The Playful Library:The Playful Library:
Games, LibrariesGames, Libraries
and Sharing Geek Cultureand Sharing Geek Culture
#PAXAus
#playfullibrary
euchronic@gmail.com

Can you hear us?Can you hear us?
(Also please check your phones are on silent)(Also please check your phones are on silent)

 Phil Minchin - ex-public library IT, library consultant
(also occasional freelance game writer/designer)
 Leonee Derr – Youth Services Librarian,
Melbourne Library Service
 Burke Standen - Administration and Facilities
Officer, Melbourne Library Service
 Kim Tairi – Hawthorn (&…) Campus Library Manager,
Swinburne University of Technology
 Hamish Curry - Education Manager, Learning
Services, State Library of Victoria
PanellistsPanellists

 Phil Minchin -
host, library consultant euchronic@gmail.com
 Leonee Derr –
MLS Youth Librarian @leoneeariel
 Burke Standen –
MLS Facilities bursta@melbourne.vic.gov.au
 Kim Tairi –
Swinburne Library Manager @kimtairi
 Hamish Curry –
Education Manager, SLV @hamishcurry
Panelist contactsPanelist contacts

PanelPanel
We’re here to discuss, not just present.
Give us a few minutes’ data dump each.
Then ask us questions, and share your
stories, ideas, crazy schemes that just
might work, etc.

We ♥ Research
Who are you? Gamers, library staff,
library lovers, other? Where are you
from?
What are you most interested in?
◦ What’s already happening in games in
libraries
◦ How to get more of it happening
◦ How to engage with libraries
◦ How to engage with gamers

Libraries: always evolving
Libraries are places which gather and
share information & culture (esp.
books) for a particular community’s
self-directed learning and recreation.
All those nouns are changing so
libraries are changing too: both our
collections and our spaces
Regardless of planned use, grassroots
geekery in libraries has been constant

Libraries are geek culture
First librarian: the Ur-geek (possible
pun intended)
Gathering information, organising it,
sharing it – all geeky
Collecting, organising and sharing
culture – WAY geeky

Games are culture
Huizinga, Homo ludens: play is a
necessary but not sufficient
precondition for culture
Play is basic, early culture – like
singing, dancing, telling stories
Games’ uniqueness as culture:
“poetry of system”, systems literacy
Most games are shared culture – which
makes them a logical fit for libraries

Making is culture, uses info
Writing – obviously
Crafting – already have the books,
and have space
Cosplay – making stuff linked to
fictional worlds probably represented
in the collection
Makerspaces – libraries have IT,
printing, scanning etc… logical next
step, fits self-directed learning & tech
access goals

Two-way libraries?
Libraries as places that store and
publish local content to the world as
well as vice versa
Libraries as portals to the world of
self-publishing
Libraries as places to meet people
who share interests

Future possibilities
Libraries as venues
 Already available for the public to use,
provided it doesn’t interfere with other users
 Many have bookable rooms
 I’m investigating tools to help people flag their
interest/meet/make times to geek together
Library games/gamification?
 Some experimentation, e.g. Game of Books.
Both gamers and library folk wary. Want to
hear your views!

Program questions
Lending electronic games like e-
books?
 Working on it – some interest from vendors,
lots from libraries
Lending role-playing game books?
 Many have a few, Port Phillip Library Service
has lots. Recommending trial use of RPGs for
teen/adult literacy programs

Program questions
Book-club-style game clubs?
 Recommended program, looking for someone
to fund
Game design workshops?
 Run by a few libraries around the world,
recommending more, both electronic and
tabletop

Program questions
Consoles in the library?
 Has been happening for years!
 Ouya is an interesting development – do
library folks know about it?
International gaming events hosted in
the library?
 Has been happening annually for the past 6
years!

