"Video games are now a part of the culture and the fabric of our society." So says Sandy Farmer in her article entitled "Gaming 2.0", published in the November/December 2010 issue of American Libraries. Farmer, Central Youth Services manager for the Houston Public Library, describes how the addition of two dedicated gaming spaces, one for children ages 5 -12 and the other for teens, has spurred a major increase not only in the number of patrons using the library but in the circulation of more traditional library materials. The "KIDS" area features Wii consoles and games rated either E or E-10, while the TEEN space offers Playstation 3 consoles and T-rated games, along with some E and E-10 choices. The games span the full array of available genres. An initial investment of $22K is now down to an average expense of $1 per client, and will continue to drop as usage increases. And any concerns about noise levels seems to have been assuaged - as Farmer points out, "When we are busy it would be hard to notice those individual sounds anyway." (Farmer, 2010)
Given my own aspirations of school librarianship, I began to ponder how game consoles might work in a school library. Putting aside the issue of cost for the moment, there's the space problem. Most public school libraries are small, and set up on an open space plan. But if you're lucky enough to have an adjacent room off the library (maybe you work in a former "open plan" school that has been converted), this could be doable. Even in a more traditional library, gaming could be limited to specific off-peak times. Gaming privileges might even serve as a reward - tickets entitling the student to game time could be given for improved attendance, improved grades, or improved behavior.
Okay, so now - what about those costs? Start small, and the costs could be no more than a tenth of the HPL's investment. Local businesses might be persuaded to donate materials. Students could fundraise. Some of the larger game producers might even be convinced that this was a perfect opportunity for some good publicity.
Wii Tennis, anyone?
References:
Farmer, S. (2010, November/December). Gaming 2.0. American Libraries, 41(11/12), 30 - 34.
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