A non-trivial pursuit: Library Game Nights as a place to destress with campus partners. [Poster presentation]

Abstract

Academic libraries work to not only provide access to information and support of scholarly pursuits, we also seek to provide a welcoming atmosphere for all campus constituents. One way MU Libraries does this is through our Library Game Night programming series. At these events, MU Libraries opens our spaces to host board game nights 3-5 times per semester.

We began the series in 2017 as a way to bring students a fun and stress-relieving event, as well as a way to help them see the library as a space for them, not only to study, but also gather. Since then, our Library Game Night programming has grown to include collaborations with other campus centers and student organizations, which MU Libraries has capitalized on to expand our engagement. Student partners and attendees have brought inclusive ideas to the series, including a fundraiser for a children's hospital, a game night focused on traditional Mexican games, and the purchase of gaming accessories that accommodate users of all abilities, like card holders. Faculty and staff partnerships have allowed us to hold a Made at Miami orientation event for incoming students from underrepresented populations, and we are looking forward to hosting a game night in the future with the Myaamia Center. Student feedback from our events has emphasized how much they appreciate having a way to decompress from the pressure of school.

While we have strived to make our events welcoming and inclusive, we also know that diversifying our game collection is just as important. We applied for and won an MUL DEI grant in order to expand our game collection and acquire content from BIPOC creators and games with inclusive characters such as Sparkle Kitty, One Deck Dungeon, and Jinja. For our April event, we will be working with the student group MU Meeples to showcase DEI-related games for the Universal Day of Culture.

Join us to find out how we have successfully leveraged the student organizations and grant funding on our campus to enrich our programming to create an enjoyable and inclusive events series.