Since July 2011 American Library at NaUKMA launched a new program – Game Afternoon. This program aims to build and foster English language skills in a fun and competitive way. It was planned to hold meetings once a week on Tuesdays at 4p.m . But our patrons made their correction to the schedule. They are plaing wherever they got time for it. It’s nice to bring friends, family and spend an afternoon of fun in Media Room of American Library exploring our board game collection.

The American Library at NaUKMA has a collection of 15 board games. Recently we get 4 new games: Apples to Apples, Letter Roll, American Trivia Game and Qiddler.

These games were generously donated by the U. S. Embassy Kyiv.

After 18 months we like to share some statistics.

Some games have been borrowed only few times – Boggle, Quirkle, Jumbalaya, In Other Words, Great States. Another games were more popular: Thunder Stone, Word Racer, Word Shark, Amuze Amaze. They were borrowed up to 20 times.

Another grop showed better results:

Forbidden Island 20 times

Sort it Out 22 times

Scrabble 25 times

Clue 27 times

And the champion of the circulation is Monopoly. It was borrowed 120 times and we have students of economics ordering it online. May be should purchase another set of this wonderful game?

American Library Board Games Collection - New Acquisitions

American Trivia Game

The game features over 2,000 fun-filled, all-American questions in four categories-Geography, History, Arts, and General.

It's the perfect way to brush up on all the fascinating facts and figures about the United States. You'll discover: Who signed the Declaration of Independence first? Who wrote the poem "America the Beautiful"? Which team won back-to-back Super Bowls during the 1990s?

This games gives students another tool to use to learn about historical events and people. Family time or class time well spent learning about history.

2-8 players

Ages: 12 to Adult

Time: 20-30 minutes per game.

Contents: Full-color game board, , 540 playing cards, 8 playing pieces, and 30 "Uncle Sam" cards, instruction sheet.

Apples to Apples

Every player has seven red cards in their hand. They have nouns on them. Each round has a judge. The judge turns over the top green card, which contains an adjective. Each player picks the card from their hand they feel best matches the green card and plays it face down. The judge picks the red card he feels best matches the green card. There are no wrong answers! The winner becomes the judge of the next round.

4 - 10 players

Ages 12 to Adult

Time: 30 minutes per game

Contents: 756 Red Apple Cards, 252 Green Apple Cards, card tray, quick play rules.

Letter Roll

Letter Roll is a fun new twist on word games. Almost anyone can play and the only limiting factor is one’s vocabulary.

Roll the special dice and flip the timer. Players race to list words containing the three letters shown on the dice. Only words listed by a single player score points so players are rewarded for their speed and creative thinking!

2-8 players

Ages 8 to Adult

Time: 30 minutes.

Contents: Seven letter roll dice, 1 orange minute timer, 1 blue two-minute time, 4 paper pads, 4 pencils and rules.

Quiddler

Quiddler consists of 118 cards. Each card has one letter of the alphabet on it, with the exception of 10 double letter cards that feature CL, TH, IN, QU and ER. The dealer shuffles the cards and deals three to each player. In each subsequent round he deals out one more card to each person. At the beginning of the eighth and final round each person will be dealt 10 cards. Every player tries to combine all cards into words to achieve the high score.

1-8 players.

Ages :8 to Adult

Time: 40 minutes.

Contents: 118 cards and rules.

The group of students of National Academy of Managerial Staff of Culture and Arts visited American Library at Kyiv Mohyla academy. Oksana Sharyi, Reference librarian gave them the library tour and the presentation of Online Resource of eLibraryUSA available at the library.

AMERICAN LAW AS PORTRAYED IN AMERICAN FILMS

On February 13 creime drama Dead Man Walking was shown and discussed. John C. Engstrom, Resident Legal Advisor ( U.S. Embassy - Kyiv) told the audience that this film is thought-provoking and worth talking about for a long time afterward.

After film discussion lasted more than an hour. Everyone wanted to share his own opinion on death penalty, on forgiveness and revenge. 12 American Library patrons watched the film and took part in discussion. Some of them there are lawers and students of law schools. They admited that such talks are very useful in their profession.

AMERICAN UNIVEWRSITY OF PARIS

On February 4 American Library in cooperation with the Kyiv EducationUSA Advising Center, administered by the American Councils for International Education: ACTR/ACCELS, was glad to invite all those interested to attend a presentation with Mr. Randy Vener, Deputy Director of Admissions & Financial Aid at the American University of Paris.

Mr. Vener covered the following topics:

a. The American System of Education - Including the admissions process for applying to American Colleges and Universities, including those located outside the United States, and general tips on how to complete each section successfully.

b. Financial Aid - General overview and definitions of available resources, with insight into finding and qualifying for financial aid as part of the overall cost of affording an education;

c. A general presentation about The American University of Paris, an small, English-language, international university located in the center of Paris, France with students from over 100 countries.

The presentation lasted almost 2 hours. 10 students mostly of Kyiv Mohyla academy and Academy of advocacy of Ukraine listened attentively and applauded Mr. Vener. And of cause they asked a lot questions.

AFRICAN AMERICAN ACHIEVEMENTS

These are the first black Americans to realize pioneering achievements in their fields. With talent and determination, each one has reinvented not only what it means to be an African American, but also what it means to be an American. Our book dislplay is dedicated to the first African Americans to overcome the obstacles of discrimination and achieve top honors in their fields of endeavor.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH:LITEREATURE AND ARTS

This book display was prepared by American Library staff to highlight some of literature and art of the African-American experience. As it is Black History Month, we offer you to reed the following books.

JOHN ERNST STEINBECK, JR

This February we celebrate 111 th birthday of John Ernst Steinbeck, Jr. (February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) He is widely known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath (1939) and East of Eden (1952) and the novella Of Mice and Men (1937). As the author of twenty-seven books, including sixteen novels, six non-fiction books, and five collections of short stories, Steinbeck received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962.

On February 4 American Library in cooperation with the Kyiv EducationUSA Advising Center, administered by the American Councils for International Education: ACTR/ACCELS, was glad to invite all those interested to attend a presentation with Mr. Randy Vener, Deputy Director of Admissions & Financial Aid at the American University of Paris.

Mr. Vener covered the following topics:

a. The American System of Education - Including the admissions process for applying to American Colleges and Universities, including those located outside the United States, and general tips on how to complete each section successfully.

b. Financial Aid - General overview and definitions of available resources, with insight into finding and qualifying for financial aid as part of the overall cost of affording an education;

c. A general presentation about The American University of Paris, an small, English-language, international university located in the center of Paris, France with students from over 100 countries.

The presentation lasted almost 2 hours

10 students mostly of Kyiv Mohyla academy and Academy of advocacy of Ukraine listened attentively and applauded Mr. Vener. And of cause it was a lot questions.