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

by Lucas Maxwell

Overview

Master all the skills you need to deliver a tabletop role-playing game programme 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) programme 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 programme in your school or public library including an example of a TTRPG proposal
• Advice on bringing senior management on board to a TTRPG programme
• 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.
• 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 programme that results in significant benefits on a budget – and is a huge amount of fun!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781783306152
Publisher:	Facet Publishing
Publication date:	02/09/2023
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	112
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

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.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Glossary

Chapter One: The Benefits of Playing TTRPGs

Chapter Two: Case Studies

Chapter Three: How Do I Get Started?

Chapter Four: Session Zero

Chapter Five: TTRPG Reviews & Additional Resources

Bibliography

Editorial Reviews

"This is a well-organized title with very specific strategies for success and a gentle, conversational tone ... Recommended for any school or public library professional who has felt trepidation about introducing an RPG program."
— School Library Journal

From the Publisher

08/01/2023

Starting a tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) program in a school or public library can be overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be, according to school librarian Maxwell (Glenthorn High School, London, UK). Combining his research and firsthand knowledge with case studies from librarians who have experience running gaming programs at their institutions, Maxwell provides a step-by-step guide to setting up a TTRPG experience in either a school or a library. The book highlights published and anecdotal benefits of establishing a TTRPG community, the necessary equipment and resources, tips on successfully organizing and running gaming sessions, a sample program proposal, and recommended-reading lists. Maxwell also includes an overview of basic games that are appropriate for beginning gamers (and soon-to-be game-expert librarians) and can be adapted to a range of library settings. The book is presented in a conversational, engaging style, with Maxwell's own testimonial and experiences interwoven throughout. Librarians will likely appreciate the book's glossary of common terms, which is helpfully located before the main text and allows readers to familiarize themselves with terms early on. VERDICT This short but exemplary work is full of information and useful resources. Recommended for anyone interested in setting up a tabletop role-playing game in a library, a classroom, or any public place.—Andy Myers

Library Journal

05/01/2023

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

School Library Journal