Beyond the Bookshelf: Games in the Library Workshop

Wisconsin Valley Library Service invites you to join us for a free workshop about Games in Libraries on Friday, October 24, 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM! 

This WVLS Youth Services Workshop, at the Tomahawk Public Library, will explore the power of play in libraries, featuring video games with Chris Baker (DPI) and tabletop role-playing games with game designer Jon Spike. Discover practical strategies for building collections, creating engaging programs, and using games to support literacy, community, and creativity.  Morning snacks and lunch will be provided. 

Spots are limited. Don’t miss this chance to learn and play with fellow library staff! Registration is free and open until October 19. 

Image by Elle from Pixabay

Beyond the Bookshelf: Games in the Library

Discover the power of play in libraries! 

This workshop will begin with a tour to see how Tomahawk Public Library brought talk, read, sing, write, and play to life through their 2019/2020 WVLS Innovation and Collaboration Literacy Grant.

Next, DPI Public Library Consultant Chris Baker will take participants into the world of video games with his presentation Games are Not Optional: Addressing the Priority (and Gaps) of Game-Based Library Services. Baker will provide an overview of the current state of gaming in the U.S. Together, we'll tackle questions like "How popular is gaming in 2025?", and "Who 'are' gamers?"; additionally, we'll briefly explore the unique educational benefits that games offer. Most importantly, we'll discuss why these questions should matter to the modern librarian. Baker will also share how libraries can build strong gaming collections, design engaging programs, and connect with patrons of all ages. Learn practical strategies for integrating games into library services to boost literacy, community building, and creativity.

In the afternoon, game designer Jon Spike will introduce tabletop role-playing games (RPGs) in his presentation How Tabletop Games, Playful Learning, and Game Design Promote Literacy and Creation in the Library. Board games, card games, and role-playing games are experiencing a renaissance in pop culture - so how can we leverage them in the library space? In this session, we'll explore how games build skills through STEAM topics, literacy development, and much more! Prepare to engage in activities that you can turn around and use in your libraries tomorrow!

Throughout the day, we’ll highlight how games promote social-emotional growth, inspire STEAM learning, and create welcoming spaces for connection and storytelling.

Register Here

This workshop is worth 5 contact hours (including 3.5 technology hours).

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Agenda

·  9:00–9:15 a.m. Arrival / Networking

·  9:15–9:30 a.m. Welcome / Introductions

·  9:30–10:15 a.m. Tour

·  10:15–10:30 a.m. Break

·  10:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Games Are Not Optional: Addressing the Priority (and Gaps) of Games-Based Library Services - Chris Baker, Public Library / Games & Learning Consultant, DPI

·  12:00–1:00 p.m. Lunch

·  1:00–3:00 p.m. How Tabletop Games, Playful Learning, and Game Design Promote Literacy and Creation in the Library - Jon Spike, PhD, CEO of GamestormEDU

·  3:00–3:30 p.m. Discussion / Wrap-Up

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Speaker Bios

Chris Baker
Chris Baker is a video game scholar and Public Library / Games & Learning Consultant with the Bureau of Libraries at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Before joining DPI, Chris worked as a Youth Services Librarian at the Spring Green Community Library, then as a Teen Services Librarian, Adult Services Librarian, and Technology Coordinator at the Portage Public Library.

Chris’s background also includes a robust career in professional theatre. He earned a BA in Theatre from UW-Parkside and a Masters in Fine Arts in Theatre Pedagogy from Virginia Commonwealth University, where his thesis examined video games, learning, and society. Chris also holds an MLIS from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

He specializes in games-based library services, project management, innovation, and collaboration. Chris currently serves as President-Elect of the American Library Association Games & Gaming Round Table.

Jon Spike
Jon Spike, PhD, is a former K–12 English teacher and technology integrator who now serves as the Coordinator of Instructional Technology and Integration Services at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater in the College of Education and Professional Studies. He earned his doctorate in Instructional Technology from Northern Illinois University, researching collaborative learning experience design in virtual reality.

Jon is the CEO of GamestormEDU, where he designs educational board and card games for schools, families, and organizations. His releases include Gamestormers (2023), a competitive storytelling game, and Doomscroll (2025), a social media literacy card game—both finalists in the Gee Learning Game Awards Tabletop Competition.

Jon has presented nationally at the International Society of Technology in Education Conference, the Future of Educational Technology Conference, and the North American Simulation and Gaming Association (NASAGA) Conference. He has received the Wisconsin Educational Media and Technology Association (WEMTA) Emerging Leader Award and the NASAGA Rising Star Award.

DIY FYI: Giant Guess Who

Looking for a new outdoor game to add to your arsenal?  

How about Giant Guess Who?

If your budget allows, you can purchase pizza boxes (or something similar) from ULINE.  Otherwise, consider contacting a local pizza place to ask for donations of unused boxes.  The boxes can be assembled inside out, so you needn't be concerned with label/logos/etc. detracting from the look of your game.  

Next, collect your desired images.  I chose Harry Potter characters because...well...Harry Potter. 🗲 

While it isn't essential, I opted to give each image a background color so I had two separate "game boards" and added the name of the character represented on the box.  That way, even if someone isn't familiar with the theme, they're still easily able to play and announce their chosen person, once they've reached that point in the game.

Lastly, you'll need a set of cards from which the players/teams will draw.  Depending on how long you'd like the game to stay intact, consider using cardstock or even laminating the finished products.

Just a note: make sure you have an idea of where to store the game when not in use.  (For reference, the game pictured in this post has 25 characters per side and is large and in charge when it comes to storage.)  

Upplugged Gaming

Pixabay

Teens love technology but they are interested in what old timers used to do for fun before iPads and YouTube. Emma Carbone at Teen Services Underground writes about those games that don't need electricity or a server (ugh) in the post "Gaming Unplugged: Board Games, Card Games, and Party Games to use in Teen Programs".

I loved the board game Clue as a kid. Lots of kids today don't know the game. (The horror!) We have a copy at my library. I showed some 5th graders how to play and they loved it! Now they want to play it during our after-school board games and LEGO club.

Pro-tip I learned at a workshop but don't remember who said it: You can make life-size Jenga by using long 12-pack soda cardboard containers.

Life-Size Hungry Hungry Hippos

If you're like me you love anything life size, whether it be Giant Jenga or enormous outdoor checkers.  So, when I discovered Life-Sized Hungry Hungry Hippos, I was a little bit excited.  It involves three major components: buckets/baskets, plastic balls, and scooters.  And also, SPACE.  This is a large game (life-sized!) and thus needs a fairly large amount of space.  Life-Sized Hungry Hungry Hippos is a great tween event, with or without competitive elements/prizes.  It is also an awesome way to incorporate movement and activity in the library.  For more info on Life-Sized Hungry Hungry Hippos, click HERE.