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by: Jennifer Moats

Contents 1 What is Gaming? 2 Who are Gamers? 3 Why Gaming? 3.1 Participatory Culture 3.2 New Media Literacies and Games 3.3 Gaming as an Affinity Space 4 Gaming at the Public Library 4.1 Experiences of Libraries - Overview 4.2 Positive Aspects of Gaming 4.3 Setbacks to Gaming 4.4 Overcoming Setbacks and Increasing Success 5 Are You an Instrument for Change? - Gaming in the Public Library 6 Conclusion 7 References 8 Resources 9 Appendix

[edit] What is Gaming?

gaming 

"The playing of games that simulate actual conditions (as of business or war) especially for training or testing purposes" or "the playing of video games." Webster's Dictionary

Games such as, cards, dice, and board games, have been a part of human culture throughout history. However, since the late sixties, video games have changed the way we look at gaming. Historically, games and the first video games were to be played individually or with one or two players played in a single location. Through the development of the internet and more particularly, Web 2.0, the need for game play to occur between players at the same location has changed. Now, Gamers, the name given to those that play video or on-line games, can play over the internet, battling players from other localities and sometimes players all over the world. While gaming has always been collaborative in the sense that mulitple players play against each other, now collaborative gaming can reach across national and local boundaries in real time. This can take place in the form of LAN parties, on-line competitions, and on-line play acessible through video game consoles.

In fact, Web 2.0 style gaming includes its own new set of terms to define the type of gaming.

Are you familiar with the following terms?

• MMORPG - a Massively Multiplayer On-Line Role Playing Game
• MUD - a Multi-User Dimension
• MOO - a Mud Object Oriented
• MUVE - a Multi-User Virtual Environment

If not, do not worry. There are plenty of #resources for obtaining more information on gaming and how it can be used to benefit your public library.

[edit] Who are Gamers?

The types of people who play games and are considered Gamers has changed as the digital divide has narrowed.

The Entertainment Software Association reports that:

• "The average age of Gamers is 33."
• "38 percent of Gamers are female, while 62 percent of Gamers are male."
• "Women age 18 and older represent a significantly greater portion of the game-playing population (30 percent) than boys age 17 or younger (23 percent)."
• "60 percent of all Americans, or about 145 million people, play interactive games on a regular basis." (ESA, 2008)

Simpson (2005, p.18) cites The National Center for Educational Statistics and the National Institute on Media and the Family in stating that:

• "From 1997 to 2001, computer ownership has increased 37 percent for Whites, 53 percent for Blacks, 53 percent for Hispanics, 38 percent for Asian/Pacific Islanders, and 46 percent for Native Americans."
• "92 percent of children ages 2-17 play video and computer games."

These statistics perhaps surprise people who think that video and computer games are meant for only for the young, particulary unsociable caucasian teenage boys. However, as more people gain access to the equipment for accessing the internet and the video game consoles for playing these games, the participants and users of the games are not limited to teenage boys, but instead interest has spread to people of all ages and walks of life. I was interested to see in the research that I conducted that as the digital divide closes, the stereotypes of Gamers are broken. I hopeful that as the world obtains access to the internet and to ways to conduct virtual gaming opportunities that, one day, Web 2.0 style collaborative gaming will occur at a public library between members of a group in various locales and countries.

[edit] Why Gaming?

[edit] Participatory Culture

Jenkins et. al. (2006, p.7) has introduced a concept called "participatory culture." They describe participatory culture as:

• "A culture with relatively low barriors to artistic expression and civic engagement."
• "A culture with strong support for creating and sharing one's creations with others."
• "A culture with some type of informal mentorship whereby what is known by the most experienced is passed along to novices."
• "A culture where members believe their contributions matter."
• "A culture where members feel some degree of social connection with one another."

Collaborative gaming, or games that occur on-line or networks that connect multiple communities, take advantage of the aspects of participatory culture described by Jenkins. Younger members of the participatory culture believe their contributions matter and, in fact, youth often act as mentors to older novice particpants. They also assist players in acquiring what Jenkins et. al. terms as the "New Media Literacies." New media literacies are additional skills that are necessary in today's culture above and beyond reading, writing, and arithmatic, the traditional literacy skills, in order to be successful. In fact, in a presentation by Jenny Levine, The Shifted Librarian, she demonstrates that gaming encourages many of the "social" skills required of higher-wage earning employees (Levine, 2008).

