Small Boxes and Big Fun: Starting a Board Gaming Collection, presented by John Pappas Board gaming is entering a golden age with wonderfully crafted games coming out daily by board game publishers large and small, as well as from individual designers. This leads to a large amount of diversity and choice in the board games space when trying to develop a circulating board game collection or choosing which games to include in a gaming group. This talk will discuss the basics of organizing a modern board game group (any ages) including tips on moderating, teaching, and promoting the group while providing a welcoming and safe space for new and emerging gamers. Additionally, the mechanics (the inner workings of the games), genres, and the themes of games will be reviewed and discussed. The talk will end in a presentation of a starter kit of inexpensive and fun board games which will get your library's collection started for less than $150. The cost of getting into the board gaming hobby does not have to be prohibitive if the right games are purchased and the proper partnerships fostered.

1. John Pappas, Bucks County Library System
Small Boxes and Big Fun: Starting a Board
Game Collection
WaggleDance:http://boardgamegeek.com/image/2390362/waggle-dance

2. ● Information on board games which will work
well in your library.
● What types of games to purchase
● Topics to consider when considering board
games.
● Types of player interaction
● Types of mechanisms.
● Alignment sheets for 35 games
● Really excited!
● The specifics of cataloging or preparing the
games.
● The technical process of preparing games
for circulation.
● Board to tears...
What will you get? What won’t you get?

3. The quality of a game is not measured
by its complexity but by the depth of the
interaction and thought it produces.
Life Boat: http://boardgamegeek.com/image/1083301/lifeboat

4. Why are modern board games
frightening?

5. Goals of Board Game Events and Collections

6. Splendor: http://boardgamegeek.com/image/2026075/splendor

7. • Moderate Player
interaction.
• Diversity of mechanisms.
• Not overwhelming in theme
or strategy.
• Familiar layout.
• Appealing to a variety of
ages (8+).
Big Fun
Machi Koro: http://boardgamegeek.com/image/2367459/machi-koro

8. ● Short playtime. A filler game should
last only last thirty minutes (or shorter).
● Encourages repeated play. A filler
game should not get boring quickly.
● Small ruleset. Teach and learn quickly.
5 minutes tops.
● Play large groups. 2-6 is the average
but it is nice to have some play larger
groups (10+) too.
● Player driven. Players have decisions
to be made. Many filler games are
social deduction games for this reason.
● Small box and table footprint. They
should be easy to store, set up, and
break down.
● Social. Filler games should be
something you can be engaged with but
still converse, laugh, and socialize.

10. Memory: http://boardgamegeek.com/image/343590/memory

11. Cash & Guns: http://boardgamegeek.com/image/404671/cah-n-gun
Player Interaction

12. Ticket to Ride: http://boardgamegeek.com/image/474190/ticket-ride-europe
Patron Needs

13. Board Game Collection Basics

14. Top Ten Grown Up Board Game
Collection
Go Away, Monster: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/image/212213/go-away-monster

15. 10. The Great Heartland Hauling
Company
(Pick up and Deliver)

16. "Dixit game 0001" by yoppy - http://www.flickr.com/photos/44124362019@N01/7128994841.
9. Dixit (Storytelling)

17. 8. Augustus (Set Collection)

18. 7. Incan Gold (Press Your Luck)
https://boardgamegeek.com/image/846614/incan-gold

19. 6. Sushi Go! (Card Drafting, Set
Collection)
https://www.boardgamegeek.com/image/2368807/sushi-go

20. 5. For Sale (Auction Bidding)
https://www.boardgamegeek.com/image/144058/sale

21. 4. Hanabi (Cooperative)

22. 3. Las Vegas (Area Control)
https://www.boardgamegeek.com/image/1391641/las-vegas

23. 2. Skull (Bluffing)
https://www.boardgamegeek.com/image/2065306/skull

24. 1. Mascarade (Memory, Variable Roles)
http://gamesareevil.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Mascarade02.jpg

25. Bonus! Citadels

26. Bonus! Love Letter[s]

31. John Pappas
Library Manager, Bucks County Library System
http://www.boardinthelibrary.com
http://www.webjunction.org/news/webjunction/board-in-the-
library-part-one.html
http://www.webjunction.org/events/webjunction/golden-age-of-
gaming.html Feb 26th REGISTER NOW!