The document discusses how libraries can incorporate video games to better serve teenage patrons. It provides examples of successful gaming programs hosted by libraries, such as tournaments for games like Mario Kart and Guitar Hero. The document also discusses developing video game collections, circulating games, and using games to help with reader's advisory and connecting patrons to other materials.

1. GET YOUR GAME ON! VIDEOGAMING WITH TEENS IN THE LIBRARY Presented for Delaware County Library System, PA by Beth Gallaway, http://informationgoddess.info May 2008

2. CONTACT, SLIDES & LINKS Beth Gallaway 603.247.3196 [email_address] http://informationgoddess.info http://del.icio.us/informationgoddess29

3. WHAT IS A GAME? GAME : activity engaged in for diversion or amusement; synonym: see FUN VIDEO GAME : an electronic game played by means of images on a video screen and often emphasizing fast action Merriam-Webster Online. http://www.m-w.com

4. DO YOU PLAY GAMES OF ANY KIND? YES NO

5. WHY GAMES AT THE LIBRARY? BECAUSE GAMES … Are just like books, they are just another new format Are the medium of choice for the millennial generation Build developmental assets of teens Are literary Reinforce new literacies

6. GAMES ARE LIKE BOOKS... THEY ARE JUST A NEW FORMAT

7. GAMING IS THE MEDIUM OF CHOICE FOR THE MILLENNIAL GENERATION

8. WHAT IS THE AVERAGE AGE OF A GAMER? * Entertainment Software Association. Top 10 Facts. http://www.theesa.com/facts/top_10_facts.php 33

9. WHAT PERCENT OF PEOPLE OVER 50 PLAY GAMES?* * Entertainment Software Association. Top 10 Facts. http://www.theesa.com/facts/top_10_facts.php 24%

10. GAMING BUILDS DEVELOPMENTAL NEEDS OF YOUNG ADOLESCENTS Support Empowerment Boundaries & Expectations Educational Commitment Positive Values Social Competencies Positive Identity The Search Institute. http://www.search-institute.org

11. WHAT DEVELOPMENTAL ASSETS ARE BEING BUILT?

12. WHAT % OF GAMERS ARE FEMALE? * Entertainment Software Association. Top 10 Facts. http://www.theesa.com/facts/top_10_facts.php 38%

13. GAMING = LITERACY Environmental print signage labels maps Reading about the game instructions walkthroughs Writing about the game forums websites Chat: “ WTS, Mageweave cloth, 15g”

14. GAMING REINFORCES NEW LITERACIES Exposing knowledge Employing information Expressing ideas compellingly Ethics on the Internet Warlick, David. ”The New Literacies.” Scholastic Administrator. Mar-Apr2005

15. 1. EXPOSING KNOWLEDGE Find information Understand and explain found information regardless of its format Evaluate information Organize information

16. 2. EMPLOYING INFORMATION Computation Measurement Analysis Application

17. HOW MANY BILLIONS DID COMPUTER & VIDEOGAME INDUSTRY GROSS WORLDWIDE in 2007?* $40 billion * Entertainment Software Association. Top 10 Facts. http://www.theesa.com/facts/top_10_facts.php

18. 3. EXPRESSING IDEAS COMPELLINGLY Mechanics matter Creativity & efficiency highly rated Text, images, audio, and video are used to express ideas in many digital formats

19. WAYS GAMERS EXPRESS IDEAS COMPELLINGLY Fan Fiction Machinima Web Comics Fan Forums Clan Websites

20. ETHICS ON THE INTERNET Modding – recreating game content FanFic – writing stories about characters created/owner by someone else Machinima – films/videos created through recording video game play

21. HAVE YOU EVER PLAYED A GAME RATED “M” FOR MATURE? YES NO

22. WHAT PERCENTAGE OF GAMES SOLD IN 2006 WERE RATED M?* * Entertainment Software Association. Top 10 Facts. http://www.theesa.com/facts/top_10_facts.php 15%

23. GRAND THEFT AUTO WAS THE #1 GAME MENTIONED BY BOYS 12-14 IN A STUDY ON VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES COMMISSIONED BY THE US DEPT OF JUSTICE Kutner, Lawrence and Cheryl Olson. Grand Theft Childhood. Simons & Schuster, 2008.

