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Some of the board games available to check out for one week at the West Slope Community Library.

(West Slope Community Library)

By PJ Bentley

When I'm helping patrons at West Slope Community Library check out materials, they usually leave with an assortment of books, DVDs, CDs and magazines. But for the past 10 months, many have been adding a board game or two into the mix. That's because we decided to try an experiment: What if we made board games available for people to borrow and take home for a week?

The results after a year: Success! The board games check out constantly, and both kids and adults are elated to find fresh titles for rebooting game nights and weekend get-togethers.

Board games fit right into the West Slope Library collection because they are more than just a fun diversion. They are an important form of unplugged recreation at a time when so much digital media is consumed passively or intended for solo use. Board games bring people together and get them talking face-to-face, and modern board games especially are designed to engage people socially and intellectually.

Educators are finding that many modern games can be aligned with the Common Core and used in the classroom, which you can learn more about at www.playplaylearn.com. Many parents are finding that family game nights are both fun and a great way to keep kids' minds active, which was the focus of the recent article "How Family Game Night Makes Kids into Better Students" from The Atlantic.

Library Assistant PJ Bentley oversees the board game collection at West Slope Community Library.

Wondering which games to play with your family or group of friends? Try some of the titles below:

Family games

For a broad age range of players, try games like Hey, That's My Fish!, Qwirkle, or Pictureka, which are easy to learn and fun for both kids and adults.

"Gateway" games

Interested in exploring the growing hobby of designer board games? Start with the classic Settlers of Catan, the elegant train game Ticket to Ride: Europe, or the civilization-building 7 Wonders.

Party games

If you're wanting something that's quick to learn and plays well with a large group, try the Charades-style game Concept, the beautifully surreal Dixit, or our most popular game, Word on the Street.

Cooperative games

If you aren't the competitive type, try a cooperative game like Pandemic, Castle Panic or Escape: The Curse of the Temple, where players work together to survive and accomplish goals.

Looking for more suggestions? Come chat with me about finding the right game for your kids, game group, or classroom, or visit westslopelibrary.org/boardgames.

PJ Bentley is library assistant at West Slope Community library and manages the library's board game collection. He is currently reading The Comic Book History of Comics and playing a lot of Carcassonne with his wife.