“Immersive Marketing for Libraries: Alternate Reality Games and Library

Orientations”

Educause 2007, Seattle, WA

Jeremy Donald, Reference Librarian Jason Hardin, Manager of Access Services

Coates Library,Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas

Copyright Jeremy W. Donald, 2007. This work is the intellectual property of the author. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the author. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the author.

Trinity University• 2400 FTE, 660 New Students

• 28% Minorities, 65% from Texas

• Residence mandatory for 3 years

Coates Library• +900k volumes

• Information Commons, 150 computer workstations

Goals• Orientation to the library

• Awareness of library resources

• Brand library and staff as fun, positive, and approachable

• Keep the program consistent with our information literacy agenda

What is an ARG?

Alternate Reality Gaming is, according to CNET, "...an obsession-inspiring genre that blends real-life treasure

hunting, interactive storytelling, video games and online community...

From: http://www.argn.com/about.php

http://www.trinity.edu/jdonald/bloodonthestacks.html

http://www.trinity.edu/jdonald/bloodonthestacks.html

The Power of Student Role Models

• Resident Mentors (RMs) support 18 new students for entire first year.

• “Your RM will be one person you know you can trust to look out for your best interests and encourage you to take positive risks.” Trinity Res Life webpage

• Invaluable: their feedback, inclusion in the game, enthusiasm, active participation, and follow-through as library role models.

Statistics• 31 out of 39 RM Groups stayed to

complete the 10 bonus questions.

• 300 Hits to the website

• 49 emails for online bonus question

Upgrades 2006-2007• Integrated with campus-wide NSO

• More marketing & media

• More services & resources covered

• Better game design (clear winners!)

• Challenges…

• Immersive:– Physical/Digital, Fiction/reality,

learning/competition.

• Integrated:– RMs as characters, media deployed in

campus-wide programming, better training for RMs.

• Info Literate:– Orientation to resource

application/behaviors, not just resources.

Thank You!

Questions?

“..to provide a positive, welcoming, first experience with the campus library…for students to become acquainted with the physical layout of the building and make them aware of the range and variety of information resources available.“

Lori Ricigliano,University of Puget SoundLOEX Programs that Work, 1996

As quoted in:Marcus, S., and S. Beck“A Library Adventure: Comparing a Treasure Hunt With a Traditional Orientation Tour”College & Research LibrariesVol. 64, January, 2003

“One thing I don't think we do well is play nice with others, or really partner with other service units on campus.… I think we need to understand how we play with housing, how we play with the bookstore, auxiliary services, and all these others — admissions, the registrar — and how we can maybe help them succeed with their mission as well. “

Brian MathewsAge: 32Position: user-experience librarian at the Georgia Institute of Technology

Young Librarians, Talkin' 'Bout Their GenerationUp-and-comers discuss what will change and what needs to changeChronicle of Higher Educationhttp://chronicle.com/temp/email2.php?id=dRxWRMrrkspdsKs4tfnjxmhwnSxqzJvD From the issue dated October 19, 2007