24. GTA WAS THE #2 GAME MENTIONED BY GIRLS. Kutner, Lawrence and Cheryl Olson. Grand Theft Childhood. Simons & Schuster, 2008.

25. HOW CAN LIBRARIES SERVE GAMERS? Connect games with “traditional” materials Think like a gamer Become a strategy guide Research video game culture Support gaming Create a gaming experience: Game collections Gaming programs Try some games!

26. USE GAMES IN READER'S ADVISORY INSTEAD OF: What authors do you like to read? What are the last 3 books you read? What did you like about them? ASK: What movies do you like? What TV shows do you watch? What games do you play?

27. IF YOU LIKE CITY OF HEROES

28. THINK LIKE A GAMER Everything is in BETA Get a screen name It's all about YOU You can’t break it Fail early, fail often

29. BE A STRATEGY GUIDE... ...NOT A LEVEL BOSS! Show, don’t tell. Make it interactive. Have a free-for-all. Ask for a demo of expertise

30. IMMERSE IN VIDEOGAME CULTURE Skim gaming magazines Read gaming blogs View machinima Read webcomics Play some games

31. RESEARCH VIDEO GAME CULTURE Take research studies with a ROCK of salt Pay attention to gaming in public spaces Attend GLLS2008 Join the LibGaming Google group: http://groups.google.com/group/ libgaming

32. TRY SOME GAMES Set Game Penguin Baseball Bejeweled Chicktionary Bob the Blob Club Penguin Runescape Diner Dash Snood http://del.icio.us/informationgoddess29/games

33. DOES YOUR LIBRARY ALLOW PATRONS TO PLAY GAMES ON LIBRARY COMPUTERS? YES NO

34. WHAT % OF PUBLIC LIBRARIES ALLOW PATRONS TO PLAY COMPUTER GAMES?* 82% *Nicholson, Scott. (2007). The Role of Gaming in Libraries: Taking the Pulse. July 2007. http://boardgameswithscott.com/pulse2007.pdf . Accessed October 8, 2007.

35. CREATE A GAMING EXPERIENCE! Programs Collections

36. DOES YOUR LIBRARY HOST VIDEO GAME PROGRAMS? YES NO *Nicholson, Scott. (2007). The Role of Gaming in Libraries: Taking the Pulse. July 2007. http://boardgameswithscott.com/pulse2007.pdf . Accessed October 8, 2007.

37. WHAT % OF PUBLIC LIBRARIES HOST VIDEO GAME PROGRAMS?* 13% *Nicholson, Scott. (2007). The Role of Gaming in Libraries: Taking the Pulse. July 2007. http://boardgameswithscott.com/pulse2007.pdf . Accessed October 8, 2007.

38. WHAT MAKES A SUCCESSFUL GAMING PROGRAM? Research Schedule Promote Play Evaluate

39. CHOOSE A GAME THAT IS... Multiplayer Short Rounds Rated E or T Easy to Learn Challenging to Master Appealing to a wide demographic

40. WHAT % OF GAMERS PLAY ON HANDHELDS? * Entertainment Software Association. Top 10 Facts. http://www.theesa.com/facts/top_10_facts.php 32 % 32%

41. EASY, FREE PROGRAMS! Cell phone clinic PSP Gamefest Nintendo DS Gamefest 32 %

42. MODEL GAMING PROGRAMS Santa Monica Public Library, CA Counterstrike LAN party After hours program 50 teens lined up around the block to play After School Zone, Benicia Public Library , CA Hanging out, snacks and playing games encourages Kids and teens who have gotten parental consent can play Halo 2 and Ghost Recon on the XBox 360; Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. Melee are popular on Gamecube

43. MODEL GAMING PROGRAMS Ann Arbor District Library (MI) Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros, & DDR Tournaments for all ages Regular programs Online community North Hunterdon High School (NJ) Student-run game night in the cafeteria

