The Adventuring Librarian

Librarians may take on the role of GM or outsource the role to an experienced volunteer. In some instances, librarians could provide youth who are interested in learning how to GM the opportunity to become the group's storyteller.

Episodic vs. Campaign Programs

Programs geared towards teens or children should be episodic - beginning and ending in a single session - in the event that players cannot attend every session. The downside, however, is that the GM may need to speed players through various parts of the session, potentially missing out on important role-playing moments and other key details.

Character Creation

Librarians should consider using pre-generated characters, which many TRPG basic or quick-start sets come with (plus, the Internet is full of resources!). Librarians may also consider hosting character building nights to teach prospective players how to build their own characters and develop backstories. The benefit to this is it prepares players for future campaigns.

A Case Study

Hutton, a teen librarian, experienced a slow start to his program with only three or four committed teens attending regularly. Over time, Hutton's group grew to roughly fifteen teens.

Eventually, the group needed to be split into two separate groups to accommodate increased attendance.

As a result of the program, Hutton has recorded several observations.

• Teens who attended the program regularly socialized with each other, even if they did not know one another previously.
• Players who showed an interest in the game often purchased their own dice sets and rulebooks, if they could afford to do so.
• Teens who attended regular sessions were often found reading the rulebooks in their free time while devising ideas for play and character creation.
• Teens often worked with each other in preparation of game sessions.