The term library 2.0 has become as ubiquitous as the services. Library 2.0 incorporates 21st century technology, tools, and applications in the library. This idea has thrived, and one format that has flourished in recent years is gaming in the library. For the purposes of this essay, I will not be focusing on all aspects of gaming, but will maintain the scope of a circulating video game collection. By looking at the positive outcomes resulting from gaming, the evidence is clear this format belongs in our circulating collection. Besides serving an underrepresented group, gaming also develops literacy and learning, and provides a setting for social interaction. Video games are an integral part of library 2.0 and David Ward chooses to focus on five facets of gaming that will affect libraries. They are as follows: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Gaming as a cultural phenomenon; Gaming as a place; Gaming as an educational tool; Gaming as a designed interface; And finally, gaming as a tool for collaboration1

These five principles are serve as a good outline as to why video games should be incorporated into the library’s collection. I will focus specifically on the third principle, the connection video games have to learning and literacy. The book What Video Games Have to Teach us About Learning and Literacy outlines two separate theories on how our brains process information. One perspective stresses the brain as a computer processor. “Digital computers operate by rules that tell them how to manipulate symbols, symbols that have no real meaning to the

1

Courtney, N. (2007). Library and beyond: innovative technologies and tomorrow’s user. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, p. 106.

1

computer beyond the manipulations the computer carries out on them.”2 The opposing theory postulates the human brain interprets experiences, and develops context around those situations. Spawning from those experiences, the human mind edits the experiences and classifies them. “…it is the connections or associations that people make among their experiences that are crucial to learning, thinking, and problem solving.”3 Another way to express similar thoughts are two methods for problem solving, or thinking in general. Some people are very linear in their thought process, whereas others will scatter from point A to point C then circle back to B. It is intriguing how video games engage both styles of information recognition and processing. On one hand players have the storyline or objective of the game. On the other, there are a variety of ways to achieve the objectives. This is where video games depart from a source like a book. In a book you passively follow the information the author gives you. Conversely, in a video game, you can predict what the author is going to try to get you to do, and initiate a completely separate avenue of game-play. For example, there may be characters to interact with, and depending on the order the player speaks to them may affect the outcome of the game and how he or she plays it. Learning is an inherent product of playing video games, and like reading a book, with every game comes a new lesson An aspect of gaming that is consistently overlooked is the social aspect. Often, skeptics visualize young kids in isolation, staring at a screen. However, according to a

2

Gee, P. (2003) What Video Games Have to Teach us About Learning and Literacy. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, p. 73. 3 Gee, P. (2003) What Video Games Have to Teach us About Learning and Literacy. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, p. 73.

2

PEW Internet Study, gaming is a social activity. The statistics point out that 76% of teens play games with others, whether online or otherwise, and 65% report that they play with other teens in the same physical space.4 Through these shared experiences, gamers are learning how to interact socially, teach one another, and often times how to cooperate as part of a cohesive team or unit to accomplish a shared goal. Once the manager has justified the benefits of gaming, funding becomes the most crucial part of beginning a circulating collection. In the current economic state, securing funding through the friends of the library association may not be a realistic option, and grants may be cut as a financial security measure. There is still an option for libraries to find money within their existing budget. Depending on circulating statistics and community interest, it is often a good option to reallocate a portion of the money allotted to the CD-Rom collection and divide those funds for a video game collection. While the CD-Rom collection is very relevant in areas such as early childhood and educational games, interest in computer games is being taken over by console gaming. I see the transition from CD-Rom to online and console gaming as having many parallels to the transition from VHS to DVD. One principle that can be applied to a video game collection is it is better to start small than not at all. If you are going to subscribe to this theory, it would be my suggestion to purchase multiple copies of the same popular game in hopes that it will appeal to general audience. By purchasing multiple copies, the popular games stand a beter chance to be available more quickly, rather than constantly having holds on the

4

PEW Research Center. (2008). Teens, Video Games and Civics. Accessed on December 16, 2009 from http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2008/Teens-Video-Games-and-Civics/06-13-The-Social-Nature-ofTeen-Video-Game-Play/02-Games-are-social-experiences-for-the-majority-of-teens.aspx?r=1