[edit] New Media Literacies and Games

Jenkins et. al. (2006, p.4) has proposed several new media literacies required in the participartory culture. Jenkins et. al. contends that these new media literacies are more social in nature, than tradtional literacies based on an individual's accomplishment.

Some of the participatory culture literacies identifed by Jenkins et. al. (2006, p.4) that are enhanced through collaborative gaming are:

• "Play - the capacity to experiment with your surroundings as a form of problem-solving."
• "Performance - the ability to adopt alternative identities for the purpose of improvisation and discovery."
• "Simulation - the ability to interpret and construct dynamic models of real world processes."
• "Multitasking - the ability to scan one's environment and shift focus as needed to salient details."
• "Distributed Congnition - the ability to interact meaningfully with tools that expand mental capacities."
• "Collective Intelligence - the ability to pool knowledge and compare notes with others toward a common goal."
• "Transmedia Navigation - the ability to follow the flow of stories and information across multiple modalities."

Games allow players to experiment and risk failure with minimal consequences. Through these experiences, gamers learn to try new things, adapt to various rule structures to complete a game successfully, and learn to multi-task.

Not only do games teach these important new media literacies, they also are engaging. Researchers have found that engaging material is one of the most important characteristics of effective educational tools. Specifically, Salen (2007, p. 309) has stated that "Engagement is, first and foremost, a way into learning, as the many champions of games and education are quick to remind us." Engaging informal learning spaces are termed "Affinity Spaces."

[edit] Gaming as an Affinity Space

Gee (2004) defines "affinity spaces" as informal learning spaces in which people are more interested in the outcome or result of a piece of popular culture than they are with formalized learning tasks. The fact that games are not always fun, has lead to a lot of research on why games are so engaging when you would not see such patience with the not-so-fun activities in a school environment. Specifically, Jenkins et. al. (2006, p.23) states:

When individuals play games, a fair amount of what they end up doing is not especially fun at the moment. It can be a

grind, not unlike homework. The efforts allows the person to master skills, collect materials, or put things in their

proper place in anticipation of a payoff down the line. The key is that this activity is deeply motivated. The individual

is willing to go through the grind because there is a goal or purpose that matters to the person. When that happens,

individuals are engaged, whether that be the engagement in professional lives or the learning process or the engagement

that some find through playing games.

This is evident in many role-playing games, known as RPGs, that require significant investments of 'practice' time before the character in the game can proceed to the next level. In "Final Fantasy XII", for example, players have to spend hours in order to achieve the necessary strength, license points, and money necessary to be able to defeat certain foes in the game. Even though the story can progress further, the player will face almost certain defeat. Therefore, the player must choose to go back and practice before attempting to access the next part of the story.

Gee (2004) further states that affinity spaces offer good learning opportunities because they bridge differences in class, race, gender, age, and educational level. Gaming is a good example of an affinity space. No matter what a person's background is or the language they speak, when talking about a popular game that they have loved to play over the years, an instant connection is achieved. That is because the games, as a form of their personal history and culture, resonates with people more deeply than talk about a particular fact learned in school. I think that gaming is ideally suited to the public library as libraries are places where people from all walks of life come to convene and have access to the same resources regardless of culture, class, age, or race. Additionally, the library is a place for the accessing of information. I believe a connection with people outside our local walk of life, provide us with loads of easily available information. Gaming can pave a way to just that type of connection.

[edit] Gaming at the Public Library

[edit] Experiences of Libraries - Overview

Gaming is conducted at libraries for a variety of reasons such as to attract new patrons, to provide enjoyable programming, to market the library, or to improve both traditional literacies and new media literacies. The desire for my article was to research the type of collaborative gaming that occurs over networks and spans localities, but this is a frontier for current library programs on gaming. Some programs are simple console gaming while others are an elaborate connection of multiple consoles or LAN gaming parties. Based on the interviews conducted, gaming programs at public libraries are dependent on staff members being Gamers themselves and staff having the appropriate knowledge to set-up and conduct the programming.

