This document discusses the benefits of video games and gaming for teens and libraries. It argues that gaming is a popular medium for teens that can reinforce new literacies and developmental assets. It provides examples of libraries that have successfully hosted gaming events and collections. It also offers recommendations for how libraries can better engage gamers, including using games for readers' advisory, hosting gaming events, and immersing themselves in gaming culture.

1. Teens and Technology: Video Games Presented for YALSA by Beth Gallaway Teens & Technology Midwinter Institute San Antonio TX January 20, 2006

2. Why are games, teens and libraries such a good match? Gaming is the medium of choice for the millennial generation Games are like books, they are just another new format Gaming has potential to meet developmental assets of young adults Gaming reinforces new literacies It’s a winning combination!

3. Gaming reinforces new literacies Exposing Knowledge Employing Information Expressing Ideas Compellingly Ethics on the Internet

4. Exposing Knowledge Find information Understand and explain found information regardless of its format Evaluate information Organize information

5. World of Warcraft Example of information gathering in game

6. http://www.runescape.com Runescape

7. Employing Information Computation Measurement Analysis Application

8. Lemonade Stand http://www.leamonadegame.com Set Game http://www. setgame .com

9. Expressing Ideas Compellingly Mechanics matter Creativity & efficiency highly rated Text, images, audio, and video are used to express ideas in many digital formats

10. http://www.fanfiction.net/cat/209/

11. Warcraft Tutorial: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=258304929613212293&q=warcraft+tutorial Warcraft Movies: www.warcraftmovies.com Red Vs. Blue : http://www.rvb.com Machina

12. Ethics on the Internet Modding – recreating game content FanFic – writing stories about characters created/owner by someone else Machina – films/videos created through recording video game play

13. IT WORKS! Success Stories

14. Success Stories Santa Monica Public Library (CA) held a Counterstrike LAN party Ann Arbor District Library (MI) hosts Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros, and DDR tournaments for teens, adults and children North Hunterdon High School (NJ) hosts a student-run game night in the cafeteria Kansas City Public Library (Central) hosts a Runescape Marathon

15. Success Stories East Brunswick Public Library (NJ) has been circulating games for 16 years Austin Public Library (TX) Wired for Youth hosted a Video Game Design Camp University of Waterloo Library uses a video game to train library staff in GovInfo Reference questions Carencro High School (LA) hosts a Game Academy for future game designers

16. Success Stories Jervis Public Library (NY) incorporated games into the Teen Summer Reading Program Flint Memorial Library (MA) had a Game Night program Tulsa City-County Library (OK) has a Gaming Council Charlotte & Mecklenburg County (NC) hosted a Halo Tournament for adults 18+

17. Dance Dance Revolution Free Play & Tournaments Sellers Library (PA) Thomas Ford Memorial Library (IL) Tipton County Public Library (IN) Bloomington Public Library (IL) Ann Arbor District Library (MI) In MA: Haverhill and Lynn, coming soon to Lexington, Stoneham and Oxford!

18. Your Success Story In Print! Game On! Gaming and Libraries Neal-Schuman email Beth Gallaway [email_address]

19. Video Games Teach, Encourage and/or Reward: Hand-eye coordination Pattern Recognition Reading & Writing Physics Math History Geography/Map Reading Social Skills Mentoring & Leadership Critical Thinking Problem Solving Creativity High self-esteem Loyalty Teamwork Calculated, Strategic Risk-taking Fun

20. What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy by James Paul Gee (Palgrave McMillan, 2003) Identifies 36 learning principles found in games that encourage active and critical (not passive) learning, including: risk –tasking in a “safe” environment rewarding of practice use of affinity groups probing cycles situated meaning self-knowledge formation of identity

21. SEVEN THINGS YOU CAN DO TOMORROW TO MAKE YOUR LIBRARY MORE WELCOMING TO GAMERS Use games to do readers advisory Be a strategy guide Embrace your inner technogeek Be flexible Plan change Immerse yourself in pop culture … especially video game culture Try some games!

22. 1. USE GAMES TO DO READER’S ADVISORY INSTEAD OF: What authors do you like to read? What are the last 3 books you read and enjoyed? What did you like about them? ASK: What movies do you like? What TV shows do you watch? What games do you play?

