The Callander Public Library has launched a new collection of card and board games. Patrons can place holds on the games via the library's website and borrow them for three weeks.
This past January, the library began a puzzle exchange program. People could bring in a puzzle they were done with, and trade it in for another. It was a hit with the puzzle crowd who had taken to puzzling with extra zeal during long pandemic months.
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“With the success of our puzzle exchange program, it was clear how many people in our area wanted access to other forms of entertainment during the lockdown,” explained Melissa Sones, the library’s CEO.
“We thought we would see interest slow down as the province reopens,” she said, “but the puzzles continue to circulate.”
Now the games are ready to roll out. With titles like Rhino Hero, Catan Jr., California, and Tic Talk, there is something for all ages.
Games are fun, entertaining, and educational, assistant librarian Robin Bernard emphasized, adding they “really encourage kids to explore and be creative.”
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Some games require a bit of a learning curve—Sushi Go Party took the staff a while to figure out—so Sones and company took it upon themselves to offer help navigating the rules.
A Quick Response (QR) code is affixed to each game. Scanning that with your phone will lead you directly to a YouTube video to explain how to get yourself set up.
If for some reason your phone cannot scan the code, Sones suggests a simple search of the game’s title in YouTube will bring up some help, as “there are a surprising number of videos about games” on the platform.
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David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
