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It’s a game that brings people together in a powerful and unique way. --Lucas Maxwell (MLIS’07)

Lucas Maxwell. (Provided photos)

Dungeons and Dragons (D&D), the role-playing board game that’s captivated millions of people since the 1980s, was the subject of the 2026 Dalhousie Horrocks National Leadership Lecture this February. Speaking online from the UK, Lucas Maxwell (MLIS’07), a school librarian and author, described why he believes D&D can help young people overcome many of the challenges of 21st century life.

Maxwell explained how his simple idea to help students occupy time while in the school library evolved into research, two books, and many hours of play for hundreds of British school children. As someone who first played the game with his older brother growing up in Weymouth, Nova Scotia, Maxwell says he’s “never had a program that kept kids going that long in the library… and making friends of all ages.” Something that started with six students, grew to a regular attendance of more than 100 participants, and so on.

Maxwell notes two key events in driving the popularity of the game, the Covid -9 pandemic and the release in 2016 of Stranger Things, a Netflix series where the game and themes of the show are intertwined. 

Sharing photos of students engaged in play, Maxwell, described how the game can build empathy and patience, enhance reading and creative writing skills, and help quell anxiety. “It’s a game that brings people together in a powerful and unique way,” he says.

Named UK School Librarian of the Year in 2017 and recipient of the British Empire Medal in 2024 for his contribution to libraries and education, Maxwell has written two books to help those who aren’t as familiar with board games and D&D: Let's Roll: A Guide to Setting up Tabletop Role-Playing Games in your School or Public Library and Roll for Adventure: Tabletop Roleplaying Adventures for Your School or Public Library. 

After the talk, Sarah Horrocks, daughter of Norman Horrocks, presented the 2025 Dalhousie–Horrocks National Leadership Award to Master of Information student (and D&D player) Kelti McGloin. Kelti, who is studying in the combined MI/Law program, says that the program and support she received has “completely changed my life,” adding that this award will help her achieve her dream of becoming a law librarian.

Watch the full lecture and learn more about how you can use dungeons and dragons in your own curriculum below.