Friday, several staff from NEKLS member libraries attended the Games and Learning conference at MidAmerica Nazarene University in Olathe. It was a full day of learning and exploring. The speakers gave specific examples of how games can be used to facilitate learning in academic, school and public libraries.
One of the things we learned is that MNU has some great resources that you are able to access. The newly-formed Center for Games & Learning has a large collection of tabletop games, and anyone who wants to borrow them may. You will need to go to Mabee Library at MNU to obtain a community patron card. A card will give you access to hundreds of games, so you can try various ones to find what works best for your needs.
The games list on the Center’s website allows you to filter searches by game type and by 21st century skills such as “collaboration”, “critical thinking” and “problem solving”. Game availability can be checked through Mabee’s catalog. http://polaris.mnu.edu/polaris/default.aspx?ctx=3.1033.0.0.1
Jeanette Stromgren, Director of Osage City Public Library, found the day worthwhile. She said, “The conference demonstrated to me that no matter what age you are, you can improve or learn 21st Century Skills by playing tabletop and board games, as well as justifying purchasing and using them in a school or library setting.”
http://www.mnu.edu/resources/center-for-games-and-learning.html