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Hi Jane, Very interesting and we have a group of games developers that are really excited by your post. I asked them for a bit of feedback for you and I hope it is useful. If you'd like any further information or input then we'd be delighted to speak to you (or anybody else on the list) about ways to engage young people.... I know all three of my kids are officially addicts!! ** “Organising and taking part in Minecraft activity sessions is very simple and fun for a wide variety of ages. The possibilities are endless, limited only by your imagination. Simple tasks can be laid out for younger children to build and learn or you can give them creative freedom to build whatever they feel like. From simples house and farm buildings to creating your own rollercoaster. The game boasts two different game modes; Survival, allowing you to gather materials and tools necessary to build your own homestead or Creative, giving the player endless amounts and varieties of blocks to bring their own creations to life. With an active modding community there are a large variety of changes and additions that can be implemented. For control we would suggest Xbox controllers (USB adaptors are available at low cost), a widely known and familiar system for most kids and supported by Microsoft. On our Discovery Table and interactive signage products it would be possible to launch Minecraft and with a big enough screen for everyone to be able to gather around and share the experience. There are also lots of videos on YouTube that you can play to the children in advance of playing to show them what is possible, although please preview these videos before playing them as some may include inappropriate content. We also have the ability to script and create a custom activity session to suit your needs. We are avid fans of Minecraft and have been since its Beta release." ** Regards, Neil Neil Wishart Director Solus UK Ltd : James Watt Building : James Watt Avenue: Scottish Enterprise Technology Park : East Kilbride : G75 0QD Tel: + 44 (0)1355 813 600 Mob: + 44 (0)7779 296 088 email: [log in to unmask] http://uk.linkedin.com/in/neilwishart Skype: neil.wishart-solus.co.uk Solus www.solus.co.uk -----Original Message----- From: lis-pub-libs: UK Public Libraries [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jane Higgs Sent: 07 February 2014 14:43 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Minecraft in libraries Hi Everyone! We're in the very early stages of looking into the feasibility of running Minecraft sessions in our libraries, but we don't really know what works and what doesn't. Does anyone have any experience of using Minecraft in activity sessions? The only reports I can find of it being used are in the US. All experiences (good and bad) would be welcomed! Many thanks, Jane Higgs Information Services Librarian Information Services Libraries, Heritage and the Arts Walsall Central Reference Library Lichfield Street Walsall WS1 1TR www.walsall.gov.uk/libraries Follow us on Twitter! www.twitter.com/WalsallLibrary Or on Facebook - Love Walsall Libraries Disclaimer: IF THIS EMAIL IS MARKED PRIVATE OR CONFIDENTIAL - PLEASE RESPECT THAT AND DO NOT FORWARD IT TO ANYONE ELSE WITHOUT THE EXPRESS PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR. The information in this message should be regarded as confidential and is intended for the addressee only unless explicitly stated. If you have received this message in error it must be deleted and the sender notified. The views expressed in this message are personal and not necessarily those of Walsall MBC unless explicitly stated. E-mails sent or received from Walsall MBC may be intercepted and read by the Council. Interception will only occur to ensure compliance with Council policies or procedures or regulatory obligations, to prevent or deter crime, or for the purposes of essential maintenance or support of the e-mail system. You should also be aware that any email may be subject of a request under Data Protection, Freedom of Information or Environmental Information legislation and therefore could be disclosed to third parties. E-mail Security: Communication by internet email is not secure as messages can be intercepted and read by someone else. Therefore we strongly advise you not to email any information, which if disclosed to unrelated third parties would be likely to cause you distress. If you have an enquiry of this nature please provide a postal address to allow us to communicate with you in a more secure way. If you want us to respond by email you must realise that there can be no guarantee of privacy.