Grand Theft Library?

Overcoming Resistance to Video Games in the Library

 

 Anthony Petryk - Carleton University LibraryLaura (Pallister) Carter - Kingston Frontenac

Public Library 

Ontario Library Association Super Conference 2009

 

Agenda 

1. Introduction to gaming 2. Motivation for games in the library 3. Case Studies: Kingston Frontenac Public Library                             Carleton University Library 4. Dealing with resistance to gaming initiatives5. Common objections - and how to respond to them6. Closing thoughts and discussion 

Introduction to gaming

Gaming can be card games, board games, console video games (Wii, XBOX, Playstation) or computer video games. Wide variety of video games on the market:• First Person Shooter: Call of Duty• Racing Games: Mario Kart Wii • Role Playing Games: Mass Effect• Rhythm Games: Dance Dance Revolution• Sports Games: Madden NFL 09 • Simulation: Sims, Nintendogs

 This presentation will focus on video games.  

Introduction to gaming (continued)

Pew Internet and American Life Project study from September 2008 indicates basically all American teens play some sort of game regularly, and half of them play everyday.

Pew study from December 2008 indicates that 53% of American adults play some sort of video game, handheld electronic game or computer game.  A third of players 65 and over play every day, and 20% of younger adults playing daily.  

Agenda 

1. Introduction to gaming 2. Motivation for games in the library 3. Case Studies: KFPL and CUL 4. Dealing with resistance to gaming initiatives5. Common objections - and how to respond to them6. Closing thoughts and discussion 

Motivation for gaming in libraries

Playing games helps develop and maintain cognitive ability: • Decision making - Spore• Logical thinking - Puzzle Quest• Problem solving - Legend of Zelda

 Some newer games also help improve physical ability: • Fitness - Wii Fit • Hand-Eye coordination - Wii Sports • Manual dexterity - Guitar Hero

Motivation for gaming in libraries (continued)

Games can also help teach basic life skills: • Information retrieval - World of Warcraft• Money management - Animal Crossing• Reading - Elder Scrolls: Oblivion

 Gaming is frequently not a solo activity - it typically makes children/teens more social, not less. Gaming teaches children and teens that it is okay to fail - you can modify your strategy and try again. 

 

Motivation for gaming in libraries (continued)

Games and gaming is now a research area in its own right: • Computer Game Development

o Game Developer Research (CMP Media) • Interactive Multimedia Design

o Simulation and Gaming (Sage Publications) • Social and Cultural Studies

o Games and Culture (Sage Publications) Also a growing body of game-related literature in education, psychology, etc. 

Motivation for gaming in libraries (continued)

Libraries can benefit from gaming initiatives in measurable ways:• Increased circulation statistics• New membership from under-served populations:

o Teenso Seniorso Financially disadvantaged

• Increased program attendance Library should be an enjoyable destination that is responsive to user needs and requests - give them what they want!

Agenda 

1. Introduction to gaming 2. Motivation for games in the library 3. Case Studies: KFPL and CUL 4. Dealing with resistance to gaming initiatives5. Common objections - and how to respond to them6. Closing thoughts and discussion 

Case Study: KFPL               

• Decision to pursue Gaming at KFPL came out of: o Staff interesto Perceived teen interesto An awareness that gaming programs were extremely

successful at other libraries• Sent proposal to management, tied gaming initiative to the 

KFPL Mission Statement “[The library is] a major source of leisure activity”.

• Cross-functional Gaming Committee formed in October 2007, asking two main questions: o "Where can we go?"o "Do we want to go there?" 

