Video Games at the Library

[scooby105]

Does anybody have video games available to check out at their local library? My library recently started carrying Wii and PS2 games. It's kind of nice and saves a few dollars on rentals obviously. I can't reserve games, but otherwise it's been nice so far.

[CHOZO]

My library lends out games, but nothing you would want to play. Their selection consists of a couple of crappy Game Boy Advance games. Really, it's quite disappointing.

[otoko]

Really? I haven't been to my library since my freshman year in high school. That's what... uhh over four years ago.. I rather not go, because it brings ... bad memories...

[Gapporin]

*coughcough*

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=98329

>_>

[Nikademus1969]

I remember back in the day checking out Commodore 64 games. The discs seldom worked tho.

[otoko]

*coughcough*

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=98329

>_>

OH SNAP!

[Nirvana]

That's really weird. I never thought of a library having games to lend out. You'd figure they'd discourage gaming.

[scooby105]

*coughcough*

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=98329

>_>

I didn't find this in my search, but it deals with video game displays in the library, not video games for checking out at the library. They're different enough topics.

It does want to make me ask my library if they'd be interested in a display such as this though.

[ubersaurus]

We just started at my library, over my objections. Of course, we don't buy the games...we only take in donations. Too expensive, and too risky due to the possibility of theft.

As for why we started getting them, it's largely because people kept asking about it.

But having worked at a library for the past 9 years, I can tell you that it's not all doom and gloom. Yes, we're getting more movies and music. But that's because people want them, and they're no less valid forms of entertainment than books. There's no hidden agenda here. We like circulation numbers, they like the items.

And internet being a good source of information? Maybe, but it depends what you want, and how willing you are to purse through fallacies.

[Cryomancer]

My library has yt to do games (although they do some gaming nights i do believe), but they have a pretty good selection of TV show sets. Stuff like Dark Shadows, which are like 60 bucks a set and have 1000000 sets or whatever. Stuff no person with passing interest would want to drop that much on. I think this is a nice service. Now if only they would get Mr. Wizard and Unsolved Mysteries...

[FantasiaWHT]

Yes, we're getting more movies and music. But that's because people want them, and they're no less valid forms of entertainment than books. There's no hidden agenda here. We like circulation numbers, they like the items.

Except that there's a difference between providing entertainment and encouraging literacy. One I think is a proper way to spend taxpayer money, another isn't.

[jjgames]

Except that there's a difference between providing entertainment and encouraging literacy. One I think is a proper way to spend taxpayer money, another isn't.

I completely agree with this. I think libraries are there to help people with continuing education in some way and it is a cause worthy of some taxpayer money.

I think most movies and almost every video game falls outside that category and are only entertainment. I don't think taxpayers subsidizing people's entertainment is a good idea.

[ubersaurus]

Except that there's a difference between providing entertainment and encouraging literacy. One I think is a proper way to spend taxpayer money, another isn't.

It's a matter of perspective. I'd argue that it's a waste of taxpayer money for people to pay for stuff they never look at.

Seriously, our nonfiction books are not popular. Fiction books, new nonfiction books, and media - audiobooks, movies, cds, video games - these are popular.

I don't have the circ numbers readily accessible, though I'm sure the head librarian knows, but last year we had 198,000 circs. This year we had 214,000, mostly on the strength of new books, cds, and movies.

[scooterb23]

boatofcar - I know I promised a report of this day...unfortunately, a change in my schedule kept me from going to the event personally (in Ohio). But I do have a short report from friends that went.

There were actually 2 events my friend worked (members of a boardgame group committed to trying to bring better games to light). One in London, OH. That one he said went extremely well. Big turnout, and the kids and adults got very interested in the "new style" of boardgames that our group brought. Most of the young kids got pulled away to the Wii...but even then, most of them tried the other games, and were engaged. I think the librarians there were very intrigued, and asked lots of questions. I could see them trying to add boardgames to the mix.

The Circleville one, not so much. The adults saw game day, and equated that to free babysitting. And the librarians there stayed out of it. My friend said that the few people who at least paid a bit of attention did get very interested in the board games they had never seen before, but that the event as a whole did not pan out as well.

