Games & Gaming Round Table Celebrates the 2026 Game On! Grant recipients - Jefferson High School Library (IL) and Denton Public Library (TX)

The Games & Gaming Round Table (GameRT) of the American Library Association is pleased to announce TWO recipients of the 2025 Game On! Grant! GameRT introduced the Game On! grant program in 2020 with the intention of providing libraries with the opportunity to receive funds to develop gaming programs or collections for their community. The grant program allows GameRT to annually award one grant of $2000 or two separate grants of $1000. GameRT funds $1000 of the grant award, which is currently being matched by Cards Against Humanity (CAH), who have provided a donation to fund an additional $1000 annually toward the Game On! Grant for 5 consecutive years. Award years 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, and 2029 will include this amount. Please read more about why CAH supports libraries in this blog interview.

Jefferson High School Library (IL) will use grant funds ($1000) to create a Read the Story/BE the Story program designed to create a bridge between literacy and gameplay. This school district serves a population where over 70% of the student body is identified as “low income”. Recognizing that tabletop RPGs provide a lot of benefits, but can require entry costs that their students would find challenging, this high school library is creating an innovative program by investing both in tabletop RPG, specifically D&D, materials as well as a number of fantasy novels set in the campaign setting worlds for the game such as the Forgotten Realms or Eberron. The program is intended to help students attracted by the game to discover a love of literacy and reading through the novels, and, vice versa, those interested in reading the novels to discover within themselves the ability to write and create their own stories and govern their own destinies.

The Denton Public Library (TX) will also receive $1000 in grant funds to build a pilot RPG outreach program focused particularly on residents of the Denton County Juvenile Detention Facility. The Denton Public Library already works with the Juvenile Detention Facility on outreach programs such as summer reading, but they hope this program will help residents gain or grow skills related to problem solving, creativity, collaboration, patience, social interaction, and positive behavioral change. If successful, they hope to expand this program in the future to other community organizations that serve at-risk youth and teens.

Joshua Newport, Chair of the Game On! Grant Committee said, “The Game On! Grant committee is thrilled to have additional grant funds this year, thanks to a donation from Cards Against Humanity. Their support enables us to help make gaming happen in even more libraries! The hardest thing about being on the grant committee is having to narrow the applicants down to one or two recipients because there are so many great ideas out there and just as many deserving libraries. This year’s recipients had a very strong focus on their community and highlighted specific demographics that need additional support, while building programs that will end up supporting their communities at large. We look forward to hearing the stories that these libraries will work together with their communities to tell!”

Visit the GameRT website for more information on the Game on! Grant and the application process.

About the Games and Gaming Round Table 

The Games and Gaming Round Table (GameRT) of the American Library Association provides a venue for librarians interested in the use of games and gaming in libraries of all types a place to gather and share. GameRT was formed in 2011, replacing and extending the pre-existing gaming member interest group. As a round table, GameRT is built around our shared passion for games and the use of gaming within libraries. With members from all types of libraries, GameRT encompasses a wide variety of viewpoints, situations, and user types. Look for more information on the GameRT blog.

About ALA

Established in 1876, the American Library Association (ALA) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization created to provide leadership for the development, promotion, and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.