Children laughing, stones clacking, and general excitement returned to the Boulder Public Library in Colorado as the Boulder Kids and Teens Go Club had their first in-person meeting in over a year on Sunday, July 11th. Seventeen kids and about the same number of adults attended. The club moved online for the duration of the pandemic, but it was very hard to teach beginners both how to play and how to use the software at the same time, “it’s much, much, easier in person”, said club co-founder Dave Weiss. Also missing online was any ability to find new players, and the club has always relied on curious passersby in the Children’s Department to reach new kids. “The children’s area is a really important community hub,” said Children’s Library Specialist Ruth Smith, adding that she loved seeing all the families return to the library. Now in its 17th year, the club was forced to celebrate both its 16th and 17th year anniversaries online. Weiss bought two cakes and ice cream to mark the return to in-person play.
The club sent out a press release to mark their return, and the Boulder Daily Camera sent a reporter. The club was on the front page the next day, the article can be seen here.
Boulder County is 78% vaccinated, and many parts of the city are closing in on 90% vaccinated. State and county health officials all felt safe resuming much of normal life after the pandemic shut down so much. Colorado policy is now that masks are optional, and recommended only for unvaccinated people. As the vaccines are only available for ages 12 and up, most club attendees were still masked. Library staff all decided to wear masks as well, so the kids didn’t feel singled out. Kids did take their masks off to enjoy cake and ice cream, but most were masked for the bulk of their visit. -Story and photo by club co-founder Paul Barchilon
