euro next time and blow their minds?!

RikTheChief wrote:It was good, I'm glad Samuel came down with me otherwise they might have made me play Boggle!  We roped in a sucker volunteer and played a couple of games of Timeline then Tsuro then Tea Time.  I think we might have struggled to play anything more complicated than that.  It was interesting that a lady came over to look and said "Are you making the rules up as you go along?" then "I think you should play something neutral that you have all played" like we brought these games so we must be masters of them.  A bit patronising.  

Sam shall we take some massive Euro next time and blow their minds?!

Sounds like a good venue for the next Twilight Imperium

RikTheChief wrote:It was good, I'm glad Samuel came down with me otherwise they might have made me play Boggle!  We roped in a sucker volunteer and played a couple of games of Timeline then Tsuro then Tea Time.  I think we might have struggled to play anything more complicated than that.  It was interesting that a lady came over to look and said "Are you making the rules up as you go along?" then "I think you should play something neutral that you have all played" like we brought these games so we must be masters of them.  A bit patronising.  

Sam shall we take some massive Euro next time and blow their minds?!

Hehe could do! Maybe Scott could lend us Terra Mystica...

I am project lead for the board game events here in the Central Library - our "Game Nights in the Reading Room".   I heard Walkley Library was doing something with board games, but I wasn't aware of Burngreave's events.  It's cool that they're doing it, though.  I strongly believe there is a place for board games in libraries.  As far as our Game Nights go, I have been given funding to cover events for the rest of 2017, with the potential to carry on into 2018 should they prove successful and popular.

The Game Nights in the Reading Room are slightly different from those in the volunteer libraries. The games have been carefully curated by myself and there will always be experienced staff on hand to teach and run the games. We play 3 new games each month.  They are, as Tom said, centered around varying themes (which, for the record, I had no say in).  And yes, Tom, you're right - this month's theme is Exploration.

The events take place on a Wednesday near the end of each month, from 5:30-8:00 pm.  June's Game Night is this Wednesday (28/6/17).  We will be exploring the ocean depths in Oceanos, a treacherous desert in Forbidden Desert, and a daft dungeon in Welcome Back to the Dungeon.  The free tickets for this week's event can be found on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/board-gaming-night-in-the-reading-room-tickets-34325715138?aff=es2.

If you know anyone who might be interested in joining us this Wednesday, or at one of the future Game Nights, please spread the word!  I'll be tweeting about future Game Nights as their dates approach, though there is no event in July, as I will be on holiday.  If anyone has any questions about the events, please ask!

Andy S

Oceanos is good

Andy S wrote:I am project lead for the board game events here in the Central Library - our "Game Nights in the Reading Room".   I heard Walkley Library was doing something with board games, but I wasn't aware of Burngreave's events.  It's cool that they're doing it, though.  I strongly believe there is a place for board games in libraries.  As far as our Game Nights go, I have been given funding to cover events for the rest of 2017, with the potential to carry on into 2018 should they prove successful and popular.

The Game Nights in the Reading Room are slightly different from those in the volunteer libraries.  The games have been carefully curated by myself and there will always be experienced staff on hand to teach and run the games.  We play 3 new games each month.  They are, as Tom said, centered around varying themes (which, for the record, I had no say in).  And yes, Tom, you're right - this month's theme is Exploration.

The events take place on a Wednesday near the end of each month, from 5:30-8:00 pm.  June's Game Night is this Wednesday (28/6/17).  We will be exploring the ocean depths in Oceanos, a treacherous desert in Forbidden Desert, and a daft dungeon in Welcome Back to the Dungeon.  The free tickets for this week's event can be found on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/board-gaming-night-in-the-reading-room-tickets-34325715138?aff=es2.

If you know anyone who might be interested in joining us this Wednesday, or at one of the future Game Nights, please spread the word!  I'll be tweeting about future Game Nights as their dates approach, though there is no event in July, as I will be on holiday.  If anyone has any questions about the events, please ask!

Andy S

Thanks for the update, I wasn't even aware this was a thing. Who are the people who come along, regular Library members or do people just come for games? Do you get the same people each time or does it vary? You said you have 3 new games each month, do you find people want to play the same games a few times or are they happy learning new games every month? I have no particular reason for asking I'm just curious.

RikTheChief wrote:I wasn't even aware this was a thing.  Who are the people who come along, regular Library members or do people just come for games?  Do you get the same people each time or does it vary? You said you have 3 new games each month, do you find people want to play the same games a few times or are they happy learning new games every month?  I have no particular reason for asking I'm just curious.

Hey Rik, thanks for your curiosity!  Sorry it's taken me awhile to reply.  I was visiting family in the US for awhile and then work has been very busy since I got back.  Because I was away, there was no Game Night in the Reading Room in July, but August's event is next Wednesday, the 23rd.  The theme this month is "Journeys" and we'll be playing 3 new games: Tokaido, Celestia, and Carcassonne: Over Hill and Dale.  The latter two are very light (especially Celestia, which is a simple push-your-luck game), but hopefully not so light that people won't enjoy themselves.

To answer your questions:
Over the course of the 3 events we've put on so far, we've had a mix of people who regularly use the library for more traditional purposes and those who rarely or never visit the library, but just want to come to play games and meet people.
The most recent event, in June, attracted 16 people - by far the biggest turnout we've had so far.  Half of the attendees had been to at least one of the previous 2 events.  It's good to get a mix of returning attendees and newcomers.
There definitely have been some games which people have expressed a desire to play again (especially Colt Express and Oceanos), but I have always made it clear that each month there will be 3 all new games.  No games will be making repeat appearances until at least next January.
However, my ultimate goal is to build up a collection of games which people can play in the library.  I envision something that functions like a game library at a convention does. We'd have a list of all the games we have available.  Any member of Sheffield Libraries could choose a game from the list, leave a small, fully refundable deposit, and then take their selection to play at one of the tables in the Reading Room.  Sort of like a free board game cafe without the food and a (currently) minimal selection of games.  To be clear, I have not yet had approval to do this; it is something I will have to pitch to my superiors early next year.

Anyway, if you know anyone who you think might be interested in this month's Game Night in the Reading Room event, please send them in the direction of our Eventbrite page!  Thanks!
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/game-night-in-the-reading-room-theme-of-journeys-tickets-36925905377?aff=erelexpmlt

Andy