Let's Roll: A Guide to Setting up Tabletop Role-Playing Games in your School or Public Library - Softcover

Maxwell, Lucas

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1783306130 ISBN 13: 9781783306138

Publisher: Facet Publishing, 2023

Synopsis

Master all the skills you need to deliver a tabletop role-playing game program in the library!

For librarians or teachers who aren't players themselves, the scope of role-playing games can seem overwhelming. Starting from the basics, Let's Roll is a practical guide to delivering a tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) in a school or public library, all within the time constraints imposed on library sessions. Coverage includes:

• a step-by-step guide to setting up a TTRPG program in your school or public library, including an example of a TTRPG proposal;
• advice on bringing senior management on board to a TTRPG program;
• how to attract players, basic table rules, and preparing as a game master;
• the health and learning benefits of TTRPGs including creativity, teamwork, cooperation, boosting confidence, and encouraging reading; and
• a comprehensive list of TTRPG games and how to implement them.

Featuring case studies from librarians around the world focusing on their experiences setting up TTRPGs, Let's Roll will help librarians, teachers, and other educators deliver an engaging program that delivers significant benefits on a budget – and is a huge amount of fun!

About this title

About the Authors

Originally from Nova Scotia, Canada, Lucas Maxwell has been working with teens in public and school libraries for close to fifteen years. He is currently the librarian at Glenthorne High School in London, UK. He writes for Book Riot and has contributed to School Library Journal and American Library Association publications. In 2017, Lucas was named the School Librarian of the Year by the UK's School Library Association.

Originally from Nova Scotia, Canada, Lucas Maxwell has been working with teens in public and school libraries for close to fifteen years. He is currently the librarian at Glenthorne High School in London, UK. He writes for Book Riot and has contributed to School Library Journal and American Library Association publications. In 2017, Lucas was named the School Librarian of the Year by the UK's School Library Association.

Reviews

Maxwell's book provides ample resources and support material for library staff who are entirely new to the world of TTRPGs (Tabletop Role-Playing Games), as well as those who are generally familiar with gaming but concerned about some aspect of launching an RPG programming initiative. This title addresses specific hurdles, including finding institutional support, marketing to patrons, and managing a chaotic program session. Supplemental materials include a glossary of common terms, a sample program proposal, case studies from school and public librarians, several recommended reading lists, and brief reviews of a number of simple gateway RPGs that can be learned and played by librarians and patrons with minimal preparation or expertise. This is a well-organized title with very specific strategies for success and a gentle, conversational tone. At times it leans heavily into the personal experiences of the author, a high school librarian, but it does include a number of case study statements from other librarians running TTRPGs in varied library settings and with a range of age groups. VERDICT A slim but comprehensive title with an earnest and encouraging authorial voice. Recommended for any school or public library professional who has felt trepidation about introducing an RPG program.—Anne Nelson

Edition details

• Publisher: Facet Publishing
• Publication date: 2023
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1783306130
• ISBN 13: 9781783306138
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 82