ALA: Videogames In Libraries Increase Readership

Here’s an interesting story by Michael Martinez at the Chicago Tribune sure to make gaming and library advocates happy. The American Library Association announced at their annual conference this weekend that videogames should become a focus of libraries nationwide.

Better known for its campaigns against banned books, the ALA is urging video games as an activity and collection to the nation’s 9,000 public libraries so they can better connect with the hard-to-reach demographic of children, teens and college students in the digital age.

Videogames at the library? The building with all the olde media paper-based books?

“This whole idea of video-gaming in libraries is really taking off,” ALA President Loriene Roy said … “Libraries are adapting to new technology. It ties in with one of our key values, which is equity of access,” Roy added. “It’s in the nature of the library to offer a wide range of material. It’s not the end of change for libraries.”

Other items of interest from the article:

- The conference featured a videogame pavilion funded by a $1 million grant from the Verizon Foundation; its purpose was to showcase a gaming model for libraries to emulate

- Social skills and problem solving are seen as key facets videogames can help develop in youngsters; thus more fodder for library inclusion justification

- Young folks in the know regarding videogames are called “young adult librarians.” The article indicates they represent the fastest growing group of specialists involved with the ALA

- A survey out of Syracuse University indicated that 4 out of 5 libraries allow gaming on their public access PCs. Four out of 10 promote other types of gaming activities and about 1 in 10 have gaming consoles available to patrons. Consequently, an astonishing 75% of consumers who engaged in videogaming returned to the libraries for non-gaming activities (primarily to check out a book)

- Some parental resistance has arisen from gaming activities at the libraries; other adults have responded positively, including seniors who have engaged in Wii-hab activities at their local libraries

My take: if libraries continue to expand offerings in the videogame department, patron traffic will likely increase. In turn, public support of local libraries will increase. The Syracuse study indicates many gaming patrons go on to check out books and use their library for more traditional purposes. This can only be regarded as a good thing. Finally, it seems that if the phenomenon of free checkouts for videogames expands to libraries nationwide, the paid services of videogame rentals may suffer at traditional retail outlets. Why pay to rent a game when you can simply check it out at the library?

It reminds me of that old public service ad on TV in the 1970s. I think the last two lines went something like this:

Dumb kid: Wait a minute … You can do all that at the libary? [Yup. He pronounced it wrong, without the middle 'R.']

Narrator: Yes. [Dramatically:] The Library!

References:
Martinez, M. (2008, June 30). Video games are newest tricks in your library’s book. Chicago Tribune. [Online]. Retrieved July 1, 2008 from http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/
chi-videogaming-martinez_30jun30,0,1971117.story

Survey: Students Want Educational Games

Converge Magazine points out that students have expressed a desire for more educational videogaming in schools in the annual Speak Up Survey conducted by Project Tomorrow. Converge says the survey revealed:

… that online or electronic gaming is one of the technologies that students use most frequently, and that educational gaming is one of the emerging technologies that students would most like to see implemented in their schools. Yet, only one in 10 teachers has adopted gaming as an instructional tool.

The survey also found other disparities between students and teachers in expressed desires for online learning, school e-mail accounts, and mobile devices for learning.

The survey was impressive in scope, eliciting responses from schools in all 50 states, Canada, Mexico, Australia, and American Dept. of Defense schools abroad. In all, about 319,000 students were surveyed; 25,000 teachers; 19,000 parents; and 3,000 school administrators, including directors of technology. The online survey closed in December, 2007.

Lots of interesting data in this survey. The selected findings article makes for good reading.

References:
Speak Up 2007 for students, teachers, parents & school leaders: Selected national findings. (2008, April 8). Project Tomorrow. [Online]. Available: http://www.tomorrow.org/docs/National Findings Speak Up 2007.pdf

Take the Videogames & Personal Spiritual Growth Survey

Moses Silbiger, a grad student at John F. Kennedy University, is conducting an online academic survey of interest. Here is what he posted on the Serious Games Listserv recently, reprinted here with his permission:

I am doing an academic research project based on “How could video games be designed to facilitate personal and spiritual growth?” … Yes, you read it right!

My intention is to explore the potential use of video games for other purposes beyond entertainment, where designers could bring more meaning to video games, in addition with the fun of play.

I am planning to use this research as a bridge to gradually bring this important subject to the foreground, so we could at least start counting with more qualitative, useful and socially responsible video games in the market.

As a part of this project, I designed a 5 minute online survey and would really appreciate if you could take your time to complete it.

In gratitude for your participation, after completing this survey you will be able to participate in a sweepstakes for a 1-year subscription for 2 magazines of your choice, plus a $50 gift certificate from the GameStop store (prize updated).

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Here is the link to the survey:

http://www.integraleye.com/survey

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Moses indicates the useful survey data window will be closing Mar. 23 so he can finish up his paper. So please take 5 minutes or so and fill out the survey.