GAMERS IN THE STACKS: A BRIEF LOOK AT WHO THE GAMERS ARE, AND WAYS PUBLIC LIBRARIES CAN SERVE THEM...

GAMERS IN THE STACKS:A BRIEF LOOK AT WHO THE GAMERS ARE, AND WAYS PUBLIC LIBRARIES CAN SERVE THEM

Presented for the PLA Virtual Conferenceby Beth Gallaway, http://informationgoddess.info March 2008

CONTACT BETH:

Beth Gallaway

[email protected]://del.icio.us/informationgoddess29

http://informationgoddess.info

603.247.3196

WHAT IS A GAME?

GAME: activity engaged in for diversion or amusement; synonym: see FUN

VIDEO GAME: an electronic game played by means of images on a video screen and often emphasizing fast action

Merriam-Webster Online. http://www.m-w.com

POLL #1: DO YOU PLAY GAMES OF ANY

KIND?

YES

NO

WHY GAMES AT THE LIBRARY?BECAUSE GAMES …

Are just like books, they are just another new format

Are the medium of choice for the millennial generation

Meet developmental needs of teens Are literary Reinforce new literacies

GAMES ARE LIKE BOOKS...

THEY ARE JUST A NEW FORMAT

GAMING IS THE MEDIUM OF CHOICE FOR THE MILLENNIAL GENERATION

POLL #2: WHAT IS THE AVERAGE AGE OF A

GAMER?

* Entertainment Software Association. Top 10 Facts. http://www.theesa.com/facts/top_10_facts.php

33

POLL #3: WHAT PERCENT OF PEOPLE OVER 50 PLAY GAMES?*


24%

GAMING MEETS DEVELOPMENTAL NEEDS

OF YOUNG ADOLESCENTS

o Positive social interaction with adults & peers

o Structure and clear limitso Physical activityo Creative expressiono Competence and achievemento Meaningful participation in families,

school, communitieso Opportunities for self-definition

NMSA. NMSA Research Summaries. Young Adolescents Developmental Needs (1996)

WHAT DEVELOPMENTAL NEEDS ARE BEING MET?

POLL #4:WHAT % OF GAMERS ARE FEMALE?


38%

GAMING = LITERACY Environmental print

signagelabelsmaps

Reading about the gameinstructionswalkthroughs

Writing about the gameforumswebsites

Chat: “WTS, Mageweave cloth, 15g”

GAMING REINFORCES NEW LITERACIES

Exposing knowledge

Employing information

Expressing ideas compellingly

Ethics on the Internet

Warlick, David. ”The New Literacies.” Scholastic Administrator. Mar-Apr2005

1. EXPOSING KNOWLEDGE

Find information

Understand and explain found information regardless of its format

Evaluate information

Organize information

2. EMPLOYING INFORMATION

Computation

Measurement

Analysis

Application

POLL #5: HOW MANY BILLIONS DID

COMPUTER & VIDEO GAME SALES GROSS IN 2006?*

$7.4


3. EXPRESSING IDEAS COMPELLINGLY

Mechanics matter

Creativity & efficiency highly rated

Text, images, audio, and video are used to express ideas in many digital formats

WAYS GAMERS EXPRESS IDEAS COMPELLINGLY

Fan Fiction Machinima Web Comics Fan Forums Clan Websites

ETHICS ON THE INTERNET

Modding – recreating game content

FanFic – writing stories about characters created/owner by someone else

Machinima – films/videos created through recording video game play

POLL #6:HAVE YOU EVER PLAYED A GAME

RATED “M” FOR MATURE?

YES

NO

POLL #7:WHAT PERCENTAGE OF GAMES

SOLD IN 2006 WERE RATED M?*


15%

HOW CAN LIBRARIES SERVE GAMERS?

o Connect games with “traditional” materialso Think like a gamero Become a strategy guideo Research video game cultureo Support gaming o Create a gaming experience:

o Game collectionso Gaming programs

o Try some games!

USE GAMES IN READER'S ADVISORY

INSTEAD OF: What authors do you like to read? What are the last 3 books you read? What did you like about them?

ASK: What movies do you like? What TV shows do you watch? What games do you play?

