Library to host regular D&D programming

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Come, young adventurers one and all, for the Strathmore Municipal Library has posted quests to undertake.

Laura Henderson, public services manager with the library, explained regularly hosted Dungeons and Dragons sessions have begun at the facility, having begun as of Oct. 20. 

“It’s just a drop-in program, and so youth can come and join this, and we have a couple of really great Dungeon Masters who have built some fantastic worlds,” she said.

The library itself already has the majority of materials that any interested youth – the target audience being largely between 12 and 18 years of age, would need to begin playing the games, from books, to dice, to character sheets, as well as an assortment of miniatures.

Volunteer Dungeon Masters, including Josie Glasrud, who initiated the idea to begin hosting the program, will also be well equipped to guide prospective adventurers on their journeys. 

“We did do a D&D, just a one-off program earlier, either this February or the February before … and then we also did Magic the Gathering at the event and it was really popular so we considered bringing it back a number of times; we just haven’t had the capacity to do so,” explained Henderson. 

“It is a really involved game … we have a number of people on staff that know the value of the game, so when this came to me, that made it a little bit more accessible, so we were able to offer it because (Glasrud) is the volunteer who’s running it.”

The idea is for sessions to be held every Monday from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. The library will have snacks ready for participants, who may drop in whenever they like.

Henderson added in hosting regular game nights, the library wanted to focus on the educational aspect of the game, as much as the opportunity for youth to have a place to play and socialize.

“I am really excited because (Glasrud) is bringing a whole other side of the activity. We know that it already (has) these things, but she is really going to touch intentionally on the storytelling aspect, the world building, role playing, character building, all those sorts of pieces in a more intentional sort of way to bring the youth up to speed in the sense that, maybe they want to DM at some point,” she said. “(Glasrud) also has her certification for early childhood education, and she really specifically loved to work with youth.”

This program is intended to operate indefinitely so long as there continues to be volunteers to run campaigns, and there is a community excited to drop in and have a reliable space to organize and play.