This is partially archival for me so that I can easily get back to this quote for future presentations and partially promotional because I think it highlights just a couple of the benefits of implementing gaming in the library. The quote below is from Monica Harris, Young Adult Librarian at the Oak Park Public Library in Illinois.
OPPL is just getting started offering gaming, and they’re diving in with a tournament. They didn’t committee the idea to death, and I like that they recognize they’ll be learning a lot along the way. Already, though, they’re seeing benefits both internally and externally. Emphasis is mine.
“The players we have attracted are, by and large, a completely new group of kids for us. Their parents come in baffled that their children are SO EXCITED for a library program, and this has facilitated a historic collaboration between myself and the IT department. Before this program, our IT department had never been a part of any library program, and now there are at least two of them attending every time we do a tournament – and they like it! This has been a wonderful learning process for all of us – and we still have a long way to go before it will reach the high programming standard we hope it will eventually achieve.â€
this is a very similar experience for us at my library. we are drawing in new kids who we don’t normally see and they are super excited. it’s great!
Comment by elizabeth — September 13, 2008 @ 3:27 pm
I am curious as to how this would work in a school library setting. Have you heard of it
being tried there? How long have you been doing this? I was impressed at the collaboration
wtih the otehr professionals in your building. I am wondering, again, how this would transfer
to a school setting.
Comment by Becky Ethington — September 13, 2008 @ 10:19 pm
Thanks, Elizabeth – that’s great to hear!
Becky, this is actually pretty easy to do in a school, and many of your colleagues are offering both videogames and boardgames in the media center. Some resources to help you:
In both issues of Library Technology Reports that I wrote about gaming in libraries, I include a case study of a school library offering games. First issue, second issue.
Chris Harris and Brian Mayer are doing great work around the AASL infolit standards and gaming. See BOCES Gaming blog, Library Gamer, and Digital Reshift.
We dedicated some sessions from last year’s TechSource Gaming, Learning, and Libraries Symposium to school libraries, and you can listen to the podcasts here. At this year’s event in November, we have another half-day track dedicated to gaming in school libraries.
I hope this helps, but you can definitely do it!
Comment by Jenny Levine — September 14, 2008 @ 9:55 am
Okay, I must comment on this as I just subscribed to this via RSS today and am loving everything that is coming through. I am actually just 2 days away from our 3rd Video Game Night here at the Roanoke Public Library. We are a small library and have trouble attracting Teens. Our programs so far have been deemed successful if they brought in 6 kids. We call them our regulars. And as far as regulars go, they don’t always make it here for teen programs.
Back in July 2007 we hosted our very first Video Game Night after going to a workshop hosted by Eli Neiburger. It was a success with about 12 teens showing up. This year we had another one in July and we had 25 teens show up. This was a surprise to us, and our accommodations were bursting at the seams. With it being so successful, we had to start having it at the Community Center next door, with a nice spacious setting. It also helped us set up a 4 dates a year Video Game Night schedule that we can hold tournaments and have prizes for the kids who come. We are actually expecting anywhere from 30-50 kids to be at our next event. It is growing quite rapidly.
This has also required a lot of extra cooperation between portions of the library. We have pages and IT along with Teen Services all working together to make it happen. We even put money in our budget for staff shirts so the kids could find us more easily. It’s been a blast and a lot of work all the way out.
I hope to find more wonderful gems pop up from this RSS feed!
Comment by Geoff Sams — October 1, 2008 @ 6:49 pm
Thanks for sharing your experience, Geoff! 🙂
Comment by Jenny Levine — October 5, 2008 @ 11:19 am