OUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO THE BOROUGH OF KINGS
COURIER LIFE, NOV. 27-DEC. 3, 2020 21
BY ROSE ADAMS
The Brooklyn Public Library began
lending out board games in its
Prospect Heights and Crown Heights
branches this month, allowing patrons
to check out their favorite brain
teasers for up to three weeks, according
to a library rep.
The long-awaited Board Game Library
offers more than 80 titles for
players of all ages, including favorites
such as Monopoly, Settlers of Catan,
and 7 Wonders.
Members can sift through the library’s
online catalogue — which sorts
the games according to their diffi culty
level, game play style, and age group —
to fi nd their favorite brain twister, or
to discover a new game they’d like to
try.
To reserve a game, patrons must
place a hold online. When the game is
available, members must select a time
to pick it up from either the Central
Branch by Grand Army Plaza or the
Crown Heights Branch on New York
Avenue.
Up to three games can be checked
out at a time.
The Board Game Library was
slated to be rolled out last spring, but
was delayed because of the COVID-19
outbreak. In light of the virus, games
will be quarantined in between check
outs, and members must pick up the
games in the library’s lobby while
wearing a mask.
Game-lovers who prefer to stay
home can attend the library’s virtual
gaming events, such as online chess
lessons and video game tournaments.
A Brooklyn Public Library spokeswoman
told Brooklyn Paper last year
that the library chose the games by
asking members what they’d be most
excited to take home.
“The librarians who developed the
proposal surveyed patrons to learn
what games they liked, what games
would be good for children, and what
games they would be interested in
checking out,” said Fritzi Bodenheimer.
And though the coronavirus outbreak
may have delayed the initiative’s
launch, one librarian praised
the timing of the program’s debut, arguing
that the board games will provide
patrons with needed respite as
they quarantine.
“The pandemic created an environment
where people are more in need
than ever of new ways to interact with
each other in isolation,” said Benjamin
Perry. “Games can help us to relax and
try something new, either alone, or
with one another, can give parents a
short break while kids are entertained,
and for younger patrons can even complement
their schoolwork.”
Ready player?
Library launches board game loan program
GAME ON: Benjamin Perry, Deidra Gadson, and Jason Woodland pose in front of an array of
board games at the Brooklyn Public Library Central Branch. Photo by Caroline Ourso