Comments on: When LIS Classes Game http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2007/10/27/when-lis-classes-game.html shifting libraries at the speed of byte Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:26:42 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1.2 By: Michael Wright http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2007/10/27/when-lis-classes-game.html#comment-668 Michael Wright Sun, 04 Nov 2007 20:17:39 +0000 http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2007/10/27/when-lis-classes-game.html#comment-668 That's funny. When I was a kid growing up in the 1950s I was never scared of libraries. I didn't have to be tempted with candy to go into one, and I was a typical kid. I knew that libraries were quiet places with books. It was that way in western civilization for at least 2000 years, until recently. Now we have a generation of youngsters, many of whom have attention deficit disorder. They have been raised by TVs, radios, stereos, and video games. They have been deprived of sufficient verbal attention from parents. Their moms didn't read them bedtime stories from picture books. They cannot focus their thoughts when it's quiet. This is sad, but it's not right to do away with quiet libraries in order to accommodate them. Noisy libraries are an indicator of a civilization in decline. See my website. That’s funny. When I was a kid growing up in the 1950s I was never scared of libraries. I didn’t have to be tempted with candy to go into one, and I was a typical kid. I knew that libraries were quiet places with books. It was that way in western civilization for at least 2000 years, until recently. Now we have a generation of youngsters, many of whom have attention deficit disorder. They have been raised by TVs, radios, stereos, and video games. They have been deprived of sufficient verbal attention from parents. Their moms didn’t read them bedtime stories from picture books. They cannot focus their thoughts when it’s quiet. This is sad, but it’s not right to do away with quiet libraries in order to accommodate them. Noisy libraries are an indicator of a civilization in decline. See my website.

]]> By: jenny http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2007/10/27/when-lis-classes-game.html#comment-871 jenny Mon, 26 Nov 2007 13:13:09 +0000 http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2007/10/27/when-lis-classes-game.html#comment-871 Michael, the history of the public library has changed drastically during the last 200 years. In this country, there were times children were not allowed to enter, and at other times fiction was not allowed because it rotted the minds of youth. So the results of advocating for things to go back to the way they were might surprise you and even prevent you from enjoying the library at all. The arguments you make about games are the same ones made about television, movies, and yes, at one point, books (woe, the loss of oral tradition). You are certainly entitled to your opinion, but the problems you note are not confined to kids who play video games and in fact they've been well-noted for decades about Baby Boomers, Generation Xers, and others. Finally, I've never heard a single person advocate for "getting rid of quiet libraries." What we encourage is "zones" within the library, so that there are quiet areas and non-quiet areas where *anyone* (not just "those kids today" playing video games) can collaborate, talk, and enjoy themselves without worrying about disturbing others. You don't want others to take away the things you enjoy about the library - I would hope you aren't advocating doing the same to others. Michael, the history of the public library has changed drastically during the last 200 years. In this country, there were times children were not allowed to enter, and at other times fiction was not allowed because it rotted the minds of youth. So the results of advocating for things to go back to the way they were might surprise you and even prevent you from enjoying the library at all.

The arguments you make about games are the same ones made about television, movies, and yes, at one point, books (woe, the loss of oral tradition). You are certainly entitled to your opinion, but the problems you note are not confined to kids who play video games and in fact they’ve been well-noted for decades about Baby Boomers, Generation Xers, and others.

Finally, I’ve never heard a single person advocate for “getting rid of quiet libraries.” What we encourage is “zones” within the library, so that there are quiet areas and non-quiet areas where *anyone* (not just “those kids today” playing video games) can collaborate, talk, and enjoy themselves without worrying about disturbing others. You don’t want others to take away the things you enjoy about the library - I would hope you aren’t advocating doing the same to others.

]]> By: Library Student http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2007/10/27/when-lis-classes-game.html#comment-1190 Library Student Sun, 30 Dec 2007 16:05:36 +0000 http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2007/10/27/when-lis-classes-game.html#comment-1190 Not only do I question the validity of gaming in libraries, but I definitely question its validity in library school! Forget leaving your college-aged kids aghast... what would fellow Masters students think? *Sigh* the devaluation of the MLIS continues. Not only do I question the validity of gaming in libraries, but I definitely question its validity in library school!
Forget leaving your college-aged kids aghast… what would fellow Masters students think? *Sigh* the devaluation of the MLIS continues.

]]> By: jenny http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2007/10/27/when-lis-classes-game.html#comment-1191 jenny Sun, 30 Dec 2007 16:24:25 +0000 http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2007/10/27/when-lis-classes-game.html#comment-1191 I'd love to know just how much "Library Student" has investigated this topic. This type of unsubstantiated dismissal would have kept fiction and children out of libraries 100 years ago. Email on public computers was "not a valid service" ten years ago - does "Library Student" agree with that opinion, as well? It's difficult to tell since this person doesn't provide any arguments, facts, or even statements other than "gaming is bad." Your opinion is yours, but I question if you're learning how to evaluate services as part of your LIS education. Perhaps that's the real issue here. If you're getting your LIS degree so that other masters students will think more highly of you, then you're there for the wrong reasons to begin with. I’d love to know just how much “Library Student” has investigated this topic. This type of unsubstantiated dismissal would have kept fiction and children out of libraries 100 years ago. Email on public computers was “not a valid service” ten years ago - does “Library Student” agree with that opinion, as well? It’s difficult to tell since this person doesn’t provide any arguments, facts, or even statements other than “gaming is bad.”

Your opinion is yours, but I question if you’re learning how to evaluate services as part of your LIS education. Perhaps that’s the real issue here. If you’re getting your LIS degree so that other masters students will think more highly of you, then you’re there for the wrong reasons to begin with.

]]> By: Eric http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2007/10/27/when-lis-classes-game.html#comment-1279 Eric Wed, 09 Jan 2008 14:49:33 +0000 http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2007/10/27/when-lis-classes-game.html#comment-1279 <strong>Eric...</strong> I'm a real sucker for anything to do with accelerated learning ideas. Thanks for your post. I'm going to get back into this next month.... Eric…

I’m a real sucker for anything to do with accelerated learning ideas. Thanks for your post. I’m going to get back into this next month….

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