nhla get your game on

GET YOUR GAME ON! GAMING AT THE LIBRARY

Presented for NHLAby Beth Gallaway, http://informationgoddess.info May 2008

SLIDES & LINKSwill be posted on my BLOG:http://infogdss.wordpress.com

Beth Gallaway

CONTACT:

603.247.3196

informationgoddess29@gmail.com

http://informationgoddess.info

http://del.icio.us/informationgoddess29

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

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

WHAT IS THE AVERAGE AGE OF A GAMER?

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

33

WHAT PERCENT OF PEOPLE OVER 50 PLAY GAMES?*

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

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?

WHAT % OF GAMERS ARE FEMALE?

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

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

HOW MANY BILLIONS DID COMPUTER & VIDEO GAME SALES GROSS IN THE US IN 2006?*

$7.4

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

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

HOW CAN LIBRARIES SERVE GAMERS?

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

o Gaming programso Game collections

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?

IF YOU LIKE CITY OF HEROES

THINK LIKE A GAMER

o Get a screen nameo It's all about YOUo You can’t break ito Everything is in

BETAo Fail early, fail often

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

o Show, don’t tello Make learning interactiveo Have a free-for-allo 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

DOES YOUR LIBRARY ALLOW PATRONS TO PLAY GAMES ON LIBRARY 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

DOES YOUR LIBRARY HOST VIDEO GAME PROGRAMS?

YES

NO

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

WHAT % OF PUBLIC LIBRARIES HOST VIDEO GAME PROGRAMS?*

13%

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

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

WHAT % OF GAMERS PLAY ON HANDHELDS?

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

32 %32%

EASY, FREE PROGRAMS!

Cell phone clinic PSP Gamefest Nintendo DS Gamefest

32 %

RUNESCAPE DISCUSSION GROUP,

LACKMAN BRANCH LIBRARY

JOHNSON COUNTY, KS

Runescape discussion group after hours

14 attendees

Discussion focused on character levels, quests

completed, items obtained, play style, enemies

defeated

Group more excited about individual challenges

than tournament or competitive play

Program concluded with playing Runescape

SITE:

http://www.ckls.org/gaming/runelackman.html

GAME NIGHT,NORTH HUNTERDON HIGH SCHOOLNORTH HUNTERDON, NJ

Student-run game night in the cafeteria

Fundraiser

DANCE DANCE REVOLUTION, HAVERHILL PUBLIC LIBRARYHAVERHILL, MA

  One PS2 console ($130) 2 dance pads ($160) 1 DDR game ($40) 1 LCD projector and screen/white wall

OR TV  TOTAL:$330.00

AFTER SCHOOL ZONE, BENICIA PUBLIC LIBRARYBENICIA, CA

Hanging out, snacks and playing games

encouraged

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 Wii

Everyone must agree to the gaming policy

before playing

SUPER SMASH/DOUBLE DASH TOURNAMENT,ANN ARBOR DISTRICT LIBRARYANN ARBOR, MI

Tournaments for all ages

Regular programs

Online community

SITE: http://www.aadl.org/gt

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

“I LOVED DDR”

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 GallaCONTACT: 603.247.3196informationgoddess29@gmail.com

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

SLIDES:http://infogdss.wordpress.com