International Games Day
@ your library
Saturday November 16, 2013
Global day of gaming, has been
running since 2008
Includes Nordic Game Day
Includes online games tournaments
Includes Global Gossip Game

International Games Day
@ your library
Saturday November 16, 2013
Public: ilovelibraries.org/gaming
facebook.com/internationalgamesday
Library: igd.ala.org
Registration: bit.ly/igd13reg

Gaming and the Public Library
“Because Play Matters”
Leonee Derr and Burke Standen
Melbourne Library Service

∗ Gaming in libraries goes as far back as the late 19th
century in the UK
∗ Toy and game libraries opened in the US specifically to support the
community during the Great Depression
∗ Competitive puzzle gaming saw an increase in research done in
libraries
∗ Research shows in the 20s and then again in the 60s, 70s and 80s a
strong relationship between story telling, research and gaming as all
part of learning/participating in libraries
∗ Digital gaming has a decades long history of being integral to
encouraging people in using the library
∗ Also a history of libraries banning gaming (in the 90s a case where a
person was arrested for not desisting at playing Chess)
HISTORY:
GAMING IS NOT NEW IN LIBRARIES!

∗ Once upon a time libraries were just nonfiction….
∗ Games are just another medium through which story, a
narrative, an idea or plot is expressed
∗ To provide a service which includes everyone’s
preferred style of interacting with narrative/story means
offering games alongside movies, graphic
novels/comics, text-based books, talking books, ebooks,
etc
∗ It’s also the books and other supporting material on the
who/what/why of games and gaming (be it D&D or
Magic or Playstation Magazine)
Gaming as a collection

∗ The library as a location for people to come and pick
up a chess or checker board, go online on a public pc
and game via the internet, pick up a Playstation, Wii,
or XBOX controller and ‘game.’
∗ Limitation of this aspect of libraries and
games/gaming is it is quite a solitary activity or one
which may require personal organisation with
another person
Gaming at will

∗ Organised, group events put on by the library
∗ Social inclusion
∗ Sharing of story
∗ Connecting with
community
∗ Inter-generational
∗ Global
∗ Cross-interest mixing
∗(Minecraft as a way to develop new library spaces)
Gaming as programming

Why games and public libraries?
“BECAUSE PLAY MATTERS!”-Scott Nicholson

Academic library

Collections | programs |spaces | future

Zombies in libraries - - flickr UTS Library

Collections | programs |spaces | future

State Library of Victoria
P–28
Discover
Learn
Create
Connect
The discovery of information
Enabling the generation of
new knowledge and ideas

P–29
Games events

P–30
Play in process
Hanging out
Messing around
Geeking out
International Library Games Day 2012

P–31
MV Anderson Chess Room

Freeplay: Independent Games Festival
P–32

Pop Up Playground
P–33

P–37
“The digital revolution
should spark library
evolution.”
Dan Terzian

International Games Day
@ your library
Saturday November 16, 2013
Public: ilovelibraries.org/gaming
Library: igd.ala.org
Registration: bit.ly/igd13reg

Making the case for games
See IGD blog – igd.ala.org
“Talking points” series (starts May 22)
Games are culture, as old as any other
type of culture (and older than most)
(also: popular & not going anywhere)
Have to be shared, therefore they
foster community & inclusion
Develop “theory of mind”
Can be good or bad art (like books)
Foster traditional and systems literacy

Reaching out to libraries
Game quietly in the library for a bit,
get to know staff
Borrow and request books relating to
games, talk to staff as you borrow
them
Use points on “making the case” slide
Offer to help run basic games events
Feel free to contact us for advice

Reaching out to gamers
Look on Meetup, Facebook,
BoardGameGeek for gamers in your
area. (Shout out to Café Games!)
Contact local game stores
Especially for roleplaying games, talk
to Organised Play groups

 Phil Minchin -
host, library consultant euchronic@gmail.com
 Leonee Derr –
MLS Youth Librarian @leoneeariel
 Burke Standen –
MLS Facilities bursta@melbourne.vic.gov.au
 Kim Tairi –
Swinburne Library Manager @kimtairi
 Hamish Curry –
Education Manager, SLV @hamishcurry
Panelist contactsPanelist contacts