Case Study: KFPL (continued)

Decided to go with console gaming: • Build a collection for lending • Buy hardware and games for programming

No new money in library budget, so explored alternate sources of funding.  Received a grant from the Library Strategic Development Fund: "The support of the Government of Ontario, through the Ministry of Culture, is gratefully acknowledged!" Initially a pilot project only: see what could be accomplished with the grant money

Case Study: KFPL (continued)

• Collectionso Selecting (staff, patron involvement, TAG)o Purchasing – LSC? Retail?o Cataloguingo Housing/Security

 • Programming

o With partnerso In-house

 • Publicity

o Granto Collectionso Programming

Case Study: KFPL (continued)

• Trainingo General awareness of gaming initiative and goalso Equipment and game training

• Evaluationo Surveyso Statistics (June 2008-January 2009)

Currently 129 games in system 930 circs 2087 reservations ever

• Ongoing Funding

Case Study: CUL

"Games in the Library" started as a request from the faculty to support teaching/research programs in two areas: Computer Science and Industrial Design.Well-received by senior management due to the library's and university's most recent strategic directions:  • Carleton Library 2008-2010 Strategic Plan: Sets a goal to

"develop specialized library [...] collections." • Carleton University 2008 Strategic Plan: Supports a new

area of endeavour for the university - "new digital media [...] such as digital game studies and cybercultural studies".

   

  

Case Study: CUL (continued)

Formed a "Games and Immersive Media" working group: • Project scope:

Contemporary collection Gaming lab Archive collection

• Membership from across campus: o Facultyo Computer and Communications Serviceso Student Academic Success Centero Library (Archives, Reference, and Systems)

• Formal project proposal due by Spring        

Case Study: CUL (continued)

Initial reactions to the Games in the Library: 1. Collections Department: uncertainty about acceptance

parameters, dealing with a new media type.2. Technical Services: questions about testing, creating

backups, details in item records, etc.3. Reference: unease about budget reallocation, offensive

content. In general, a feeling that the project is moving ahead without sufficient consultation; lack of communication that we're still at the project proposal stage.  

Agenda 

1. Introduction to gaming 2. Motivation for games in the library 3. Case Studies: KFPL and CUL 4. Dealing with resistance to gaming initiatives5. Common objections - and how to respond to them6. Closing thoughts and discussionscussion 

Dealing with resistance to gaming initiatives

So you have a mandate to move forward with a gaming initiative.  How do you get everyone on board? Successful buy-in from both staff and users requires: • Communication• Involvement• Repetition

         - Crit Stuart (Georgia Tech), Scholars Portal Day 2009   

Communicating with staff

• Demonstrate the demand from users (patrons or faculty)o May be difficult to find hard data at first

• Talk about success stories at similar librarieso From the library literatureo From conferences such as GLLS

• Create an internal FAQ• Take an active role in debunking rumours• Make sure front-line staff know enough about the project to

answer questions from the public  

  

 

Communicating with users

• Create polls and blog entries on public websiteo Be ready to respond to negative comments

• Post a public version of the internal FAQ • Create book displays about gaming

o Include fiction, nonfiction, and magazineso Tailor some displays to gamers, some to general public

• Offer "Gaming for Beginners" workshopso Use staff's personal equipment, if necessary

  

 

Communicating with users (continued)

• Dedicate a highly visible space to the new collectiono Put up a "coming soon" sign well before the launch

• Attract external publicity (free publicity)o Still a "story" for most journalistso Invite politicians - great exposure for them too

• Stage the official launch in a high traffic areao Be ready to do some damage control

  

 

Involving staff

• Form workgroups with diverse membership:o Gamers and non-gamerso Representatives from all departments

• Ask subject specialists to find related materials in the collection for course/subject guides and displays

• Wii with the staff in the lounge, or at a staff partyo Newbies prefer to watch then try it on their own in private

Involving users

• Consult with special interest groups: o Teen Advisory Groupo Friends of the Libraryo Student Gamer's Associationo Faculty with a teaching interest in gaming

• Ask users what titles should be in the collectiono Informally - at the circulation desk, etc.o Formally - on request for purchase forms

• Send out a call for donations, or host a game exchange • Ask users to help design new gaming programs and spaces

Repetition

• Conduct a series of polls or surveys that build on each other.o Do you play video games? o Do you think the library should collect video gameso Which console(s) should the library support?

• Post progress reports and/or meeting minutes to your library blog and intranet

• Chat about the project informally.• Start publicity well before the official launch• Leave some time for people to digest the idea

  

Agenda 

1. Introduction to gaming 2. Motivation for games in the library 3. Case Studies: KFPL and CUL 4. Dealing with resistance to gaming initiatives5. Common objections - and how to respond to them 6. Closing thoughts and discussion

 

Objection #1: Traditional materials

"Libraries are about books and information - games don't belong there." 1. The same objection was

raised when libraries started collecting magazines, movies, and music.