23. Roleplaying/MMORPG Games GAMES: Everquest Runescape World of Warcraft Dark Age of Camelot Ultima SUGGEST: epic fantasy historical war Authurian legend fractured fairy tales

24. Historical Simulation Games GAMES: Civilization Caesar Age of Empires Oregon Trail America’s Army? SUGGEST: biographies historical fiction mythology

25. Sports Games GAMES: Madden Football NBA Street Need for Speed Tiger Woods Golf WWF SUGGEST: sports adventure biographies

26. Strategy & Puzzle Games GAMES: Myst Tetris Bejeweled Where in the World is Carmen San Diego? SUGGEST: mystery thrillers travel puzzle books

27. First Person Shooters (FPS) GAMES: Doom Quake Halo SUGGEST: military fiction horror apocalyptic fiction science fiction

28. Simulations GAMES: The Sims The Urbz SUGGEST: sociology dysfunction relationships romance architecture

29. Japanese/Manga tie-in GAMES: Katamari Damacy Final Fantasy Dragonball Z Pokemon SUGGEST: manga Japanese culture graphic novels drawing books anime films

30. Superhero Games GAMES: Spider-Man Fantastic Four City of Heros SUGGEST: comic books graphic novels biographies mythology

31. 10 YOUNG ADULT NOVELS WITH GAMING PLOTS Bloor, Edward. Crusader . Card, Orson Scott. Ender’s Game . Horowitz, Anthony. Eagle Strike . Lubar, David. Wizards of the Game . Skurzynski, Gloria. The Virtual War . Tangherlini, Arne. [email_address] . Vande Velde, Vivian. Heir Apparent . Vande Velde, Vivian. User Unfriendly . Werlin, Nancy. Locked Inside . Wieler, Diana. Ran Van series.

32. NONFICTION Compton, Shanna. Gamers: DeMaria, Russel & Johnny L. Wilson. High Score! Weiss, D. B. Lucky Wander Boy . Official Prima Strategy Guides. Prima. AD&D Player’s Handbook . Moursund, Beth. Magic: The Gathering: Official Strategy Guide .

33. GAMING MAGAZINES Computer Gaming World Dragon Electronic Gaming Monthly Game Informer Game Pro Nintendo Power Official X-Box PC Gamer Play Playstation & PS2 Tips & Tricks

34. FOR LIBRARIANS Beck, John C. & Mitchell Wade. Got Game? How the Gamer Generation is Reshaping Business Forever . Gee, James Paul. What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy . Howe, Neil. Millenials Rising: The Next Great Generation . Jenkins, Henry III and Justine Cassell. From Barbie to Mortal Kombat: Gender and Computer Games . Katz, John. Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho . Broadway, 2001. Tapscott, Don. Growing Up Digital: The Rise of the Net Generation .

35. 2. BE A STRATEGY GUIDE Don’t be a level boss. Show, don’t tell. Make it interactive. Get them started. Have a free-for-all. Ask for a demo of expertise Be open-minded

36. 3. EMBRACE YOUR INNER TECHNOGEEK Upgrade. Get a screen name. You can’t break it. Pilot projects. Read tech news.

37. 4. BE FLEXIBLE Change the space. Flexible furnishings. it’s a stool, it’s a tray video rocker armchair with swivel tray cubes, beanbags, floor cushions storage ottoman Say yes. Go meta. Customize. Change yourself.

38. 5. PLAN CHANGE Sticky content: web facility Accept change. Plan.

39. 6. IMMERSE YOURSELF IN POP CULTURE Know what’s hot/what’s not . Pop goes the library. Know about crossovers.

40. … ESPECIALLY VIDEO GAME CULTURE Watch Red Vs. Blue . Read Penny Acade or PvP . View PBS’s Culture Shock You Decide: Video Games . Skim gaming magazines. Link . Pay attention to gaming.

41. … MORE VIDEO GAME CULTURE Join the LibGaming Google Group at http://groups.google.com/group/libgaming Read the Game On! Video Games in Libraries blog at http://libgaming.blogspot.com Take an online class on Video Games and Libraries from Simmons, YALSA or another organization.

42. Sign the petition for a YALSA gaming interest group. Attend Gaming Institutes like Teens & Technology Midwinter Institute (save the date! Gaming Learning & Libraries 2006 Dec 3-5 Chicago IL)

43. 7. TRY SOME GAMES SET GAME: DAILY PUZZLE PENGUIN BASEBALL BEJEWELED CHICKTIONARY BOB THE BLOB NEOPETS RUNESCAPE DINER DASH CABOODLE SNOOD

44. OTHER GAMING SITES APPLECORE BONUS CITYCAFE FUNBRAIN GAIAM GIRLS GO TECH GIRL TECH GAMES CAFÉ: PLAYFIRST POGO QUEEN BEE GAMES J OTTO SEIBOLD SHOCKWAVE WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE?