r u game? game night @ perkins library
DESCRIPTION
Susan Franklin, Public Services Librarian at Hastings College Perkins Library, will explain how "Game Night @ Perkins Library" went from a trial event to a much-anticipated and supported semester-ly event. We’ll cover what motivated us to experiment with game night; what equipment, supplies, PR and partners we started with and how we grew; how we planned and organized; what benefits game nights bring; and what our gaming future holds.TRANSCRIPT
Nebraska Library Commission/at conventions
American Library Association/at conventions and ALA National Gaming Day (November 13, 2010) http://ngd.ala.org/
Omaha Public Library’s Board Silly Other libraries/colleagues Research on “millenials”
2 Wii Gaming Systems› One Borrowed from Republican Valley
Library System› Second, mine, personally
Wii Games› Classic Games (come with system)› Dance Dance Revolution 3 (mine)› Cabela’s Big Game Hunter (mine)› B.Y.O.G. … and they did!
Board Games› Chutes & Ladders› Monopoly› Candy Land
Card Games› Slamwich› Rook› Playing cards (pitch, anyone?)
“Other” Games› Fact or Crap› Apples to Apples› In a Pickle› Jenga› Connect 4x4› Banagrams
One TV—the bigger the better—per Wii.
LCD Projectors/Screens if TVs aren’t feasible.
Long extension cords & surge suppressors.
Buckets of batteries (AA). Space for spectators. Food (more on that later).
Total saturation on campus: > Fliers in every building and dorm. > Fliers prominently placed in library. > HC Announcements (emailed). > Notified all HC media entities (TV,
newspaper, radio, website). > Word of mouth. > Facebook library group page/invitation. > Getting student assistant buy-in
(roomies) > Coercion (fraternity, son + roomie + girlf
PRESIDENT DUDLEY!
“Freestyle” Gaming was successful; no ref needed.
Homemade snacks trumped store-bought. (Caramel Bugle recipe to highest bidder?)
Approximately 50 students, faculty, staff. Played range of games (some surprising). Starts out slow, but 30-60 participants
each event. Volunteers and staff need to mingle, even
though they are sought after opponents.
[ insert word of mouth buzz about game night here ]
[insert discussion with Dean of Students here]
[ insert elation at the “money tree:” finally producing fruit for us here ].
Apples to Apples
Bananagrams
Connect 4 x 4
Cranium
Fact or Crap
Jenga
Giant Chess
Puzzle
Wii: Mario Party
Just Dance
Most popular game
Second version came out October 12…must get hands on it ASAP!
DJ Hero
Nertz
In number of participants (depending on night of week, time of semester, other activities)
More Wii games, including: Lego Star Wars, Mario Party 8, Scene It
Outside games: Bocce, Croquet More board games: College Days,
Cranium, Hometown USA: Hastings, More “other” games: Quidditch card
game, Spoons, Toss Up!
Noise. Monopolization. Theft or misuse of games and
equipment. Mess from snacks. Be prepared to answer “WHY?”—
expect reactions, questions, comments from your user community.
Batteries: rechargeable v. regular Day of Week/Time/Time Span (conflicts,
too long/short) Games: borrowed, bought, BYOG. Freestyle v. Refereed. Other?
Relaxation and recreation for all. Positive energy in and for the library. Library as “more than just books” (multiple
types of literacy); work-play balance. Connections between students and library
staff, students and other students. Increased traffic/pulling patrons in. Sheer fun of it. Doesn’t require bucketloads of money or
time to pull off successfully.
Strategically use for: freshman orientation/back to school; stress-reliever before finals week, etc.
Insight into millennial life; giving them insights into our personalities.
To brand the library as a real-life social networking place; a relevant place to students.
Inevitable introduction to library’s spaces, resources, etc.
Use of other services/resources while attending gaming night.
Good will generated toward library.
Continue to add games to our collection. Continue to hold game nights at least
twice per semester. Seek partners, such as PEER ED groups
or Student Association. Listen to our students. Try hosting tournaments (Bowling, Golf,
etc.) KEEP ON HAVING FUN!
To get someone to challenge me to Twister...seriously!
To get “this guy” to take a ten minute study break to join in the fun.
Try hosting an event on 2010’s National Gaming Day (Nov. 13, www.ngd.ala.org)
Try an intergenerational game night. Start with a survey (formal or informal)
—would your users be interested in a game night?
Incorporate library instruction into a game event.
Start small, grow from there.
“All the world’s a game…and all the men and women are merely players.”
Then, if this be true, let’s play on!