Thank you for addressing it (again)(and again)(and I’m sure again). It’s a discussion we all need to be prepared to have. I’ve run into this argument before. Especially in academic libraries, the more research and stats there are the stronger the case. So while my files on video game violence and aggression are large there are many counter studies out there as well.

Thanks for pulling stats together to assist us in making these arguments.

Paul

It seems like a few years ago the framing (description of games in the library –> naysaying –> more positive examples) would have been inverted. It could have been something like “Library Wastes Taxpayer Resources on Donkey Kong.”

I think games could be used to develop useful skills, but most of us play them purely to entertain ourselves. Libraries are adding them to their collections because they are on the verge of going out of business and this is an easy way to pull up their sagging numbers. There is nothing wrong with providing an arcade in your library but it seems disingenuous to pretend that it is anything else.