OLYMPIA – The Washington State Library is now accepting applications for their tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) Innovation Grants for up to $2,000, which are available to any public, school, tribal, or community college libraries in Washington.Â
Applications are due by March 10, and those who receive the grants will have until September 30, 2026, to complete their projects. Previous projects have included using tabletop gaming in libraries to encourage personal and academic growth through gaming, collaborating with community partners, and creating and disseminating resources that benefit the TTRPG community in Washington libraries.
“Libraries are valuable spaces for learning and gathering,” State Librarian Sara Jones said. “The expansion of tabletop role-playing game services will allow communities to explore topics in new, meaningful ways.”Â
Recipients of 2024 TTRPG Innovation Grants are welcome to apply but should emphasize how this year’s activities will build on and be distinct from their 2024 project. Last year, 75 Dungeons & Dragons library kits were delivered to more than 50 public libraries across the state, thanks to the 2024 TTRPG Innovation Grants.
“I have been a fan of tabletop games for most of my life, so I’m overjoyed to bring this opportunity to library patrons throughout Washington,” Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said. “Dungeons & Dragons and other role-playing games provide players with fun and compelling ways, including therapeutic usages, to strategize and build relationships.” Â Â
Details can be found on the 2025 TTRPG Innovation Grant guide, including basic information about the grant, example ideas, and selection criteria. Questions about the grants should be directed to wslgrants@sos.wa.gov.
Washington tabletop industry generates more than $2 billion annually and includes many of the best-known tabletop game companies in the world including Wizards of the Coast and The Pokémon Company International.
Topics for gaming sessions at the libraries include personal and academic growth, gender identity through character creation, racism, power dynamics, and more. Library officials said tabletop gaming allows people to express their creativity, connect with people of diverse backgrounds, and improve their social and critical thinking skills, all while going on adventures and fighting dragons.
Washington’s Office of the Secretary of State oversees areas within state government including managing state elections, registering corporations and charities, and governing the use of the state flag and state seal. The office operates the State Archives and the State Library, documents extraordinary stories in Washington’s history through Legacy Washington, and administers the Combined Fund Drive for charitable giving by state employees and the Productivity Board state employee suggestion program. The Secretary of State also oversees the state’s Address Confidentiality Program to help protect survivors of crime.
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
