CIL 2007: Gaming & Libraries - Engaging Strategies

Jenny Levine, ALA

average age of gamers is now 33, middle aged women largest % of online gamers

wii allows physically challenged to play games often for first time

super monkey ball - {looks kinda cool}

cultural issues in interacting w/ gamers - understand lingo etc

engaging gamers in library: collections (easy)/ support culture of gamers (game night - can include video and old school games)

orange county lib sys - lots of cool game stuff, let kids review games on website {ocls rocks!}

gaming as readers advisory tool: ask kids what games they like and match genres up to book genres

geocaching

kids love ddr! {cool pic of older kid and younger kid playing ddr together} open play

gaming blog - aadl=good, very popular w/ lots of comments

stepmania

Orange County has game pods where kids can come in and play in library

sponsor gaming tournaments - big hits lots of places (public libs, uiuc), ninja tag night at ga tech

gaming as info lit tool: unc-greensboro, arizona state game project

teaching how to make games: gwinnett county pl has taught classes

confronting the challenges to participatory culture (pdf) - good report

think about demographic groups other than teens in planning gaming

brain age

gaming in libraries provides communal experience that gamers can't get at home

{can't really hear questions, but seems like a little antagonism towards gaming in libs, not "real" service. ridiculous! providing a service to library community and gets people in the door. they might find a book or 2 they like if you want to connect it to "real" services}