Level Up! GameRT Reboots with Fresh Backing from Cards Against Humanity

The Games and Gaming Round Table of the American Library Association proudly endorses its yearly grant initiative, enabling libraries to establish gaming programs or collections for their patrons. This year, GameRT has augmented the “Game On!” grant amount, providing $2,000 to be awarded to assist a library or libraries in forming gaming programs or collections for their communities.

The award this year includes a $1000 match donation from Cards Against Humanity, which also introduced their CAH Loves Libraries website last year. Their backing will maintain an additional $1,000 in grant funds for awards from 2025-2029. Eliot Weinstein, co-founder of Cards Against Humanity, mentions, “By participating in the ALA’s Annual convention as a company for the first time this past June, we witnessed the outstanding efforts GameRT and other ALA divisions undertake! Sadly, the notion of libraries as places of intellectual development, the safety and livelihood of librarians, and the liberty to read itself are currently under threat in various regions of our nation. Now is the perfect moment to communicate to librarians (and the organizations that back them) that we stand by you.”

LeeAnn McNabb, Chair of the 2024 Game On! Grant Committee, commented on the grant, “The Game On! Grant presents a tremendous opportunity for GameRT to assist libraries in providing gaming experiences to their communities. The grant committee seeks applicants who will introduce new and sustainable programs and/or collections to their institutions. We encourage applicants to inform us how their proposed program or collection will benefit their community. The committee looks forward to evaluating the grant applications and is eager to identify the next recipient(s) of the Game On! Grant, promoting the love of gaming in 2025.”

ALA members in good standing who are currently employed at a public, school, academic, or special library in the United States or Canada are qualified to apply. Libraries must demonstrate a plan for a sustainable gaming program funded by the grant, along with financial need and institutional backing for the proposed endeavor. Grant applicants can find more information regarding eligibility and criteria, including the evaluation rubric on the Game On! Grant page of the GameRT website.

The deadline for submitting applications is March 10, 2025, and the grant recipient will be announced at GameRT’s “ALA Play” event during the 2025 ALA Annual conference in Philadelphia in June. Additional details and an application can be accessed online at https://games.ala.org/game-on-grant/.

About the Games and Gaming Round Table

The Games and Gaming Round Table (GameRT) of the American Library Association offers a platform for librarians interested in the application of games and gaming within libraries of all types to convene and engage. Established in 2011, GameRT replaced and expanded the existing gaming member interest group. As a round table, GameRT revolves around our collective enthusiasm for games and the integration of gaming in libraries. With members from various library types, GameRT represents a broad spectrum of perspectives, circumstances, and user demographics. For more information, check out the GameRT blog.

About ALA

Founded in 1876, the American Library Association (ALA) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to providing leadership for the development, promotion, and enhancement of library and information services as well as the profession of librarianship to improve learning and guarantee information access for everyone.