Tag games

A crowd of teens stands in line at HCLS Elkridge Branch.

Teen Live! in 2025

dbosilovich Leave a comment
A crowd of teens stands in line at HCLS Elkridge Branch.
Teen Live! at the Elkridge Branch of HCLS in 2024.

by Deborah B.

You work at the Elkridge Library?” asked a woman attending her child’s soccer game. “I must tell you, my son loved, absolutely loved, that Teen Live event you did last month. He hasn’t stopped talking about it! Will there be more?” 

“Can you do more Teen Lives? Please,” begged a girl at Mayfield Woods Middle School. “Can you do one here?” asked a nearby teacher.  

No, we cannot do one at a school but can and are doing Teen Live at the branches again this spring. It’s no wonder Howard County teens loved Teen Live – it’s the ultimate after-school escape, where fun, food, and friends come together for an unforgettable experience! 

A boy with dark hair and glasses, wearing an orange T-shirt, gets ready to shoot a small basketball.

Designed by teens for teens, Teens Live is a smorgasbord of excitement, offering everything from free pizza to anime, arcade games, and larger-than-life activities. Whether you’re a gamer, an artist, a music lover, or just someone looking for a cool place to hang out, Teen Live has something for you. 

Shoot hoops, compete in Nintendo Switch and PS5 game tournaments, or unleash your creativity at arts and crafts stations. Anime fans can bond over their favorite shows, discover new series, and join themed activities. Every branch session is packed with energy, laughter, and new opportunities to connect with like-minded peers in a welcoming space. 

But that’s not all — Teen Live 2025 amps up the awesome with branch specific feature events from music and interactive performances to live demonstrations of technology and creative challenges. See and sample the shiny new contraptions, gadgets, and equipment Teen Live events are introducing. It’s the perfect place to relax, have fun, and explore new interests, all while enjoying free pizza. 

No need to bring anything—just show up, bring your friends, and get ready for an epic time at the library! Join one or more of these sessions:

Sat, Mar 8 | 2 – 4 pm at HCLS Savage Branch
Sat, Apr 5 | 3 – 5 pm at HCLS Central Branch
Tue, Apr 15 | 2 – 4 pm at HCLS Elkridge Branch
Mon, Apr 21 | 3 – 5 pm at HCLS Miller Branch
Wed, May 7 | 12:30 – 3:30 pm at HCLS Glenwood Branch
Wed, Jun 11 | 4 – 6 pm at HCLS East Columbia Branch

Deborah B. is a Teen Instructor and Research Specialist at the Elkridge Branch. Reading is her cardio.

Finding Community and Connection at the Library

emilyhcls Leave a comment
An older woman in a striped shirt helps a younger woman start a crochet project with yellow yarn.
Participants gather at HCLS Central Branch for an ongoing class focusing on knitting and needlepoint.

by Emily B.

These days, it seems more difficult than ever to find your community and make genuine connections. Over the past four years, the pandemic has re-shaped our lives. The way that we live, communicate, and connect has changed. These rapid changes led U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy to issue an advisory on the “epidemic of loneliness and isolation” in 2023.

Dr. Murthy remarked, “We’re seeing more forces that take us away from one another and fewer of the forces that used to bring us together.” Adjusting to this new social landscape is tough, especially for older Americans. It can be even more daunting without the built-in social opportunities found at work and school. Read the U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory on social connection at http://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/priorities/connection.

Part of the framework to address the loneliness epidemic calls for a strengthening of social infrastructure, which includes public libraries and senior centers. These types of physical community spaces, known as “third places,” are any social space separate from your home (first place) or work (second place).

Howard County Library System’s classes and events are a great way to connect and find a community. Here’s a sampling of some of our ongoing offerings:

If you love to read, try The Unbook Reading Group. Meeting monthly at Backwater Books in Old Ellicott City, it offers an opportunity for readers to connect and chat without the pressure of assigned reading.

Get crafty with a range of creative classes for adults at various HCLS branches. Connect and make a new craft in a supportive, friendly environment with Craft Works. Pins and Needles meets every Thursday, alternating between HCLS Central and Miller Branches. Converse with other adults
as you work on your knitting, crochet, embroidery, or sewing project.

Give Mah Jongg a try at HCLS Miller Branch. Mah Jongg Meet Up occurs twice a month, welcoming players of all experience levels. Looking to stay active? Start your Mondays off on the right foot Walking with East Columbia Branch and 50+ Center.

You can find and register for even more classes and events for adults at hclibrary.org. Enter the class name into the search bar.

