 |
 |
By way of a continuation of the thread started by Elspeth Hyams on the Library and Information Update blog http://bit.ly/akSPU0 (comments are closed on the original post at this point). The Library as Social Centre Gratia Alta Countryman, 1905 http://bit.ly/claCt5 (see the attached scans) Everyone Plays at the Library - Creating Great Gaming Experiences for All Ages By Scott Nicholson http://books.infotoday.com/books/Everyone-Plays-At-The-Library.shtml (Via Virtual Dave…Real Blog http://quartz.syr.edu/rdlankes/blog/?p=1018 ) Keeping the Game Alive: Evaluating Strategies for the Preservation of Console Video Games Mark Guttenbrunner, Christoph Becker, Andreas Rauber International Journal of Digital Curation Vol 5, No 1 (2010) http://www.ijdc.net/index.php/ijdc/ Quoting from an article in the current edition (issue 324) of Computer Active: "...but the best games provide a mental challenge and many are free". So while some staff may point out there is a risk of turning the library into a gaming arcade, associating the library with 'mental challenge' can't do any harm at all I don't think. Are not books fundamentally a social value, enabling us to do better than if we relied on our own experience and that of our immediate circle (Toterdell, 1942). Juniors in the library authority I work for are not charged for U and Pg cert DVDs, what better way also though of communicating the value our society places on problem solving and socialising by introducing games in the library. Is not combing a mental challenge and social values not a very powerful combination and of high value to society. (Not to mention the social value to a community of any activities organised, and the saving for parents/game enthusiasts.) As the Computer Active article also points out, "Some people are put off computer games because of violent and controversial content", but I'm sure this could be reasoned through in the same way that libraries have always handled controversial material. I know there are a lot of staff in libraries who are football enthusiasts also :) "Fantasy footballing librarians? Create yr team ... then use the code 188889-53248 to join our league. Currently 8 of us." http://fantasy.premierleague.com/ (@Philbradley http://twitter.com/Philbradley/status/18720697669 ) Gareth Osler (who hasn't read the Nicholson book yet) Library Web http://libraryweb.info