The University of Idaho Library now houses a board game collection available for students, staff and faculty members to checkout.
The collection includes Monopoly, Scrabble and other games which are available for students to take home or play in the library. Two games can be checked out at a time for a period of three days, with one renewal available.
“So far we’ve checked out about 15 games,” said Jordan Tomchak a library technician and stack supervisor. “Right now, all the games have surveys in them so we can gather feedback about what we can change in the process.”
The survey includes rating on the difficulty of the game, as well as a suggestion area for other games that players would like the library to purchase.
Tomchak is one member of a six-person team that made the board game collection possible. His primary focus was working with former ASUI Sen. Erik Nelson. Other members of the team were responsible for the display and adding the collection to the library website.
Currently the program offers 21 games for checkout, but it is in the process of upping the collection to over 30 games, using funds allocated by ASUI in response to a bill presented by Nelson to make additional game purchases.
“The University of Idaho Library is an integral part of campus that caters to studying, socializing, and resting,” Nelson said in his bill’s statement of intent. “Board games in the library would add another social element to the library experience. These board games would also be able to leave the library and returned, aiding in student efforts to make new friends both off and on campus.”
The full collection can be browsed on the UI Library website, and offers game descriptions, rules and videos on how to play the game. Whether or not a board game is currently available for checkout can also be viewed online.
Board games are available in the UI Library for student to check out.
Alex Brizee | Argonaut
Prior to purchasing the current game collection, the library took requests for favorite board games, with Ticket to Ride and Settlers of Catan garnering the highest responses.
“We actually have two copies of Catan and then we have the European Ticket to Ride and the North American Ticket to Ride,” Tomchak said. “We tried to prepare for those to be the most popular.”
Tomchak said the project team is receptive to all kinds of feedback of all kinds regarding the collection.
“We’re really trying to be as receptive to feedback as possible,” Tomchak said. “If people have their favorite game and it’s not on there then please tell us about it, if they find that their favorite game is always checked out and they want us to buy another copy let us know.”
Preparations are currently underway for the upcoming Vandal-tine’s Day event, a chance to play board games in the library from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday.
“That’s going to be basically a Valentine’s day event, we’ll have board games and free candy,” Tomchak said. “They can come with their date, come single or come with their friends, it’s just a chance to play board games and relax.”
Ellamae Burnell can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @EllamaeBurnell