Roleplayers and LARPers have information needs both before and during gameplay. Their pre-game needs include rules, setting details, character creation guides, and research on historical periods and props. Their in-game needs include player-created information using pre-existing materials. Public libraries can help meet these needs through their collections of roleplaying literature and by cooperating with local roleplaying organizations. More research is still needed on how libraries can best prepare and advertise to these user groups.

1. The Information need of role players and LARPers By Sara Westerdahl Swedish School of Library and Information Science University of Borås

2. A typicalLARPer Craig Wynters - Vampire

3. Introduction Importantsubject – reachout to all usergroups Lack of research Researched group: roleplayers and LARPers

4. Definitions Role play Several kinds exist Table top Storytelling One leader and 5-6 players LARP Live action roleplaying Similar to roleplaying Actingout the story Biggergroups

5. Definitions Roleplayingliterature Bookswrittenspecifically for a certain game Rules Description of setting Charactercreation guide

6. Research questions What does the information need look like for the role players/LARPers? How can this need be catered by the public library?

7. Method Twomethodsused Study of earlier research Librarians’ point of view Falk & Stenkula (2007) Order in the information need Haraviainen (2007) Qualitativeinterviews Two informants taken from roleplaying organisation Interviews over email

8. Haraviainen Extradiegetic Created for the game and usedbefore the game Diegetic Playercreated information usingextradiegetic material Otherpregame information For example: Information on how to make costumes and props

9. What does the information need look like for the role players/LARPers? Extradiegetic Rules Game setting Time period Type of world Charactercreation Diegetic Difficult to estimate from the answers Creates characters Otherpregame information Big information need for the informants Research historical periods and events Creation of props

10. Prop and clothes BattleLARP/Conflict game

11. Can the librarycatertheseneeds? Mostlibrarianssayyes Cooperation with local organisations greatlyappreciated by bothparties Importance of advertising

12. Discussion Where in the librarydoweput the role play literature? Handbooks Fantasy Recreation

13. Conclusion The playershave a great need of information The librarycan offer help with two of the information groups Needsmoreadvertising to roleplaying organisations Workingtogether More research on how to preparelibrarians to meet this user group

14. Questions?Falk, Christel & Stenkula, Christofer (2007). ”Tärningen är kastad”: Rollspelslitteratur i samhället och på bibliotek. Borås: Högskolan i Borås, Bibliotekshögskolan/Biblioteks- och informationsvetenskapHarviainen, J.T. (2007). "Live-action, role playing environments as information systems: an introduction" Information Research, 12(4) paper colis24 Thank you for listening!