There is a divergence in difficulties in obtaining the appropriate funding and in the perception of gaming within the community. Several libraries reported that money and support for gaming was easily obtained. Others reported the opposite stating that gaming was hard to market to certain members of the community. Most libraries reported all of their gaming program activities as successful, while a few reported that they had to discontinue certain aspects of their program due to lack of staff, equipment, and know-how.

Gaming programs are not limited to larger libraries. I interviewed a variety of libraries, including those classified as both large and small. Gaming programs were more dependent on the administration and/or staff encouraging the library's administration and members of the community about the value of gaming. Based on the interviews that I conducted, most libraries did not review any research on gaming, but decided to include the activity based on popularity with gamers. However, a few libraries were very aware of the research on gaming and were able to use it as a motivator for including a gaming program in their library.

[edit] Positive Aspects of Gaming

Most libraries interviewed reported that gaming was included as a service provided by the library because it is engaging and a desired service by some of their patrons. Several libraries also reported reviewing the research on the positive aspects of gaming prior to including gaming as a service, although, this may not be the norm. The Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County (2008) reported that "Gaming has everything to do with literacy and community in terms of recognizing symbols, learning strategies, communication, research, and participation that have always been fundamental to libraries." The Norman Public Library (2008) reported researching the positive aspects of gaming on learning and development before seeking the funding for the necessary equipment for its gaming services.

Gaming is also a fun activity. Many interviewees recognized that libraries "suffer reputations for not being fun" (Guilderland Public Library, 2008) and gaming is a way to combat those reputations. Gaming is current and relevant. Some interviewees stated that including gaming as a part of services makes libraries a 21st century organization. Many libraries also reported gaming as a way to draw new and different patrons to the library. Many libraries particularly identified that gaming attracts children and teens that may not regularly visit the library otherwise. Several libraries reported the desire to transform the image of the library in the eyes of teenagers because teenagers will one day be tax-paying adults. These libraries believe that if they can provide relevant services today, patrons who are not normally drawn to the library will see that there are other very "relevant" services.

One major benefit of providing gaming at the library is the bridge of the age divide. Several libraries reported the wonder of seeing children playing video games with older teens, and also adults in their 30's competing against teenagers. Many librarians asked in what other activity do you see such a diversity of ages participating.

Jenny Levine, the Internet Development Specialist and Strategy Guide, reported that forms of modern gaming can improve interpersonal skills, decision making, strategic thinking, and rapid information acquisition. In my interview with Levine (2008), she cites an example in watching a group of kids playing a RPG, where "the group will pass around the controller to the person who has the skill necessary to complete the current task." She says that gamers "know who has the expertise and when to use it" (Levine Interview, 2008).

[edit] Setbacks to Gaming

Some libraries reported some setbacks with implementing gaming programs at their libraries. The most frequently identified setbacks were lack of money, lack of knowlegable staff support, difficulty obtaining the gaming equipment, difficulty obtaining approval from supervisor, theft, and lack of understanding regarding the literacy benefits of gaming.

Jenny Levine (2008) reports in her interview that there are not any "truly unsuccessful implementations" of gaming programs. She cites potential disappointment with lack of resources, older gaming equipment, problems with marketing, and non-gaming library staff. Levine (2008) says that, in a recent debate on gaming in the library, that an opponent said that gaming is a "childish way for adults to reclaim their youth in an attempt to be a part of the cool crowd." So, marketing and research would need to go hand in hand to overcome such perspectives on gaming in the public library.

While a few libraries reported that there were no negative gaming experiences, many cited some specific downsides. The Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County (2008) reported the biggest obstacle to gaming in the library was non-gaming staff and staff not understanding how gaming engages literacy skills. David Lee King (2008) reported on an unsuccessful gaming project in his interview. King (2008) stated that although "the planning was successful" and implementation was successful, "administration and some of the board members were not successful in getting over their biases about video games."

[edit] Overcoming Setbacks and Increasing Success

Based on the interviews conducted, there are not too many setbacks and unsuccessful gaming programs. However, there are a few things that staff and the administration can do to make gaming at the public library as successful as possible.

