Roll for Initiative: cultivating and empowering student leaders through library game nights

Abstract

Since implementing a monthly board game night in 2017, we have shifted from an experimental event series designed to bring foot traffic into the libraries to one that actively partners with students as leaders. This has helped us foster an engaged community of library patrons who see the libraries as more than places for research and studying. Since 2018, we have created partnerships with seven total student groups. In doing so, we have given them the opportunity to take ownership of these events, and by extension, the library space, while also providing the support needed to help them succeed. They have broadened and enriched our programming with their innovative and inclusive ideas, such as running a 24-hour gaming marathon fundraiser for a children's hospital and a game night that focused on traditional Mexican games. We are purposefully stepping outside the traditional view of the library as simply a repository of information and expanding our commitment to fostering our community through supporting innovative programming and patron-driven experiences.