3

items. Also, in regards to maintaining a small collection, it is essential to have a knowledgeable person in charge of your collection. Staffing and assigning roles is one of the most difficult and important roles for a manager. As with all assignments, the gaming collection would be most successful if the person filling the role had a sincere interest in gaming. The employee chosen must stay current on developments in the videogame world. Not only is it important to order the right games, but the employee must also know the general demographics of people playing each console. For example, if the staff member is working in a youth services department, he or she will most likely have the most success purchasing games for the Nintendo Dual-Screen and Wii platforms because these interactive systems are more prevalent with casual gamers. Conversely, the person in charge of ordering for an adult collection would be better suited purchasing a higher number of Xbox360 games because most hardcore gamers, who tend to be older, choose this console. Conjecture and research will never take the place of evaluating and analyzing statistics from your own collection. While these statistics are backed up by research and my own personal experience, each community is unique and the library’s community may have a person or a group of people that takes an interest in the collection, changing which platforms the person in charge of collection development should purchase. As with a good reference interaction, the librarian in charge of the collection must establish a rapport with users. While it is beneficial to have a collection at all, in order for your collection to thrive, the users must feel as though the librarian understands their culture, and has played the games. In Open-Ended Video Games, Kurt Squire

4

addresses the issue of distrust between younger users, and the older people who are trying to engage in conversation about video games. He states, “As other game researchers have reported, revealing one’s gaming experience seems like an important step in gaining trust with gamers around games that are socially marginalized.”5 In other words, if you would like to build relationships and create a comfortable, socially acceptable atmosphere for teens to rent games, librarians should be knowledgeable, engaging, and open minded, just as they would with any other format. When starting a game collection, it is important to have a variety of game types. There are different genres of video games, and the library would be best served if multiple video game styles were incorporated. Some of the most popular genres according to Scott Nicholson’s gaming in libraries course include rhythm, racing, sports, first-person shooter, puzzle, party, civilization, strategy, and fighting games.6 Selecting the games is an important role, and the person in charge can consult one of the numerous gaming resources to determine which games he or she should purchase. Personally, I enjoy http://metacritic.com/games because the site gives readers a composite review score from a number of reviewing agencies. This is beneficial for librarians because as the buyer, you will not be as easily influenced by one magazines bias. Another feature librarians will enjoy are the rankings, which are good to view as an initial collection, and the upcoming releases to maintain the success of your collection once it is flourishing.

5

Salen, K. (2008) The ecology of games: connecting youth, games, and learning. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, p. 176. 6 Nicholson, S. (2009). Gaming in libraries course. Accessed on December 16, 2009, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hSzFa7gZBM&feature=PlayList&p=3A2144083FCD6240&playnext=1 &playnext_from=PL&index=4

5

There are a few policy concerns every library should address when discussing adding any circulation collection, but the following questions include some that must be answered specifically for the circulating videogame collection: Will our library purchase games rated “M” for mature audiences? This question is closely tied to two other questions, of where will you house the collection, and will children be allowed to check them out? Games with a mature rating are no worse than the DVDs we have circulating which are rated R. Many parallels can be drawn between the two collections, and in most cases, I would choose to follow the policies of the DVD collection. It is best to revisit your library’s policy on allowing children to check out R rated movies. It is the policy at the library where I’m currently working to have a restriction on the card if the child is under the age of 18. This restriction can be lifted, and often is, by parents or guardians who believe their son or daughter is mature enough to be exposed to such content. A related topic is where the library wants to shelve the video games. One option is to place the video games all in one area. This means that games with a “E” for everyone games will be shelved next to the teen and mature games, should your library choose to purchase those titles. If the games are shelved together, I would make sure that the policy allows patrons of all ages to check out games with any rating so as not to cause confusion at the time of checkout, and to remain consistent in the message you are sending to the community. The other option is to house the collections in two separate areas. A logical divide is to purchase only games with the ratings E, and E+10 for the youth department, and purchase T, and M games for the adult section. These games would then be shelved in the appropriate department.