1. First, understand the research and how it impacts your organization. Try to find peer-reviewed research on gaming that demonstrates positive experiences that are in line with the goals and mission of your organization. Also, try to contact some of the many organizations that have conducting gaming. Ask them about their experiences and use the responses to build up your planning and implementation strategies.

2. Second, the funding will probably follow the research and leg work that you put into practice in step one. Make sure that your research and background information is relevant and make the outcome a success for everyone involved in your organization. Also, have a budget with project costs including the cost per participant. Will a positive gaming program help to generate income for the library? Try to determine how to make the cost aspect of gaming a win-win situation for your public library.

3. Third, get the staff involved. Introduce the staff to gaming and help them to have a positive personal experience with the technology. If the staff finds gaming worthwhile, they are more likely to want to be involved when it comes to putting in some non-regular hours to support the program.

There are many ways to conduct a gaming program at your public library, just see the many interviews included in the Appendix below. If you need help, just ask for it. There are many willing respondents and resources to help you with your gaming program needs.

[edit] Are You an Instrument for Change? - Gaming in the Public Library

The Time is Now

As we have seen above, gaming is most often held in libraries where the staff have some experience with gaming and where the administration and the community can be convinced of the benefits of gaming at the public library. But, as also seen, gaming programs struggle when members of the community and staff cannot be convinced of its benefits. Connection gaps between age groups and between teenagers and the library itself are bridged when libraries and librarians take a step towards today's technology and are willing to embrace both the benefits and potential downfalls to this change. Many of the libraries interviewed reported that once staff, who were not typically gamers, started gaming, these staff were better able to relate to gamers and were more convinced of the benefits of gaming than staff who never played commercial video games. Sometimes, as information professionals, we have to actually explore technologies for ourselves so that we can be a mentor for change to others in our field and patrons in our community. Are you willing to be an instrument for change?

Or as they recently stated at the Public Library Association Convention "Get Over it" and Experiment!

[edit] Conclusion

I started this Web 2.0 article wanting to look at the impacts of collaborative gaming in public libraries. While most games are collaborative in nature, I was hoping to focus on digital gaming on-line or LAN networks that allowed players to connect with other players, "virtually." However, what I found through my research was that many libraries had planned and not started or tried to start this type of program, but for one reason or another, these programs were discontinued. Perhaps libraries just are not ready for fully Web 2.0 style gaming. But, I think what we have is a start.

I focused on the importance of gaming and its impact on "social-type" literacy skills, otherwise known as new media literacies. I think by revealing the enhancement of Gamers higher order literacies as well as showing gaming as a way to connect members of diverse communties, perhaps libraries can help take gaming to the next level by encouraging participation between Gamers across the country and all over the world. Imagine a Gamer who has never left the country playing against a citizen of another nation, thereby using the Web 2.0 aspects of gaming to learn about another culture. Imagine a group of Gamers who have never met in person, who do not eat the same types of food, who do not wear the same types of clothes, but can communicate through play and interaction. What if the public library could help its patrons develop friends in nations half a world away. What if?

[edit] References

Entertainment Software Association. Game Player Data. Retrieved from Gamer Data

Gee, J. P. (2003). What Video Games Can Teach Us About Literacy and Learning. New York: Palgrave-McMillan.

Gee, J. P. (2004). Situated Language and Learning: A Critique of Traditional Schooling. New York: Routledge.

Hayes, E. Women, Video Gaming and Learning: Beyond Stereotypes. Techtrends (2005), 49, 5.

Jenkins, Henry. et al. Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century. MacArthur Foundation White Paper (2006).

Kadakia, M. Increasing Student Engagement by Using Morrowind to Analyze Choices and Consequences. Techtrends (2005), 49, 5.

Levine, J. (2008) Gaming and Libraries: Intersection of Service. Retrieved from Shifted Librarian Presentations

Madill, L. & Sanford, K. Understanding the Power of New Literacies through Video Game Play and Design. Canadian Journal of Education 30, 2 (2007): 432-455.

Rice, J. Assessing Higer Order Thinking in Video Games. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education (2007) 15(1), 87-100.

