9 March 2018 - 5:12pm

Now you can borrow a game from the Library, just like a book!

Thanks to the generosity of Project Play, Londoners can borrow quality board games from the London Public Library to enjoy at home! Details:

More and more families and adults are choosing to spend time playing games together. It’s a great way to reduce screen time and be present and interactive with our kids and with each other. And it’s also a wonderful way to have fun and build community!

Now you can select a board game to borrow with your library card and take home to play with friends and family. Games to Go are available to borrow from most of the library’s locations and can be searched by name and location in the Library’s catalogue here. Use your Library card to check out a selected game for 7 days and return it to the same location. To avoid damage, Games cannot be returned through return chutes. Late fines apply, although Library cards for children are now fine-free. Holds are not available for games, but borrowers can call ahead to the selected location and request that the game be set aside for pick up that day. Games are geared to those 8 years and older.

For London Public Library, this new lending collection is a perfect way to support London families. Games help build skills like comprehension and problem solving. Because they’re having fun, kids are motivated to concentrate, understand and strategize. Many games also require the use of numeracy skills and help expand vocabulary, especially for those learning English. Even social skills like waiting your turn and losing gracefully are being practiced.

Perhaps the greatest benefit to playing board games is that they are a fun way to connect across age, ability, language and culture. And now Londoners, regardless of circumstance, have access to this great resource through their Library thanks to the generous support of local organization Project Play.

Project Play is a group of volunteers from London’s gaming community that has raised more than $40,000 over the years to provide games and entertainment technology to children in difficult circumstances such as in hospital or at a shelter or temporary housing. Project Play’s mission is to ensure that children and their families can tap into “the power of play” to find a bit of normalcy and fun during a rough time. Project Play organizers recently decided to retire. As they looked at winding down their organization, they approached London Public Library with the idea of a legacy project. By building a collection of quality board games that can be borrowed from the Library, Project Play is ensuring that Londoners of all ages can tap into “the power of play” for years to come!

Games to Go

(Each location has a different selection of games. Search "Games to Go" in our catalogue. You can call that location and have them set aside the game of your choice for pick up that day. Holds cannot be placed on Games to Go and they need to be returned to the location from which they were borrowed. Games to Go cannot be returned through our return chutes to avoid damage.)

Age of War

Anomia

Bohnanza

Carcasonne

Catan Family Edition

Century Spice Road

Cockroach Poker

Codenames

Concept

Coup

Dixit

Exploding Kittens

Flash Point

Forbidden Island

Ghost Blitz

King of Tokyo

Kingdomino

Love Letter

Machi Koro

One Night Werewolf

Pandemic

Patchwork

Splendor

Sushi Go

Ticket to Ride

Timeline/Cardline

Tsuro