(Didn't get a chance to post this in Chicago, but here are the thoughts I wrote during the second afternoon.)
The new presenter (Beth Gallaway) has an intriguing title for her talk: “What Libraries Can Do for Gamers Other than Programming.” A rather thorough looking handout, though, and my brain’s wearing out, so I don’t know if I’ll type a whole lot. Interesting . . . instead of asking, “What books do you like?” ask, “What games do you play?” to get at their interests for readers advisory. If I had to choose just one handout to pass on, in fact, it would be this one. Maybe I can get copies made for our next YS meeting. She’s now sharing a success story using Instant Messenger at work. She shared her screen name with the teens and they started IMing her questions while they used the computers. It started with things like, “the guy next to me is looking at porn” and such, but as she proved responsive it progressed to homework and reference questions. She was at the reference desk a few feet away, but they probably never would have taken the time to ask her in person. Using IMing was much more comfortable for them so it worked better.
Panel discussion time.
Atabong is happy to have his laptop back. Sarah had highjacked it so she could blog her reactions, but she had to leave early to catch an earlier flight than ours. Eli just said nothing exists in librarianship until there’s been a conference about it, so now gaming in libraries actually exists. I didn’t write anything about some of the presenters, but there are others already doing things with this and enjoying some success. Good idea: go to potential sponsors and say that 75% (or whatever the number is) of our residents have library cards, so all of them will see your name as supporting us if you help with this initiative. More and more, people’s information needs have to do with using/understanding technology and the Internet. We need to be able to help them with these information needs just like any others, which requires that we be technology and Internet experts. Yes there are still avid readers out there and traditional researchers who we can’t neglect, but there are enough librarians of a similar generation that I don’t think that’s a problem. What I worry about is enough younger librarians who are familiar with all of the latest digital stuff that who can keep up with the new adults coming up. I know I’m one of the tech advocates in our system, yet I barely feel proficient in many of the forms in use now. This symposium has certainly made me feel behind the curve. Huh. Some of the library systems represented here are trying things based on the Netflix model—deliver books and materials by mail, return with no due date. “These people who are so crazy about the books, they’re going to be dead” (Eli). An argument that we eventually won’t have to keep couching the discussion in book terms to get them approved. It’s true that anyone younger than a certain age will only use it if it’s digital and have no use for books. Idea of a Runescape tournament where different branches compete against each other; followed by the idea of video game leagues where winners of tournaments in one location take on those in others, leading to a national championship, hosted in libraries. “Convenience will always trump quality, so it’s our job as librarians to make quality convenient.” Downloadable audiobooks. Now that’s something I hope we get in on right away, because I think it’s going to take off. I know I’m a lot more interested in it than I am audiocassettes or CDaudios or ebooks. I can imagine “reading” quite a lot of books that way, and I see more ipods every day. Some of the other panel members are defending the longevity of books now; they didn’t die out from radio or movies, we’ll just continue to layer more formats on top of each other. But the point is we don’t have to be one or the other, but should instead try to include all. We’re not taking away from books, but adding to it. (Now Eli must defend his provocative-ness: the book won’t die out, just the opinion that books are best.) “It’s not the format, but the content.” People will always be writing novels/telling stories in written form. To bring librarians on board: show them the bibliographies that there is plenty of literature out there advocating the value of gaming.
4 comments:
I see now that a simple comment will not be enough. Your voluminous postings will require an entirely separate post devoted to rebuttal. Now, unfortunately I do not have time. I will leave you with my simple head-shaking disapproval. (And might I say, for someone who is not so into electronic gaming, you sure seem pumped about this. I need not point out the irony that I, actually, spend way more time in this activity than you do, but there, I just did.)
Bring it!
I meant what I said somewhere in one of those posts--I've always thought of libraries as community gathering points and I think its important for us to work with information in any and all formats. If there is a place for recreational reading, then there is a place for recreational movies, computers, games, and other technologies. Probably because I'm not a gamer, I'd never actually considered gaming in libraries before (whereas the idea of D&D in the library has always made perfect sense to me). I think the enthusiasm comes from three places: 1) the fact that the library just invested all this money in sending me to the symposium so I want them to get their money's worth; 2) I was surrounded by it for 3 days and it rubs off; and 3) it seems necessary in light of the resistance the idea is likely to encounter. But because advocacy is all I've been hearing recently, I'd love to know why (especially as a gamer) you are opposed to the idea.
I'm happily reading all these gamin' posts, but just a quick note on “Convenience will always trump quality, so it’s our job as librarians to make quality convenient.”
Ok...I totally agree with this (despite the lack of convenience of our current Web--we're working on it ;)....and the thing that kills me is that so much that is coming out in terms of content-to-be-purchased isn't convenient at all. For example, downloadable audiobooks are actually pretty difficult to use...or at least they aren't super-slick and easily used across digital media devices. And because it's all new, there isn't even a consistent business model across vendors (like Audiobooks and Overdrive). So, while we can buy books from B&T or BWI or whowever, once they are in the collection, patrons don't know the difference between a B&T book and BWI book. Not true for e-audiobooks...Also, although Audiobooks & Overdrive use totally different business models (too much detail for a comment post, but if you want more info, let me know...), neither works on iPods, (ok, ok, you can play with Overdrive downloads to bring them in the backdoor, but, again, it's a work-around). Ok..this is too long already, but this is something libraians have to dig in on...we have to make our systems convenient, and we have to require our vendors to do the same...
I really like this IM idea, that is using IM on the PCs in YS for kids and teens to use together while in the library and for communicating with staff. I think you could even take this further and use IM to support some library programming. For example with the upcoming gaming tournament, IM could be used for all the trash talk before and after. But I wouldn't stop here, you could even use IM for a book reading group in YS. I think we tend to think about IM as a virtual reference service and kind of miss out on the greater value of IM in libraries as a interactive and social tool.
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