6

How long is the checkout period? Through interviews with librarians in the area, and personal experience, I have found that circulation of video games has been extremely successful. Often a problem is making sure that there is an actual physical collection on the shelves to present to the patrons, not just accessible through the OPAC for placing holds. Due to the fact that popular games are often checked out, and have multiple holds on them, it is recommended to have a short checkout period of a week. A check out period of a week gives patrons ample time to play the game, hopefully making the library the preferred option over their local video game renter who often have one or three night rentals as standard options. At the same time, the period remains short enough where patrons waiting on a hold should not be discouraged. In relation to the checkout period, libraries must decide if they would like to allow holds to be placed on video games. It is not unheard of for libraries to disallow holds on the grounds that they would like to have the collection be accessible in the physical space. However, it is my contention that libraries should allow and encourage holds because as a lending institution, libraries should want patrons of their library to use the collection, and be able to use it at their earliest convenience. One restriction that may alleviate long wait periods, and empty shelves is to prohibit reciprocal borrowers from checking out this format. Libraries can still be welcoming to the outside community and offer reciprocal borrowers the opportunity to come to gaming events held at the library, but in the interest of providing the best possible services to the community, it is best to limit the video game collection to patrons’ home library.

7

Another question relating to checkout is the number of items which can be checked out to one card. Both viewpoints have valid arguments, however, there should be consistency in policy. Our library now allows patrons to check out as many items as they would like. This is consistent throughout the library, and is in line with my personal philosophy that libraries should encourage and promote good use of the library. In response to librarians who maintain that it is not fair to have one person check out all of the video games, I would respond by asking them to watch the checkout process in a library with limits. These limits do not stop patrons from receiving the amount of material they want, it simply creates an inconvenience for them. For example, in the case where patrons are allowed to check out 2 games per card, the result is checking 2 on one card, then pulling out another card, either from a brother, sister, guardian or otherwise, and continue the checkout process. It is logical for the video game collection to reflect the policy of DVDs is in terms of overdue fines, and lost items. The video games are a more expensive format to purchase and they are often in high demand. For these reasons, it is reasonable to charge a dollar for every day the video game is late. In regards to lost items, the policy is consistent throughout the library, no matter what the format. The library charges the cost of the item, plus a five dollar processing fee. Security measures will vary from library to library because each community is different. I am fortunate enough to work in an environment where there are very few discipline problems such as abusing the materials intentionally, or stealing. These factors allow the library to circulate the collection without any added security measures. It is naïve to think that this is the case everywhere, so I will address two solutions for

8

this unfortunate problem. The first is to have locked cases. Many libraries choose to use these cases with their DVD collection. Patrons cannot open the case until the librarian swipes the DVD through the security device, creating a theft deterrent. A more restrictive option is to have the collection behind the circulation or reference desk. In my opinion, this should be a last resort because librarians should be as unobtrusive as possible. Whenever we place materials behind the desk, it creates a barrier for a portion of the community who is either uncomfortable interacting with the staff, or would prefer not to. Also, there is the very concrete disadvantage of space management. If the gaming collection expands, there will have to be space for the collection to reside, taking away shelf space. Libraries are havens for certain people, and as such, at times patrons can feel like they are the gatekeepers. It is possible to have backlash from library users who do not feel video games belong in a library. It is crucial that managers address these issues, and support his or her argument with statistics and literature. Libraries must be sure to justify their collection by pointing to the policy in terms of inclusion, highlighting how a collection of video games fits in with the mission statement, and create a resource for patrons to discover the benefits of gaming. This can be in the form of a blurb in the newsletter, a flyer, or digitally published on the library’s website. The emerging culture libraries are reinforcing by incorporating new technology is exciting. The opportunities for managers and forward thinking individuals to make a positive impact is demonstrated perfectly in the successful implementation of a circulating video game collection. As with adding to any collection, managers tackle larger tasks such as clearly outlining why gaming is important, how it supports their

9

library’s mission statement, assigning staff members, and creating a policy. The time spent refining these issues will build the foundation for a successful gaming collection, and make the library a relevant place for a set of new users.

10