Convention Planning: The Convention Library

Are you thinking of starting your own convention? That is amazing! From my experience, it is a fun and stressful labor of love that becomes more rewarding with each passing event. While we are always learning and growing, we can share what we have learned so far. Hopefully, this series of articles can help you create something people will be excited about! This post talks about the ins and outs of our convention library, which is not to be confused with our shared library.

The convention library is always a fan favorite and has definitely had an evolution over the many years we have been running our events. Read on to find out more!

History

When we had our first event, there was a meager convention library that was mostly contributions from the three co-founders. This library lived along side our shared library (a library where our attendees share their games with other attendees).

Before the event, we put a call out for donations from our small but growing community. This was hugely successful for us as many answered the call! We would add the items to our Board Game Geek collection and immediately put them out for use. At the end of the event we boxed up all the games and store them in our houses.

This cycle continued for the first few events, growing our library organically over time. On top of that, the more of a foothold we got with our sponsors the more new games would be donated from them for the library. This definitely helped the library feel a little more fresh.

We eventually got to a place where putting the library in boxes was not sustainable. We ended up picking up very sturdy wire shelving that had casters. This way we could wheel them around. Eventually running out of room in our houses to store the ever growing library we ended up having to rent a storage facility near our events.

We tried to balance the size of library against ability to move and store it. We stopped asking for donations because we simply had too many games. We still get donations every event, which we greatly appreciate.

Current Implementation

Our implementation is ever evolving and improving. We changed a lot about our library at our last event, most of it proving very successful. The following is what we currently use/do as of this writing. Here are some quick stats:

• 8 shelves: 48” x 18” x 72” + caster height

• About 100 games per shelf

• Kept in climate controlled storage unit

Storage & Moving

Includes all information about how we handle the logistics of storying and moving our library for our events.

Shelving

We originally bought our shelves in 2018, at that time the best deal we could find for heavy duty shelving was through Costco.com. We have 8 shelves, which can store about 100 games per shelf. We label each shelf with the section of the alphabet they hold. Some quick pros and cons about this shelving.

• Pros:

  • Sturdy

  • Movable

  • Large

  • Flexible shelf height

• Cons:

  • Weight of board games on casters

  • Overall height (Requires us renting the largest U-Haul truck for door height).

There may be better deals out there, but make sure the tube width is the 1” kind, the smaller stuff won’t be sturdy enough to hold the weight of board games. Compare the weight capacity of the different shelving units as you search.

The flexibility of the shelf height is great, allowing for a shorter shelf height at the top for smaller games and slowly getting higher until the bottom shelf for larger games. Make sure not to make the shelves too top heavy, keeping the heavier games at the bottom.

If I were looking for shelving now, I would probably look for something that isn’t quite as tall to avoid having to rent the biggest truck all the time.

Netting

To keep the games from falling off the shelving during move-in and move-out, we use plastic poultry netting. To attach the netting to the shelving we use velcro ties which can be reused. This allows us to easily detach the front netting for game access. We keep the top of the netting attached, then roll it up to place it on top of the shelving during the event.

Covering

To protect from rain during move-in and move-out, we got covers for the shelving. Because of all the zippers, it is easy to unzip the front sides and roll it to the top of the shelving like we do with the netting.

Containers

To keep all the smaller games from shifting around too much, we have plastic latch containers we put them in.

Casters

The casters that come with the shelves lasted us about 2 or 3 events. If you diligently keep the wheels tight on the shelves, and maybe use some blue threadlocker to keep them in place, they will probably last longer. Don’t get the red liquid threadlocker as it completely locks the threads in place and you won’t be able to get the wheel out if you need to.

We didn’t know this, so the caster would come loose a little and the screw would bend. We wanted more smooth/durable casters, so we bought these replacements. They are expensive, but have been very good. They are dual locking, which means when you lock them (push down on the tab thingy) both the wheel rolling and rotation lock. This is very helpful with how much weight is on the shelving.

One of the benefits of buying these replacement casters was we were able to color code front and back of the shelving by getting two different color wheels. This is a very minor thing, but does make things a little easier, with not much more effort.

Just watch the overall height of your shelves for two reasons. First would be making them too top heavy/easy to tip. Second would be the height to get your shelves into whatever it is you are using to move them.

We keep old casters that are still in good shape. We do this incase any of the new ones fail, and we need to replace them on the fly.

Storage Facility

Our library outgrew our personal storage space, so we found a climate controlled space near our events. It also happens to be where we rent our truck from to move the shelves making it very convenient.

Truck Rental

Having a truck with a built-in ramp or lift gate is ideal. There is far too much weight on these to do anything else. A lift gate would be the best option as it would put a lot less stress on the shelving, but not having access to one of those is a limiting factor for us. The casters most often get damaged from the way in or out of the truck. Definitely keep an eye on them!

Because of the height of our shelves we have to rent the largest U-Haul truck. While this isn’t a huge issue, it is a bit of a waste. It might be nice to have shorter shelving and a smaller truck rental.

Make sure you lock the casters (dual locking casters really pay off here) and strap the shelving down. The less they can move the better.

Moving Labor

Finally, we come to the physical labor. Up until the last couple of events we had been moving these shelves ourselves (with volunteer help). We made the decision to get temporary moving help that the U-Haul site offers. This has proven to be well worth the money.