  • Craft Works @ Central Branch | Dates and times vary between one Tuesday evening and one Thursday afternoon every month.
  • Walking with East Columbia & 50+ Center | Mondays; 9:30 – 10:30 am
  • Pins & Needles | Every Thursday; 10 am – 12 pm with 1st and 3rd Thursdays @ Central and 2nd and 4th & 5th Thursdays @ Miller
  • UnBook Reading Group @ Backwater Books | Wednesdays, 6:30 – 7:30 pm May 15, Jun 12
  • Mah Jongg Meetup @ Miller | 2nd and last Tuesday evenings; 6:30 – 8 pm
  • Bingo Social | Thu May 16 2 – 4 pm at Glenwood & Thu Jun 27 2 – 4 pm East Columbia

Community Building with Mah Jongg

mahjchick 2 Comments
Mah Jongg Meet Up at HCLS Miller Branch.

By Stacey F.

“We held our own with the experts!”
A favorite quote from two proud Mah Johngg Meet Up players

Note: This post refers to the American version of Mah Jongg. I have only a nodding acquaintance with Asian Mah Jongg, but I hope to learn how to play that version, too.

The community is the heart of the library – particularly since returning from the pandemic. In February 2024, we mark the second anniversary of one such community building activity: Mah Jongg Meet Up.

Growing up, my grandmother loved playing Mah Jongg with “the girls.” They would play, chat, and eat Entenmann’s snacks. While she would never let my sister or me be around when they played, she would show us her tiles and explain how to play the game. I was fascinated. When she passed away, I asked for her Mah Jongg set. I eventually joined a local group and playing regularly made me want to find (or create) a bigger community.

A group of Mah Jongg Meet Up participants stands near two tables set up with mah jongg games at a Mah Jongg Meet Up at Miller Branch.

Inspired by a friend who taught a Mah Jongg class at Carroll County Public Library, I started planning to offer something similar before the pandemic. I did not give up hope! In December 2021, I was able to host my first Mah Jongg 101 class. The response was exciting, and we held our first Mah Jongg Meet Up in February 2022. 

Then, I got a phone call from someone from Howard Community College (HCC) asking if we could meet more often. HCC offers an American Mah Jongg class, and the HCC instructors volunteered to assist with more regular playing sessions at the library. A partnership was born, and we now offer (with my colleague Julie) meetings on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month. 

I love how Meet Ups foster community within the library. Some people come by themselves, and others bring friends. What makes me kvell* is when strangers become friends and form new Mah Jongg groups. One group of friends attended an early set of Mah Jongg 101 classes then came to the monthly Meet Ups to practice. When I saw them at the library over the summer, they told me how much they love the game and meet weekly to play, then go out to lunch afterwards.

Recently, I posted about Mah Jongg 101 on Facebook and received a message from a friend from junior high. She joined with a group of friends, who enjoyed the class. They now come to Meet Ups, as well as meet on their own. They laughingly told me how they played with all of my handouts in front of them, trying to figure out what’s going on. 

Attendance and interest in Mah Jongg continues to grow. Our email reminder list includes more than 120 participants, and we routinely fill six tables. New people pop in and regulars help teach newcomers. I am truly verklempt**  about this community I helped build at the library.

*kvell – [Yiddish] to feel happy or proud  
**verklempt – [Yiddish] overcome with emotion; unable to speak

Want to learn how to play American Mah Jongg? We have an upcoming class in April. Register once for both sessions.

Want to join us for a Mah Jongg Meet Up?  We meet on the second & fourth Tuesday of the month.  Check the calendar. No registration is required.

And, of course, we’ve got books on Mah Jongg, too!   

Learn about the history of Mah Jongg with Mahjong: A Chinese Game and the Making of American Culture  by Annelise Heinz.

Want to learn to play? This is my favorite book for new players: American Mah Jongg for Everyone: The Complete Beginner’s Guide by Gregg Swain & Toby Salk.

Stacey F. is the Children’s Instruction & Research Supervisor at the Miller Branch.  She has been at HCLS since 2004 (this time) and has been playing Mah Jongg on and off since 1995, which is why she chose Mahjchick as her Girl Scout camp name. If you would like to know more about Mah Jongg, feel free to reach out: stacey.freedman@hclibrary.org 

A blue box reads "new Video Game Collection" and fades to a photo of a young person holding a PlayStation controller.

Now Lending Video Games

Admin Leave a comment
Xbox video game for FIFA23, with a soccer play in a blue uniform on the front.

As of Tuesday, December 20, Howard County Library System offers video games!

For this pilot project, we have a small selection of games for XBox, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 4 and 5. Games are rated E, E10+, and T. Here’s what you need to know: 

  • Almost everyone* can borrow games from the collection. 
  • Due to limited supply, you can borrow one item at a time. Since this collection is new and small, we want to give as many customers as possible the opportunity to borrow a video game. 
  • You can keep the game for one week and renew it for another week, if no one else is waiting for it.  
  • You can reserve one game through our catalog at hclibrary.org. 
  • Overdue fines are $1 per day, with a $10 maximum. 
  • If you don’t return a game within 28 days after it’s due, we’ll charge you the cost to replace it. So please return your game!  

Visit your library, pick up a game case, then take it to the customer service desk to get the game.  

*Games may not be borrowed with these types of library cards: Educators, Homebound, Satellite Collections, DIY, and Temporary Residents.