44. “ DDR+GUTIART HERO= FUN” “ Awesome cuz everyone gets along with each other, there’s no waiting in line or nething. Plus guitar hero is a wicked rad game.” “ I liked this because there’s too few of the DDR community around. This is a good opportunity to meet people with like interests.” “ I LOVED DDR”

45. DOES YOUR LIBRARY CIRCULATE VIDEO GAMES?* *Nicholson, Scott. (2007). The Role of Gaming in Libraries: Taking the Pulse. July 2007. http://boardgameswithscott.com/pulse2007.pdf . Accessed October 8, 2007. YES NO

46. WHAT % OF PUBLIC LIBRARIES CIRCULATE VIDEO GAMES?* 30% *Nicholson, Scott. (2007). The Role of Gaming in Libraries: Taking the Pulse. July 2007. http://boardgameswithscott.com/pulse2007.pdf . Accessed October 8, 2007.

47. GAMING COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT Magazines Strategy guides Nonfiction about gaming Fiction with gaming as a plot or subplot

48. COLLECTION POLICY CONSIDERATIONS Formats Console PC Internet Subscription Breadth & Depth Genres Styles Age ranges Budget New Bestsellers Used

49. COLLECTION MANAGEMENT Storage depends on: format staff space budget Theft start with programs start small Issues replacement/repair resistance

50. WHAT MAKES A GOOD GAME? Replayability Plot Setting Character Graphics Sound track Modification/Customization Uniqueness

51. GAME AWARDS BAFTA - http://www.bafta.org/ IGN - http ://bestof.ign.com Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences http://www.interactive.org / GameSpot - http://www.gamespot.com GameSpy - http://goty.gamespy.com Game Developer’s Choice Awards - http ://www.gamechoiceawards.com/ Game Critics Awards http://www.gamecriticsawards.com /

52. OTHER RESOURCES Gamer Dad - http://www.gamingwithchildren.com/ Video Game Librarian – http://www.videogamelibrarian.com/ Video Game Report Card by National Institute on Media and the Family http://www.mediafamily.org/

53. GAME REVIEWS School Library Journal Voice of Youth Advocates “Get Your Game On” column Gaming Magazines Tech Magazines

54. BEST PRACTICES: COLLECTIONS Rockridge Ages 13-18 year olds PS2 games 2 games/patron No holds/renewals 7 day free checkout $1/day late fee $50/replacement fee Genres: sports, adventure, racing, fighting, and shooters. Helen McGraw E, E10+ and T PS2 and PC games 14 day circ $.25/day late fee game cost+$5/replacement fee Genres: compilations, sports, racing games, platformers, unique and quirky titles

55. WII GAMES FOR TEENS Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Nintendo 2006) MarioKart (Nintendo, 2008) Rayman Raging Rabbids (Ubisoft, 2007) Super Paper Mario (Nintendo, 2007) Super Smash Brothers: Brawl (Nintendo, 2008) Fighting. Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam (Activision, 2006)

56. PLAYSTATION 3 GAMES FOR TEENS American Idol Karaoke Revolution: Encore. (Konami/Blitz, 2008) FIFA Soccer 08 (EA Games, 2007) Lair. (SCEA, 2007) Ratchet & Tank: Tools of Destruction (Sony/Insomniac, 2007) The Simpsons Game. (EA, 2007)

57. XBOX 360 GAMES FOR TEENS Beautiful Katamari. (Namco, 2007) Fight Night Round 3 (EA, 2006) Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga (Eidos, Traveller’s Tales, 2008) Lost Odyssey (Mistwalker/Microsoft Studios, 2007) Project Gotham Racing 3 (Microsoft Game Studios/Bizarre Creations, 2005)

58. CORE COLLECTIONS: http://del.icio.us/informationgoddess29/corecollections Neal Schuman, 2008

59. IN CONCLUSION… Libraries are about access to stories, and access to information – in any format. We have to stop being format snobs!

60. THANK YOU! Beth Galla CONTACT: 603.247.3196 [email_address] LINKS: http://del.icio.us/informationgoddess29 SLIDES: http://informationgoddess.info