Salen, K. Gaming Literacies: A Game Design Study in Action. Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia (2007) 16(3), 301-322.

Simpson, E. Evolution in the Classroom: What Teachers Need to Know about the Video Game Generation. Techtrends (2005), 49, 5.

[edit] Resources

The Shifted Librarian Blog - A blog by one of the technology experts at the American Library Association. A great resource for updates on gaming in libraries.

Resources and Articles about Gaming in Libraries - iLIBRARIAN by the Online Education Database. Provides links to blogs, presentations, articles, and books on gaming in the public library.

Steam Community Looking to connect with other gamers? Check out the Steam Community - A networking site for Gamers.

The Gaming Zone - Article on LAN Parties - A blog about the current gaming program at the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County

Gaming, Learning, and Libraries Community - A networking website from the American Library Association for librarians and researchers to connect over gaming in libraries.

E-Clippings (Learning as Art) A blog with a lot of discussion on gaming with a general perspective.

I love the quote he has on the first page..."The hallmark of revolution is that the goals of the revolutionaries cannot be contained by the institutional structure of the society they live in. As a result, either the revolutionaries are put down, or some of those institutions are transmogrified, replaced, or simply destroyed. We are plainly witnessing a restructuring of the music and newspaper businesses, but their suffering isn’t unique, it’s prophetic." --Clay Shirky

ALA Techsource Blog - A blog by the American Library Association on Technology. Gaming as well as many technology topics are discussed.

Library Success - A Wiki on successful library programs and strategies. Gaming has a particular segment on the Wiki...Please note..not all information is current, but the vast majority is current as of the date of this article.

Gaming in the Library Podcast - A Podcast by The Shifted Librarian on Gaming at the Library.

Understanding Learning Design in Commercial Video Games - A PHD Thesis on Gaming in Public Libraries. Current as of the end of March 2008. A lot of research on the beneficial aspect of commercial video games rather than games particularly designed for edutainment.

[edit] Appendix

Interviews
I conducted 17 interviews with libraries and library staff that have conducted gaming programs. Below you can find links to the libraries, contact information, and the transcripts of the interviews.

Bloomington Public Library (IL)

Interview with the Bloomington Library

• Type: public
• Size of library: medium
• Types of gaming: quarterly play at Game Fests in Library and community at large
• Games: DDR, Guitar Hero II, Mario Kart, Dead or Alive, NFS, Motosport; Come for the company, stay for the Karaoke, board games (Monopoly, Chess, Clue) and puzzles like life-size Sudoku
• Photos available at Flickr ... Post your photos, add us as a contact.
• Contact: John Fischer

Capital Area District Library (MI)

Interview with the Capital Area District Library

• Type: public
• Size of library: medium
• Types of gaming: tournaments and open play
• Games: DDR, Mario Kart, Super Smash Brothers, Mario Superstar Baseball on GameCube
• Contact: Scott Duimstra

Chambers County Library System (TX)

Interview with the Chambers County Library System

• Type: Public
• Size of library: small
• Types of gaming: Tournaments, open play, board games, regularly scheduled young adult programming
• Games: Halo, Halo 2
• Contact: Valerie Jensen

Corvallis Benton-County Public Library (OR)

Interview with the Corvallis Benton-County Public Library

• Type:Public
• Size of Library: Medium
• Type of Gaming: Teen Game Nights once a month in four locations. 2 PS2 and 2 XBox consoles, 6 DDR Mats, 2 Guitar Hero controllers, a Wii console and future Xbox Live subscriptions are featured.
• Games: All E and T, except for Halo 2
• Contact: Andrew Cherbas

David Lee King

Digital Branch & Services Manager for the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library
Interview with David Lee King

Fullerton Public Library (CA)

Interview with the Fullerton Public Library

• Type: public
• Size of library: medium
• Types of gaming: monthly open play Game Days.
• Games: Guitar Hero, Super Smash Brothers, DDR, Gran Turismo
• Contact: Shirley Ku

Guilderland Public Library (NY)

Interview with the Guilderland Public Library

• Type: public
• Size of library: large
• Types of gaming: Weekly Magic: the Gathering events, Video Gaming
• Games: ESRB E - T, Guitar Hero II, Dance Dance Revolution Supernova, Sing Star Karaoke
• Contact: Trevor Oakley

