Summit Library provides a wealth of materials and services to satisfy its community’s intellectual, social, and recreational pursuits. Did you know that hosting monthly trivia nights is one of these? This workout for your brain is available at many kinds of venues, but our games rival the best of them, and they are completely free. Besides being fun, playing trivia improves memory, boosts problem-solving skills, and promotes social interaction. So, as Nike says, “Just Do It.” (Oops-that’s an answer to one of our trivia questions). 
I began creating and leading trivia games many years ago. Pre-pandemic games were in person. Covid, however, brought us all online for a while, and once the players experienced how enjoyable it is to play against others from home, they preferred to remain playing online. Can you blame them? Although I can’t see the players, I imagine they are dressed in their most comfortable clothes with an array of refreshments nearby, discussing answers with their teammates as loudly as they wish without fear of giving answers away to opponents. Plus, the weather is never unpleasant at home! We have some families playing together as a team and some as rivals. It’s a fun, stimulating way to interact with others on a Friday night from the comfort of your own home.
When I first realized that I would have to bring the games onto Zoom, I not only needed to become well-versed in the features of this platform, but I also had to ascertain how to keep players engaged, keep the game lively, and use appropriate timing with no visual clues from the players. I recruited my own extended family to practice on and see how things work online. I will often interject anecdotes and silly jokes to keep the game animated. I try to avoid repeating questions, to conceive quirky categories, and to provide enriching entertainment for all who participate.
If you are interested in giving it a whirl, you can register for an upcoming game on our Events calendar: https://summitlibrary.libcal.com/event/10339456. We host Trivia Night one Friday night a month at 7:00PM. Our next game is on March 10. We’d love to have you!
— Mary Piekarski, Reference Librarian