Celebrate National Gaming Day 2010 @ your library!
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“There were boys waiting outside for the library to open! …We had more boys in the library at one time… than I have seen in my eleven years working here.”
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“Some of the things I overheard this year: 'I didn't know the library was this cool!', 'Can we do this every month?', 'Do we have to leave?', 'I love my life!' "
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“Where else would you find such a mix of ages interacting and having a fun time? In a family, of course, but none of these people were related...it was just a cross section of the community.”
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“"We had an 80 year old senior who comes to play Wii bowling with other seniors on Friday mornings. Some teens challenged her to a game of Wii bowling…and she WON!”
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“This was definitely a thumbs-up day!”
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“It was awesome to see the teenagers playing games with the younger children.”
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“Great idea to get people involved with the library!”
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“My favorite part of the day had to be hearing the teens cheer for each other during the Brawl contests and clap at the end of the battles. They all got along so well, even though we had quite a range of ‘teenagers’ – 8 to 18!”
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“The program helped to give parents ideas on ways to become more involved with their children.”
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“It was wonderful to see adults and children playing together.”
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"When I peeked into the room, I was surprised to see that all of the teens were--at one point in time at least--playing the board games rather than video games."
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“This is the coolest day! The library is awesome.”
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“You guys rock this is fun. When can we do it again?”
In the 21st century, libraries are about much more than books! In fact, libraries work very hard to provide people of all ages with a rich and current menu of CDs and DVDs, as well as electronic and online resources. Video game resources and programs at the library complement these existing services. Featuring this new gaming media helps the library expand its reach while meeting community expectations.
2. Aren’t video games just a passing fad?
Actually, video games have been popular for more than 30 years. In fact, three generations have grown up with video games - Generation X, Generation Y, and Millennials. It’s not only today’s kids who are playing video games. The average age of today’s gamer is 35-years old, and Baby Boomers and Seniors are playing them more than ever before. Libraries across the country are offering family gaming nights that bring generations together for a gaming experience they can’t share anywhere else.
3. Why should kids play video games at the library?
Lots of kids play video games at home – alone, with siblings, or with friends. The library is a safe and non-commercialized space. At the library, kids socialize with their friends and play video games while surrounded by books, librarians, and knowledge. Video gaming at the library encourages young patrons to interact with diverse peers, share their expertise with others (including adults), and develop new strategies for gaming and learning.
4. How do librarians choose video games that are appropriate for our kids?
The Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) has established criteria for rating video games. In 2008, 85% of the video games sold were rated “EC” (Early Childhood), “E” (Everyone), “E10+” (Everyone 10 and older), or “T” (Teens ages 13 and older).
These games are available to libraries and are considered “family friendly.” In addition to using the ESRB to guide game selection, librarians do extensive research about the recommended games and play them before they are introduced to kids. Games recommended for use in libraries often have a more social component that brings people together around the content, making the whole experience more fun when played with others.
5. What do kids learn when they play games at the library?
Video games give kids a chance to practice reading, writing, and computing in the library’s safe environment. Popular video games, the ones that kids really like to play, are immediately engaging and make them work hard to succeed and ‘level up’. While playing these games, kids are constantly developing new strategies, predicting possible outcomes, managing multiple resources, reading and deciphering maps, tracking complex statistics, and adapting to increasingly difficult levels within the game. They learn a range of media literacies beyond basic reading that give them models for navigating our information-rich world.
Additional Resources:
- Libraries Got Game (PDF)
- Libraries Lure with Video Games
- Gaming at AADL Documentary (MP4 movie)
Have more questions about National Gaming Day @ your library? Fill out the Contact Us form, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can!
For Board Game Groups:
Go to your local library with this information and find out if they’re participating in National Gaming Day @ your library on Saturday, November 13th. If the library’s staff isn’t aware of it, offer to host a board game event or provide staff support to help. Your participation in this one-day activity can lead to future board game events at the library as well.
Board Game groups with questions should contact Scott Nicholson at scott@scottnicholson.com.
Librarians – want to get your library involved? Learn more at http://ngd.ala.org and register today!
From AL Focus, watch a teen gaming tournament at Oak Park (Ill.) Public Library, with an interview with Young Adult Librarian Monica Harris, who explains why and how the library got into gaming and the benefits it offers the library and the community.
Also from AL Focus, see scenes from the ALA TechSource Gaming, Learning, and Libraries Symposium in Oak Brook, Illinois, November 2-4. Of particular interest is Eli Neiburger's story, beginning at 2:58.