Library versus School Chess

All Things Chess
1

It is not totally uncommon for a library [although it may not be local to you] to offer up a chess program. This could just be a program time and area where chess is played, or it could be an organized instructional (usually with a fee) program.

On the other hand there are chess programs & clubs in schools. These can be unorganized play, organized play, and even instructional. It is possible that a fee may be involved.

In both cases there always needs to be someone behind the program to run it or gather support for it.

The purpose of this post is to find out how people feel about each of the various programs [school and library], how useful they think each kind of program can be, the various benefits and detractions to the programs available, the obvious problems with availability of any program, and how you would or might compare programs from different sources.

Please identify if you are a player, a teacher, a chess coach, a chess parent (etc.) when you make comments and remarks. Thank you.

Best “Chess” Regards
Lawrence Cohen

2

I had my first TDing experience long before I was a TD with a Saturday scholastic tournament at our county library branch in town up in Washington state. (I was a USCF member, but didn’t know a thing about being a TD or attending or running tournaments. I just liked casual play and thought that a chess tournament would be a fun thing to do.) Looking back on the experience, I hope I wasn’t stepping on any local scholastic toes. That was back in 1999 or 2000.

We had around 8 or 10 kids attend, and I felt that it was a successful event. If I had required USCF membership and rated play, I doubt anyone would have shown. Another good part of the setup was that setting it up only required my talking to the librarian. She said, “Great!” and we picked a date and did it. This was in a town of 3000 people (and that census count reflected the inmates at the minimum security prison in town…)

I left that town shortly after that, a little sad that I wouldn’t have more time to run more tournaments or form a club. When I left town, I donated over 50% of my chess library to the library… Never knew if they kept the books (but they didn’t have a book sale program then.)

I’d say, from back then, that Libraries had the advantage of not having to integrate into the school system. (Don’t have to convince educators/administrators that having a program is worthwhile, have a teacher-sponsor, paying for tournament space, etc.) The library was one of the major centers of things to do in the town, even though it was a small branch. (A bowling alley that opened/closed/opened/closed, two restaurants, a video rental store, a theatre, the schools, six churches, and the library. That about sums up the town’s social life. And it was steadily declining from it’s heyday, then.)

On the other hand, now as a TD with BNASC, while we bemoan low attendance tournaments of 180 and that less than half the schools in town have chess programs, there is no doubt that a strong school system can provide continuity and the ability to get the word out through the schools. I couldn’t have run a 10 board tournament in the library.

Still, I miss that part of that time in the small town.

3

Thank you for sharing the experiences. I must add that the major problem is just getting a program going. As you pointed out there is the need for the scholastic advisor. Also, both have potential problems with the site. There is the issue of hours, and possibly personnel.

I think I should add in the idea of comparing park district programs as well. For 30 years I helped run the chess club in the town where I grow up, even though it involved minimum of a hour drive to get there. I recently [last 6-8 months] closed down the club, but the village itself had already started running tournament once ever 3-4 months. Also, the local library had on and off run an instructional chess program. I also, recall back in the early-mid 1970s a chess tournament held at a forest preserve shelter. However, this discussion is not meant to be about tournaments, but about the various chess programs that are available.

Best “Chess” Regards,
Larry S. Cohen

4

I think chess clubs and tournaments for kids in libraries is a great idea. Another place where tournaments have been run in Massachusetts is Burger King and Papa Gino’s restaurants. The site is free because the restaurant managers figure the tournaments will bring in business. Yet another place is book stores. These are entry level tournaments where the playing conditions aren’t always ideal but the locations are convenient for kids in that area. The main problem is finding people to run these programs who aren’t already overcommitted to other chess endeavors.

As for stepping on the toes of scholastic organizers, there’s nothing wrong with a little competition, but you should try not to hold your events on the same days as other junior/scholastic tournaments. In New England we have a New England Tournament Clearinghouse which is maintained by Ken Ballou and there’s a tournament calendar on the MACA web site. I assume there are similar things in other parts of the country: regional clearinghouses and tournament calendars on state association web sites.

5

I run multiple club tournaments for our high school chess club in our usual meeting place–the school library. In fact, we’ll be holding a blitz knockout tournament next week. We have around 40 students who are members. Of that, 20 to 25 show up each week. About 18 to 22 can be expected to do a tournament. Those that don’t play a tournament either kibbitz or play chess with other available classmates.

6

The Vancouver Washington Chess Club meets on Mondays 5-7:45pm in the new 5 story downtown library. There are several meeting rooms in the building.