Gaming in Libraries

1. Gaming in Libraries Idea Overview

2. Ideas at Conference • Why Games Are Important to Libraries • Educational Value of Games • Gaming Programs in Libraries

3. Vocabulary • Web 2.0 • People expect to generate their own content online instead of just being consumers – YouTube, MySpace • Library 2.0 • Patrons Expect to Help Generate Their Own Content and Library Services • MMOG • Massive MultiplayerOnline Game

4. More Vocabulary • Modding • Changing the Game or Your Computer Yourself • LAN Party • Local Area Network Party • Easter Egg • Game Powerup

5. Social Importance • What’s the average game player’s age? • 33 • What percentage of people over the age of 50 play video games? • 25% • Who is a bigger part of the game playing population – women over 18 or boys between 6 and 17? • Women over 18 (30%) • Boys are 23% • Numbers from the Entertainment Software Associations 2006 Sale, Usage and Data Survey

6. What Does This Mean? • Parents who play games are having children who play games • Teens are growing up with games as social, family activities • Teens equate games as an entertainment medium with movies, books and music.

7. Significance of MMOGs • Huge community – As of July 2006, there are over 12,500,000 people playing MMOGs worldwide better than half of which are World of Warcraft* subscribers • Numbers from the MMOGCHART Version 21.0 from mmogchart.com

8. WoW in Play

9. Educational Value of Games • MMOGs are intellectually rich environments • Games aren’t in place of literary activities – they are a reading and writing activity • Promotes a variety of career skills • Modding • Teaching • Positive social interaction

10. Using Games to Teach • Games are a good Way to Teach Both Customers and Staff • Let’s them work at their own pace • Makes learning More fun • Students with certain learning styles will retain the information better

11. Waterloo

12. Waterloo

13. Even More Waterloo

14. Some of the Things Libraries Are Doing • Console Game Tournaments – DDR, Madden, Halo • MMOG Tournaments - Runescape • Reader’s Advisory Based on Games • Circulating console game collections • Video Game Design Programs

15. Programs for Smaller Budgets $0 • Runescape Tournament LAN Party • Bring Your Own Console Game Night • Videogame Design with Gamemaker $100 • Buy a used XBOX, DDR Ultramix and 2 thin dance pads for DDR Tournament with donated prizes $200 • Buy a used PS2, extra controller, memory card and several used games for a regular game night

16. More Expensive • $500 • PS2 or Wii with extra controllers and a wide selection of games • DDR with metal dance pads • Video Game Design with Multimedia Fusion 2 and YDACS • $25 per Multimedia Fusion 2 License • Sliding scale for tutorial subscriptions • In our case, 66 students for three months was $4224

17. Game Night

18. Video Game Design as a Library Program • Gamemaker • Cheap • Suprisingly sophisticated capabilities • Very labor intensive for staff • Youth Digital Arts Cyberschool • Can make very sophisticated games fast • Can subscribe to online classes • Not cheap

19. Gamemaker

20. Games Made with Multimedia Fusion 2

21. Why a Video Game Design Program? • Library 2.0 friendly • Providing a service that is unique to libraries • Great literacy activity – writing a narrative • Can have teens create games that advertise library services or teach library skills • Can be used to train staff

22. Why Should I Care? • Games are a very popular medium just like books, movies or audio that many library users expect • They draw in non-traditional library users • The argument for and against games in libraries today is very similar to the argument for and against carrying movies in the seventies

23. For More Information • Websites • www.gamemaker.nl • Gamemaker download and tutorials • www.ydacs.com/ • Youth Digital Arts Cyberschool • http://libgaming.blogspot.com/ • Blog devoted to library gaming programs • http://www.booklistonline.com/default.aspx?page=show_product&pid=1894032 • Video Game Readalikes Kathy: kmakens@browardlibrary.org