Adapting Library Services to the Needs of Gamers – Chad Boeninger

started out showing Lego Star Wars
one of the great things about it is that it encourages exploration within the game
get used to the interface by probing the environment

games also encourage immersion, not just exploration
showed some video of Resident Evil 4
not just shooting things, but also lots of times when you have to make decisions to do things (buy wepaons, make adjustments, etc.)
the immersion here is that the player has control of their own experience

can also essentially play “Barbie” by customizing avatars
showed video of customizing his player in Madden, to the point where his name is on the back of his shirt

showed some video from the game Bully
showed some God of War
here’s how gaming encourages learning while doing
- you basically get thrown right into the game where you start mashing buttons to figure out what to do
the PS2 controller has 16 buttons that you learn how to use within the first 20 minutes of the game (open hatches, etc.)
you figure out the sequences pretty quickly
learn through trial and error
as the game play progresses, we learn new things and have to adapt new skills to get to the next level because the game gets harder

so how can we integrate these kinds of things into libraries?
we try to create immersive environments, encourage learning by doing, and encourage exploration

people grew up in video games, and as a result, they maneuver differently
part of our role is to help them adapt to our stuff, while the other part is for us to adapt to them

what you never hear in the mainstream media is how frustratingly difficult these games are
research is hard, too

(some of this from “The Kids Are Alright” - Mitchell Wade)

we need new nomenclature
information literacy
reference
reserve
catalog
database
periodical
bibliographic instruction

job security for us, but meaningless to everyone else

we need consistent interfaces
why can’t our interfaces be as intuitive and easy to learn in the first 5 minutes as they are in video games?
what does our feedback give users?
positive or negative?
how do we create environments that attract and engage these folks?

the library as immersive space
make learning/information commons more
- inviting
- wireless
etc.

customizable interfaces

learning while doing
incorporate hands-on instructional experiences
must be relevant and timely
give context - don’t just do BI to do teach people something

need smarter catalogs with point-of-need help
give them instant help
- best options right now are IM and Meebo

help them help themselves via a site map or online FAQ

doesn’t really have a conclusion but the discussion about how to do this is important

Randy Christensen

threw a bean bag into the audience and asked the person who caught it to come up on stage
that person then threw the beanbag to someone else, who came up on stage
did this until he had 12 people up front
played “Internet Librarian Chase,” based on IL2006 information
“what are the advantages of a federated search”
“name one way you can make a library website more user-friendly?”
etc.

walked around the audience asking questions about how they could incorporate gaming into library services