2. This is an opportunity for libraries to take a lead role in immersive media.

  

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Objection #2: Educational value

"The research has yet to show that so-called 'educational' games offer anything of value to teachers or students."

1. This is a still a young research area.

2. Most educational games are created as prototypes by researchers, not by the gaming industry.

3. It is our role to support research, not stifle it.

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Objection #3: Inappropriate content

"Games are simply too violent for my children." 1. Many popular games do not

contain offensive content.2. Each games comes with a

rating from the ESRB.3. The library can help

parents/children select titles that are suitable for them.  

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Objection #4: Theft

"Why buy games when they're just going to get stolen within the first week?"

1. All materials that circulate a lot are at a greater risk of theft.

2. Game discs can be kept behind the circulation desk, and equipped with security tags.photo credit

Objection #5: Identity crisis

"Librarians shouldn't jump on any new trend to try and keep their institutions relevant." 1. Perhaps libraries should

become early adopters and experiment more.

2. Video games have been around for decades now.

3. Digital interactive media is likely to be ubiquitous in the future. 

  

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Objection #6: Funding

"In the current economic climate our budget is just too tight to support a new initiative."1. In tough economic times,

people are more likely to use the library - great time to launch a high profile service.

2. Could money be reallocated from other budget lines for a pilot project?

3. This initiative fits into the library's strategic plan.

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Objection #7: Favouritism

"I've been coming to the library for 47 years, and I don't want games - I want romance novels.  Teens get all the attention these days..."1. We're not going to stop

collection romance novels!2. The public library is for

everyone.3. Many games help breach the

generational gap.photo credit

Objection #8: Financial need

"People that borrow games already own a console to play them on, which means they can afford $400+ entertainment expenses.  The middle and upper classes doesn't need to borrow games - they can just buy them."

1. Libraries also need to buy gaming equipment and offer programs for people who can't afford it.

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Objection #9: Changing workplace

"This means more work for us at the Circulation Desk and in Tech Services." 1. Documentation is available on

best practices for cataloguing and processing games.

2. Working out all the details can be a fun project - if given enough time.

3. Game consoles are no more complicated to operate than DVD players (or microfilm machines!).

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Objection #10: Disruption

"With people playing games in the library, I won't be able to hear myself think."  1. Today's libraries should have both quiet

study/reading areas and noisier interactive spaces.

2. Gaming equipment is relatively portable - move it in and out of meeting rooms as necessary.

3. Headsets can be included in the gaming budget.

Agenda 

1. Introduction to gaming 2. Motivation for games in the library 3. Case Studies: KFPL and CUL 4. Dealing with resistance to gaming initiatives5. Common objections - and how to respond to them6. Closing thoughtsts and discussion 

Closing thoughts and discussion

• Try not to downplay people's concerns, especially about inappropriate content or lack of funding

• Unless they're already sold on the idea, most people do not respond well to a fanboi (or a fangrl)

• Many people will only get behind a new program/service once they see that it is successful

• Games are fun, but they're not for everyone  

Bibliography and Further Reading

ALA TechSource Gaming, Learning, and Libraries Symposium - http://gaming.techsource.ala.org. Children's Technology Review, published monthly by Active Learning Associates - http://www.childrenssoftware.com/. Don't Bother Me Mom -- I'm Learning! How Computers and Video Games are Preparing Your Child For 21st Century Success and How You Can Help! by Marc Prensky, Paragon House, 2006. Gamer Dad - http://www.gamingwithchildren.com/

Bibliography and Further Reading

Grand Theft Childhood: The Surprising Truth about Violent Video Games and What Parents Can Do by Lawrence Kutcher and Cheryl Olson, Simon and Schuster, 2008.  Pew Internet and American Life Project - http://www.pewinternet.org/. What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy (2nd edition) by James Paul Gee, Palgrave Macmillan, 2007.