Why does nobody talk about the board game section at the big library in Springfield?

I was there last Tuesday looking for a book and stumbled into their community room. They have three whole shelves dedicated to modern board games, not just the old classics. I saw a copy of Root just sitting there, and next to it was a sign-up sheet for a weekly play group. The librarian said they started it because a local game store closed down six months ago and people needed a new spot. She mentioned they have about 40 regulars now, and they even run a learn-to-play event on the first Saturday of every month. It's a totally free resource that seems to be keeping the local hobby alive. Has anyone else found a cool public spot like this that's become an unexpected hub for gamers?

4 comments

4 Comments

casey3421mo ago

Totally get that. Our local library did something similar after the rec center cut its budget. They set up a tabletop corner with games like Azul and Ticket to Ride you can just borrow with your card. The best part is they partnered with a volunteer who teaches new games every other Thursday. It went from a quiet shelf to the noisiest, happiest spot in the building. Shows what can happen when a public space actually listens to what the community wants to do.

skyler_johnson321mo ago

Wait, they let you borrow Ticket to Ride with a library card? @oscarb16 would lose his mind.

oscarb161mo ago

Reminds me of when our town tried to start a community garden in that empty lot by the old hardware store, @casey342. They just put up a sign and some plots, but it totally flopped for a year. Then someone's grandma started holding little "how to not kill your tomatoes" workshops there on Saturdays. Now it's packed every weekend with people growing stuff and just hanging out. Sometimes you just need that one person to get things going.

verawebb24d ago

What if the grandma had charged for those workshops, would it have still worked?