THINK LIKE A GAMER

o Everything is in BETA

o Get a screen nameo It's all about YOUo You can’t break ito Fail early, fail often

BE A STRATEGY GUIDE... ...NOT A LEVEL BOSS!

o Show, don’t tell.o Make it interactive.o Have a free-for-all.o Ask for a demo of

expertise

RESEARCH VIDEO GAME CULTURE

o Watch Red Vs. Blueo Read Penny Acade or PvPo Skim gaming magazineso Link to gaming siteso Pay attention to gaming around youo Attend GLLS2008o Join the LibGaming Google group:

http://groups.google.com/group/libgaming

TRY SOME GAMESo Set Gameo Penguin Baseballo Bejeweledo Chicktionaryo Bob the Blobo Club Penguino Runescapeo Diner Dasho Snood

http://del.icio.us/informationgoddess29/games

POLL #8: DOES YOUR LIBRARY ALLOW PATRONS TO PLAY GAMES ON PUBLIC COMPUTERS?

YES

NO

POLL #9:WHAT % OF PUBLIC LIBRARIES ALLOW PATRONS TO PLAY COMPUTER GAMES?*

82%

*Nicholson, Scott. (2007). The Role of Gaming in Libraries: Taking the Pulse. July 2007. http://boardgameswithscott.com/pulse2007.pdf . Accessed October 8, 2007.

AND … CREATE A GAMING EXPERIENCE

o Programso Collections

POLL #10:DOES YOUR LIBRARY HOST VIDEO GAME PROGRAMS?

YES

NO


POLL #11:WHAT % OF PUBLIC LIBRARIES HOST VIDEO GAME PROGRAMS?*

13%


WHAT MAKES A SUCCESSFUL GAMING PROGRAM?

1. Do your homework2. Provide variety3. Open up to the community4. Spread the word5. Play

FOR PROGRAMS, CHOOSE A GAME THAT IS...

Multiplayer Short Rounds Rated E or T Easy to Learn Challenging to Master Appealing to a wide demographic

MODEL GAMING PROGRAMS Santa Monica Public Library, CA

Counterstrike LAN party After hours program 50 teens lined up around the block to play

After School Zone, Benicia Public Library, CA Hanging out, snacks and playing games encourages Kids and teens who have gotten parental consent can

play Halo 2 and Ghost Recon on the XBox 360; Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. Melee are popular

on Gamecube

POLL #12:WHAT % OF GAMERS PLAY ON HANDHELDS?


32 %32%

MODEL GAMING PROGRAMS

Ann Arbor District Library (MI) Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros, & DDR Tournaments for all ages Regular programs Online community

North Hunterdon High School (NJ) Student-run game night in the cafeteria

“DDR+GUTIART HERO= FUN”“Awesome cuz everyone gets along with

each other, there’s no waiting in line or nething. Plus guitar hero is a wicked rad game.”

“I LOVED DDR”

“I liked this because there’s too few of the DDR community around. This is a good opportunity to meet people with like interests.”

POLL #13: DOES YOUR LIBRARY CIRCULATE VIDEO GAMES?*


YES

NO

POLL #14: WHAT % OF PUBLIC LIBRARIES CIRCULATE VIDEO GAMES?*

30%


GAMING COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT

1. Magazines2. Strategy guides3. Nonfiction about gaming4. Fiction with gaming as a plot or subplot

PRIMA STRATEGY GUIDES

eGuides in PDF format

504 titles $12.99 each

COLLECTION POLICY CONSIDERATIONS

Formats Console PC Internet Subscription

Breadth & Depth Genres Styles Age ranges

Budget

COLLECTION MANAGEMENT Storage depends on:

format staff space budget

Theft start with programs start small

Issues replacement/repair resistance

BEST PRACTICES: COLLECTIONSRockridge Ages 13-18 year olds PS2 games 2 games/patron No holds/renewals 7 day free checkout $1/day late fee $50/replacement fee Genres: sports,

adventure, racing, fighting, and shooters.

Helen McGraw E, E10+ and T PS2 and PC games 14 day circ $.25/day late fee game

cost+$5/replacement fee

Genres: compilations, sports, racing games, platformers, unique and quirky titles

IN CONCLUSION…

Libraries are about access to stories, and access to information – in any format.

We have to stop being format snobs!

THANK YOU!

Beth Gallaway

[email protected]://del.icio.us/informationgoddess29

http://informationgoddess.info

603.247.3196

GAMERS IN THE STACKS: A BRIEF LOOK AT WHO THE GAMERS ARE, AND WAYS PUBLIC LIBRARIES CAN SERVE THEM...

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