I did stop by the one library where I was that I could find. And they had a sign up for the day, but didn't see any event going on. I did see the table they had set aside though, with the game they had been sent sitting idly in the shrink wrap. I did take the initiative to set it up and read through the rules, just in case, but no luck...ah well.

http://scottnicholson.com/

If you're interested anymore in this topic...check this site out. This guy has started a very successful game lab in a library in Syrcase, I think he's doing great stuff.

[Half Japanese]

And internet being a good source of information? Maybe, but it depends what you want, and how willing you are to purse through fallacies.

That's all a matter of where you're looking. I've got access to JSTOR and several other online libraries through my college's website, so I really don't need to set foot in the library at all unless a professor is lazy and just has something on hold for students to waste their time copying instead of scanning it for everyone.

That said, I'd be far more in favor of libraries expanding (or hell, to be honest, HAVING IN THE FIRST PLACE) comics. I'm not saying have every half-assed mid-90's overwrought X-Men trade paperback Marvel charges too much money for, but maybe at least some stuff like Bone, Peanuts, Will Eisner's graphic novels, etc.

As far as libraries having DVDs, I'm not opposed to it, but the sorts of people I've seen at the library checking out DVDs aren't exactly looking to expand their scope or understanding of cinema. I don't think you have to be all that curmudgeony about it, but a film should have some artistic/educational worth to be at a library. No library should carry Tyler Perry's "movies", for instance.

[boatofcar]

That said, I'd be far more in favor of libraries expanding (or hell, to be honest, HAVING IN THE FIRST PLACE) comics. I'm not saying have every half-assed mid-90's overwrought X-Men trade paperback Marvel charges too much money for, but maybe at least some stuff like Bone, Peanuts, Will Eisner's graphic novels, etc.

Most libraries have a good selection of comic strip books, but I've never looked for TBP's before.

As far as libraries having DVDs, I'm not opposed to it, but the sorts of people I've seen at the library checking out DVDs aren't exactly looking to expand their scope or understanding of cinema. I don't think you have to be all that curmudgeony about it, but a film should have some artistic/educational worth to be at a library. No library should carry Tyler Perry's "movies", for instance.

But who decides that that Ultimate Spider Man trade has more artistic value the Diary of a Mad Black Woman? Sounds pretty hypocritical to me.

Except that there's a difference between providing entertainment and encouraging literacy. One I think is a proper way to spend taxpayer money, another isn't.

Agreed.

Uber, do you have access to your library's circulation numbers of books and DVDs over the past nine years? I think that would be really interesting to look at.

[scooterb23]

What I gather most people saying is that games shouldn't be in libraries because they aren't seen as learning tools in any sense...

I just think of all those years I fought with my parents to buy video games because I actually did learn something. Hand-eye coordination, problem solving skills, even learn to read and math (I learned how to do multiplication when I was 6 because of a math game on my TI 99 4A). Video games have had some positive impact on my education.

Now our libraries are saying "You know what, maybe games do have a place in our institution, there is some greater good that can be gained," and people on a videogaming site are basically saying "Psh, what are you doing wasting our money on these trifling games."

I know I'm going to the event I linked to earlier to try and see what goals my local library has in trying to integrate gaming into their system, and maybe even make some recommendations and actually get involved. I'm hoping that this will be apositive trend for the livelihood of an institution that we would be far worse off without.

[boatofcar]

Scoot, please post about that event. I'm quite interested in what they've got set up.

I just think of all those years I fought with my parents to buy video games because I actually did learn something. Hand-eye coordination, problem solving skills, even learn to read and math (I learned how to do multiplication when I was 6 because of a math game on my TI 99 4A). Video games have had some positive impact on my education.

If the library only stocked video games that had some kind of educational merit (text-heavy games, educational games, etc), I would have far less of a problem with this. However, it seems like they'll put any game that gets donated on the shelf.

[scooterb23]

Scoot, please post about that event. I'm quite interested in what they've got set up.



If the library only stocked video games that had some kind of educational merit (text-heavy games, educational games, etc), I would have far less of a problem with this. However, it seems like they'll put any game that gets donated on the shelf.

I will, as you know, I live in a small town, and through e-mail contact I can tell they are mostly clueless about what is out there in the video game / boardgame world...my friends and I mean to change that.

Your second point is kind of what's making me want to get involved with the day as a whole, I want to see if they're thinking Brain Age or Dead Rising...

[boatofcar]

Double post power--activate!