Chapter 9: Bibliography and Resources
Jenny Levine

Abstract

“What if traditionally apathetic library users were instead motivated to get up early on a Saturday morning and plead for library staff members to open the doors?” author Jenny Levine asks in the introduction to “Gaming and Libraries: Intersection of Services,” the 5th issue in volume 42 of Library Technology Reports.

In this issue of LTR, numerous detailed examples of what libraries are already doing—including public, school, and academic libraries—provide Levine the springboard to illustrate how librarians can reap positive gains by proactively, creatively, and (above all) affordably integrating gaming into the services and programs already offered at your library. The case studies reveal that gaming programs often turn out to be among the most popular a library can offer. “I have yet to hear about a library of any type offering gaming that has received negative feedback from patrons,” Jenny notes.

All the way to the conclusion of her report, “What Librarians Can Learn from Gamers,” Levine entertains as she informs. Along the way, you can:

  • Read the section “But They're Not Books!” to discover how things look when you turn the question “Why gaming?” on its head.
  • Focus on educational value as she shows how these “cognitive workouts” are proven to enhance the development of learning and literacy skills.
  • Get insights into the social value of gaming—an activity that cuts across age, socioeconomic groups, gender, and technical know-how—from “Meet the Gamers.”
  • Learn how other libraries, with creative planning and little money, have incorporated gaming services for a big return on investment. The appendix section of the report includes materials (librarian-created press releases, real examples of promotional fliers, and staff checklists for game-day events) that librarians can build upon to create a successful gaming program at any type of library—which can engage your community's youth and adult gaming populations.

The issue covers video game consoles (e.g., MicroSoft's Xbox 360, Nintendo's GameCube, and Sony's PlayStation), computer-based games (e.g., Myst, The Sims, Civilization IV), and Web-based games (e.g., Bookworm and PopCap Games) as well as some of the common gaming-equipment setups/configurations in libraries.

About the Author

Jenny Levine is the author of the popular blog The Shifted Librarian blog. She is currently Internet Development Specialist and Strategy Guide for the American Library Association's Information Technology and Technical Systems and Publishing departments.

Learn more about gaming and libraries at the ALA TechSource Gaming, Learning, and Libraries Symposium, July 22-24, 2007, in Chicago, IL. Visit http://gaming.techsource.ala.org/index.php/Main_Page for more information on the event and/or to submit a proposal (deadline March 1, 2007) for the Symposium.


Academic Courses

Books

Electronic Mailing Lists

Magazines

Periodical Articles

Videos

Web Sites, Blogs, and Other Online Resources

Scales of Service for Gaming in Libraries
Free! (Except for Staff Time)
  • Learn about readers' advisory based on gaming (Beth Gallaway, consultant)
  • Host Runescape tournaments or Runescape nights (Chris Rippel, Central Kansas Library System)
  • Allow open play of free Internet games on library computers
  • Plan and faciliate open game play or tournaments using patrons' equipment with board games available (Dan Braun, Worth Public Library)
  • Create an online trivia game that builds and tests library information knowledge (Mindy Null, Downers Grove South High School Library)
  • Volunteer to help with the Second Life Public Library (Lori Bell, Alliance Library System)
Middle-of-the-Road Expensive
  • Start a collection of video games to circulate (John Scalzo, Video Game Librarian Series on Gaming Target Web portal)
  • Help teachers integrate commercial software into the curriculum (John Kirriemuir, consultant)
  • Purchase one console, dance pads, and a Dance Dance Revolution game for open play or tournaments (Eli Neiburger, Ann Arbor District Library)
  • Purchase multiple copies of commercial computer-based software games, such as Battlefield 1942 and Soul Caliber (Matt Gullett and Kelly Czarnecki, ImaginOn and both formerly of the Bloomington [IL] Public Library)
Expensive But Great Return on Investment
  • Purchase multiple consoles and multiple copies of games for open play or tournaments (Eli Neiburger, Ann Arbor District Library)
  • Create a learning-based digital game (Jennifer McCabe, James Madison University Library)
  • Offer “digital-creation computer stations” that gamers can use to create multimedia presentations, such as their own video games (Matt Gullett, ImaginOn and formerly of the Bloomington [IL] Public Library)

Library Gaming Innovators/Implementers

Lori Bell, Director of Innovation Alliance Library System (East Peoria, IL) lbell@alliancelibrarysystem.com

Dan Braun, Head of Youth Services Worth (IL) Public Library braund@worthlibrary.com

Kelly Czarnecki, Teen Librarian ImaginOn, The Public Library of Charlotte/Mecklenburg County (North Carolina) (and formerly with the Bloomington [IL] Public Library) kczarnecki@plcmc.org

Beth Gallaway, Consultant Information Goddess Consulting informationgoddess29@gmail.com

Matt Gullett, Technology Education Librarian ImaginOn, The Public Library of Charlotte/Mecklenburg County (North Carolina) (and formerly with the Bloomington [IL] Public Library) mgullett@plcmc.org

Erin Helmrich, Teen Services Librarian Ann Arbor (MI) District Library helmriche@aadl.org

John Kirriemuir, Consultant Silversprite Research and Consultancy john@silversprite.com

Jennifer McCabe, Health & Human Services Librarian James Madison University, CISAT Library (Harrisonburg, VA)mccabeja@jmu.edu

Mindy Null, Library Department Chair Downers Grove (IL) South High School mnull@csd99.org

Eli Neiburger, Technology Manager Ann Arbor (MI) District Library eli@aadl.org

Chris Rippel, Head of Continuing Education Central Kansas Library System (Great Bend, KS) crippel@ckls.org

John Scalzo, Author of the Video Game Librarian series Gaming Target john@gamingtarget.com

Kate Williams, Assistant Professor Dominican University Graduate School of Library and Information Science (River Forest, IL) katewill@umich.edu

H. David “Giz” Womack, IT Specialist Wake Forest University, Z. Smith Reynolds Library (Winston-Salem, NC) womack@wfu.edu



Article Categories:
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  • Library Science