Henderson Libraries (NV)

Interview with the Henderson Libraries

• Type: public
• Size of library: medium
• Types of gaming: Get Your Game On - regular Wii nights for all ages; Wii the Teens - scheduled teens only Wii nights.
• Games: Wii Sports, Big Brain Academy, WarioWare, etc.
• Contact: Marcie Smedley

Jenny Levine - The Shifted Librarian

Internet Development Specialist and Strategy Guide for the American Library Association's Information Technology and Publishing Departments
Interview with Jenny Levine

Montgomery-Floyd Regional Library System (VA)

Interview with the Montgomery-Floyd Regional Library

• Type: public
• Size of library: medium
• When: 2nd and 4th Fridays of most months, from 3:30-6:30pm
• Types of gaming: Video games, board games, card games, etc. We feature a different video game each month on the projection screen, and usually have a second system set up on a large TV as well.
• Contact: Game On!

Norman Public Library (OK)

Interview with the Norman Public Library

• Type: public
• Size of library: small - medium
• Types of gaming: GAME ON ~ a monthly gaming event just for Teens. Super Smash Brothers, Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero II and the new Nintendo Wii are just some of the games set up for the teens to play. Also - free food.
• Contact: Rebecca H. Spence

Park Forest Library (IL)

Interview with the Park Forest Library

• Type: public
• Size of library: medium
• Types of gaming: boardgame afternoons and video game days
• Games: Gamecube, Playstation 2, XBox and XBox 360 video games for checkout, Mario Kart Double Dash and DDR tournaments beginning in August 2006, CD-ROM games pre-loaded on Youth Services Department public computers
• Contact: Brian Vagt

Park Ridge Public Library (IL)

Interview with the Park Ridge Public Library

• Type: Public
• Size of library: Medium
• Types of gaming: DDR, Wii, Guitar Hero Open Play, Guitar Hero & DDR tournaments, Game Maker Academy, Scratch Lab, Runescape Party
• Games: Gamecube, Wii, Playstation 2, Playstation 3, Xbox and Xbox 360 circulating video games, E - Mature; Wii Sports, Mario Party 8, Guitar Hero II & III, DDR Supernova, DDR Max 2, DDR Max, DDR Extreme 2. We do young adult and all-ages gaming programming.
• Contact: Maggie Hommel

Pasco County Public Library System (FL)

Interview with the Pasco County Public Library System

• Type: public
• Size of library: small
• Types of gaming: regular teen game nights and family game nights at several locations
• Games: Nintendo Wii, Playstation 2, Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero 2, Taiko Drum Master, Sing Star, dozens of boards games, Twister, Naruto Ninja Challenge, and Internet games such as Runscape, Tactics Arena Online, and Neopets.
• Contact: Paul Stonebridge

Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County (NC)

Interview with the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County

• Type: public
• Size of library: large
• Types of gaming: monthly gaming events with laptop games, XBOXs and board games; monthly XBOX and wii events; teen gaming events and tournaments through Imaginon
• Games: Alienware laptops with PC games, Nintendo Wii, XBOXs, Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero and hundreds of boards games.
• Website: The Gaming Zone
• Contact: Mark Engelbrecht

Schaumburg Township District Library (IL)

Interview with the Schaumburg Public District Library

• Type: public
• Size of library: supersize
• Types of gaming: open play (nights); computer games in teen area; starting to circulate games; starting a 'Teen Gamers Group' in Fall 2006; game days with LAN parties; will start podcasting reviews in January 2007
• Games: Sims 2, Madden, Tony Hawk, Midtown Madness, Life, and Monopoly on computers; DDR and Karaoke DDR; using Playstation 2 and X-Box systems
• Contact: Amy Alessio or Amy Peterson

Yorba Linda Public Library (CA)

Interview with the Yorba Linda Public Library

• Type: public
• Size of library: medium
• Types of Gaming: Monthly Open Gaming Nights for PS2, Nintendo Wii and board games, game tournaments
• Games: DDR, Guitar Hero, Super Mario Galazy, etc.; board games
• Contact: Patricia Rivera