By Julian Butcher
Want to learn a fun fact? John Spilsbury, a British cartographer and engraver, is credited with the invention of the jigsaw puzzle in 1766. He made wooden cutouts from a world map for teaching children geography, calling them “dissected maps.” He and his wife, Sarah May, turned it into a business, selling maps of the continents, England and Wales, Ireland, and Scotland. After his death in 1769, Sarah May married John’s apprentice, Harry Ashby, who continued the business. The teaching practice was so popular, these puzzles were used to teach the children of King George III and Queen Charlotte.
In addition to fun facts, the Wayland Free Public Library is quite fond of puzzles and games! We keep an ongoing Community Puzzle in the north wing, which anyone can spend some time with when they come to visit. Sometimes it takes a little while to complete; sometimes it is practically done the same day we set it up!
This summer we ran a Puzzle Race where teams of five compete to assemble the same 500-piece puzzle in the fastest time. The winners (46 minutes and 20 seconds!) came prepared with sorting trays and a collaborative attitude. It was so popular, you get to look forward to it seasonally! We are also hosting a regular Puzzle Swap, where you can trade in your tired jigsaws for fresh ones. Keep an eye on our library calendar of events (or ask us to subscribe you to our newsletter) for these and more programs.
And if board and card games are more your speed, check out our Game Group! Folks gather twice a month to play tabletop games. Attendees are invited to bring tabletop games from their collection to teach and play with the group.We also have a growing collection of board games in our Library of Things, including modern party games and strategy games alongside classics like chess and mahjong.
How about video games? We have recently expanded our collection of games for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch: Super Mario Odyssey, 2K25, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II… We even added a PS5
