Has your library run innovative programs or other offerings that take advantage of the playful arts*? Successful or not, we want to hear from you.
* ‘Playful arts” = non-electronic games, videogames, toys, puzzles, etc.
For Melbourne International Games Week (early October 2025), City of Melbourne is holding a Library Play Day at the new narrm ngarrgu Library, building on last year’s successful showcase of playful programs. The 2025 event will include a formal professional development component in partnership with PLV, including a libraries-only introductory panel discussing the contents of the day and how libraries can explore and take advantage of the different kinds of programs showcased, plus panels specifically about play in libraries.
One of those panels will consist of Victorian libraries discussing their original playful offerings and how they advance one or more (or all!) of the three major streams of library work: enabling access to culture, information, and learning; fostering multiple literacies; and building stronger communities. We are aware of a number of programs that fit this description, but we also know that these programs tend to be a bit experimental and might not always have a high public profile. We also understand that, by the nature of innovation, not all experiments are 100% successful – but failed experiments can have as much to teach as successful ones.
If your library offers unusual programs, facilities, collections, or anything that makes use of the playful arts, and/or uses play itself as an enabler and motivator of learning and discovery, we would love to hear about it and hear how it went. We’re especially interested in programs that are not child-only – whether all-ages or family-focused, or specifically targeting adult audiences.
If you would be willing to put together a presentation/poster, and/or to be a panellist at our Play Day professional development, please contact Philip Minchin at [email protected]. (If you’re not quite ready to present, but have some ideas or experiences you’d like to share, please also get in touch!)
Professional development opportunity coming in early October
As noted above, there will be a professional development opportunity for libraries interested in the playful arts coming in early October! Date to be finalised in consultation with the Games for Change Festival, but likely to be Thursday 2 October or Friday 3 October 2025.