Dragons in the Stacks
A Teen Librarian's Guide to Tabletop Role-Playing
by Steven A. Torres-Roman and Cason E. Snow
October 2014, 212pp, 6 1/8x9 1/4
1 volume, Libraries Unlimited

Paperback: 978-1-61069-261-8
$50, £39, 44€, A69
eBook Available: 978-1-61069-262-5
Please contact your preferred eBook vendor for pricing.

This book covers the entire gamut of information for librarians looking to incorporate role-playing games into their libraries—all in one volume.

A one-stop, complete guide to tabletop role-playing games for novice librarians as well as seasoned players.

Tabletop role-playing games (RPGs) are a perfect fit for library teen services. They not only hold great appeal for teen patrons, but also help build important skills ranging from math and literacy to leadership and dramatics. Role-playing games are cost-effective too. Dragons in the Stacks explains why RPGs are so effective at holding teenagers’ attention, identifies their specific benefits, outlines how to select and maintain a RPG collection, and demonstrates how they can enhance teen services and be used in teen programs. Detailed reviews of role-playing games are included as well, with pointers on their strengths, weaknesses, and library applications. Coauthored by an experienced young adult librarian and an adult services librarian, this is the definitive guide to RPGs in the library, and the only one currently available.

Features

  • Discusses collection development, cataloging, and programs for teens
  • Supplies detailed reviews of scores of popular and less well-known role-playing games
  • Outlines a variety of affordable, effective programs for teens that involve role-playing tabletop games
Steven A. Torres-Roman, MLIS, is teen librarian at DeKalb Public Library, DeKalb, IL. He has worked extensively with teens and literacy for the last ten years, and is the author of Libraries Unlimited's Read On ... Science Fiction: Reading Lists for Every Taste. Torres-Roman holds a master of arts degree in English in addition to his master's degree in library and information sciences.

Cason E. Snow, MLIS, is metadata librarian/cataloger at University of Maine, Orono. He is the author of several articles on role playing in libraries including "Playing with History: A Look at Video Games, World History, and Libraries"; "Tabletop Fantasy RPGs: Tips for Introducing Role-Playing Games in Your Library"; and "Dragons in the Stacks: An Introduction to Role-Playing Games and Their Value to Libraries." He received a master's degree in library and information science from the University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee and a master of arts degree in history from Northern Illinois University.

Awards

ENnie Awards Judges' Spotlight Winner—EN World, June 30, 2015

Reviews

". . . [E]xcellent, user-friendly resource, especially recommended for librarians interested in incorporating table-top role-playing into the library's schedule of youth activities!"—Midwest Book Review, December 1, 2014

"For libraries looking to get started in programming gaming, this is a valuable resource."—VOYA, March 23, 2015

"[Librarians] who are just experimenting with the medium will see [this] as an invaluable guide, and even those seasoned pros could use it as a handy desk reference."—School Library Journal, April 1, 2015
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