Role-Playing Games at the Library

About the Program

Category: Libraries (Best in Category)

Year: 2023

Henrico County Public Library (HCPL) began hosting Dungeons & Dragons meetups for teens in 2018 at its Varina Library, and through the pandemic and beyond, role-playing game (RPG) programs at the library have shown broad appeal. While initially started in response to the pop cultural resurgence of Dungeons & Dragons after the debut of Stranger Things on Netflix, RPG programs at the library are more than a passing trend, offering lasting impacts. After an initial success at HCPL’s Varina Library, other locations in the library system created their own groups. When the pandemic temporarily halted in-person programming, RPGs could be easily adapted to virtual formats. After in-person programming resumed, meetup groups proliferated again across libraries in the HCPL system. Core groups of attendees return time and again, and due to popular demand, librarians are now developing additional programs for both children and adult audiences. RPGs are easily connected with fantasy novels, films, and gaming manuals readily available in library collections, and the games encourage higher order literacy skills and mental math. The games are social in nature and forge connections between players over shared interests, and also foster lasting bonds between young people and their libraries.