Since our storage and our events are so close together, we get the movers to help for about 2 hours for both move-in and move-out. This way they can help us load from the storage unit and then drive to the event and help us unload. We haven’t had to lift anything for the last two events, and my back is extremely thankful.

Growing

We want to try and keep our collection fresh and appealing for our attendees. These are the steps we take to do that.

Donations

While we no longer ask for donations, attendees still donate to our library regularly. We always take them. Not because we are greedy, but because we have great connections to make sure their games are put to good use.

During an event we take donations as people drop them off. They are not immediately put into our library, but are recorded. After the event we check to see if we want to add them to our library. We do this by checking if we already have it. If we don’t we check to make sure it is appropriate for our library. Is it family friendly? Is it likely to get played? Is there room for it?

If we say yes to all of these questions then we add it. If we decide that it isn’t right for our library, we find good homes for them. This could be schools, libraries, or any of our other various contacts that can use a good donation!

Sponsors

The best way we get new and fresh games for our library is from our various sponsors. Their contributions keep our library relevant in the ever changing world of board games.

Purchases

When we find we are missing some key games we will purchase games. These are usually notable titles that are in constant longterm demand that will fill out our library.

Placement

This was one of our most recent changes. Because our event does not close over night, we always want to keep access to our library open. We had been keeping it in a play room, but decided to move it to a more open and central location. This proved highly successful, as everyone commented on the new location.

It is now in the lobby right across from our registration area is. This not only makes it more visible for the attendees, but allows us to see how much it is being used.

We line up the shelves so they are in alphabetical order to help make it easy to find/return items.

Tracking

Keeping track of our library is another place where we have recently changed our approach. Here are all the ways we are tracking our convention library, both for ourselves and for our attendees.

BGG

We added all the titles to our Board Game Geek collection so attendees can look at what we have before coming to the event. We keep this current and do inventory checks every few events.

Labelling

In order to help track play and make sure attendees return items where they came from, each title gets a label for it which has a QR code. We only care about the title, and not unique IDs as we only care about how much a particular game is being played.

We prep all new additions before the next event, then before the beginning of the event we have our volunteers punch (if needed), apply the all the labels, and add them to the appropriate shelf.

Checkouts

We have a tablet next to our library with a scanner. The tablet displays a google form. The form takes the game title (which can be scanned via the QR code), the number of players, and the person checking it out (again able to scan via a QR code on their badge).

Culling

We decided that we only want 8 shelves of games. This is mostly due to the size of our event and the space we have to display the games. We have been at 8 shelves for several years now. We get enough donations where we have started actively culling our library to keep it current and fresh.

The main purpose of the library labels and checkout is to see what games are being played. This way we can make decisions about what games should stay and what should go.

Move-in/out Procedures

Here is a quick checklist of what we do when moving our shelves:

• Packing

  • Make sure all games are horizontal

  • Spread games out evenly on shelves

  • Make sure no games can tip onto their sides

  • Put smaller games into latched containers

  • Make sure casters are in good shape, replace as needed

  • Use velcro ties to securely attach netting to shelf

  • Zip up the cover

• Moving

  • Try and keep it as smooth as possible

  • Strap down in truck

  • Arrange in alphabetical order

  • Make sure fronts are facing out

• Unpacking

  • Unzip cover for front of shelf

    • Leave top attached

    • Roll up

    • Put on top of shelf

  • Take velcro ties off front netting

    • Leave top attached

    • Roll up

    • Put on top of shelf

  • Take small games out of containers

    • Put containers on top of shelf

  • Make sure all games are visible from front

Lessons Learned

Here are some overall lessons we learned as we have evolved over time:

• Always boxing and moving was a pain. We went with shelves that allowed us to keep everything on them.

• The first year we didn’t have netting. That was awful, the netting greatly improved the movability of the games without falling everywhere.

• The first pass we used zip ties instead of velcro ties. This was extremely wasteful as we had to keep cutting the zip ties and applying new ones.

• Board games are heavy, don’t buy cheap casters. We got some casters that looked good off Amazon, but were made of really cheap metal and bent easily.

• I threw out my back one year. Next year we got movers, everything was much better!

• We haven’t labelled the outside of the covers, but that will be happening for the next event.

Takeaways

Building and maintaining a convention library is a long-term project, but one that adds immense value to your event. Here are a few core takeaways:

• Plan for growth. Your library will get bigger and heavier than you expect—invest early in sturdy shelving, quality casters, and a practical storage solution.

• Prioritize logistics. Netting, covers, and strapping shelves down protect both the games and your movers. Hiring professional help can save backs (and friendships).

• Keep it fresh. Use attendee donations, sponsors, and strategic purchases to maintain a relevant, appealing collection. Balance growth with active culling.

• Make it accessible. Clear placement, labels, and a simple checkout system ensure attendees can easily find, use, and return games.

• Learn and adapt. Every event teaches you something new—be willing to refine your systems, from shelving choices to tracking methods.

Above all, remember that the library isn’t just about storing games—it’s about creating a smooth, enjoyable experience for your attendees and your team.

If you have anything that works great for you please reach out and let us know!