Games in Libraries
Laura Kaspari Hohmann
Information Resource Officer
US Embassy Rome
A profile of today’s kids &
their gaming habits*
*The Pew Internet & American Life project survey on Teens, Video Games and Civics - 2008
• 97% of teens play games
(computer, web, portable, or
console)
• 50% played a game
yesterday
• 48% use a cell phone or
handheld device to play
games
• 80% of teens play 5 or more different game
genres
• Girls play an average of 6 different genres
• Boys play an average of 8 different genres
“Social game play is thought to offer the
possibility for youth to have collaborative and
interactive experiences, experiences that
potentially parallel may real-world political and
civic activities.”
“The last
decade was
about the
social Web.
This next
decade is the
decade of
games.”
--Seth Priebatsch,
founder of SCVNGR
Consider….
• We spend 3 billion hours a week as a planet
playing games
• There are 183 million active gamers in the USA.
• There are 100 million active gamers in Europe
• 5 million Americans spend 40 hours a week or
more playing games.
Think
games
for kids?
The average
young
personare
willjust
spend
10,000 hours playing games by the time
they’re 21 – as many hours as they’ll spend
in the class room.
Think games are just for kids?
• 40 % of all gamers are women
• 1 out of 4 gamers is over the age of 50
• The average game player is 35 years old
and has been playing for 12 years.
• Most gamers expect to continue playing
games for the rest of their lives.
Why use games in libraries?
• To bridge generational differences
• To teach literacy skills
• To encourage active engagement
• Help gamers feel connected to the library
“It’s inevitable: soon we will all be gamers.
– Rob Fahey, 2008
Games
Library
Games in
in the
the Library
The Connection Between
Gaming and Literacy
Why use games to teach
information literacy skills?
• games are fun & highly interactive
• games are cognitively engaging
• games motivating & challenging
• games are a welcome break from
traditional library instruction (or classroom)
activities
• games help students to make and sustain
the effort of learning
• games enhance problem solving skills
Gaming teaches:
-information literacy skills
-reading
-keyboarding
-social skills
-eye hand coordination
-multitasking skills
Gaming teaches 21st
Century Literacies:
-Visual Literacy
-Media Literacy
-Programming Literacy
-Science Literacy
-Technology Literacy
Information Literacy Standards
Applied to Board Games
AASL
Standards
for the 21st
Century
Learner
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this pi cture.
AASL Standards for the 21st
Century Learner
Applying the standards to board games
AASL Standard 1
AASL
Standard 1
Inquire,
think
critically,
and gain
knowledge.
AASL Standard 2
• Draw
conclusions,
make informed
decisions, apply
knowledge to
new situations,
and create new
knowledge.
AASL Standard 3
• Share
knowledge and
participate
ethically and
productively as
members of our
democratic
society.
AASL Standard 4
Pursue personal and aesthetic growth.
Guidelines for Developing a
Games Collection
• Select games that are authentic and fun
• Factor in time it takes to play the game
• Consider return on investment
For School Libraries
• Align games with state/provincial/national
curriculum standards
• Describe games as instructional tools that
can be used to boost student achievement
Association of College &
Research Libraries
Information Literacy Standards
Applied to Games
Case Study:
World of Warcraft
WoW & ACRL Information Literacy
Standards
• ACRL Standard 1:
Determines the nature and extent of the
information needed
•
WoW:
Player has a goal, but needs
to figure out how to get there
and get to the next level.
WoW & ACRL Information Literacy
Standards
• Standard 2:
Accesses needed information effectively and
efficiently
•
WoW:
Players must figure out
where the necessary
tools are. If they don’t get
them, they run out of
energy or supplies.
WoW & ACRL Information Literacy
Standards
• Standard 3:
Evaluates information and its sources critically
and incorporates selected information into his or
her knowledge base and value system
•
WoW:
If you don’t evaluate a
source’s validity, you
may die or be slowed
down in your quest.
WoW & ACRL Information Literacy
Standards
• Standard 4:
Uses information effectively to accomplish a
specific purpose (individually or as a part of a
group)
•
WoW:
Teams of people play
together and must work
together to figure out
their goals and how to
best reach them.
WoW & ACRL Information Literacy
Standards
• Standard 5:
understands many of the economic, legal, and
social issues surrounding the use of information
and accesses and uses information ethically and
legally
•
WoW?
Game Creation/Game Design
workshops in libraries
Why Game Design?
• Constructivism: Learners create their own
knowledge
• Constructionism: New ideas developed
when an external artifact is created and
shared
• Benefit: Long-term retention
Why in Libraries?
• All the benefits of playing games
– Bring in people, engage them with each other
and library resources/staff
•
•
•
•
Artifacts of Creativity
Motivation to learn and explore
Diverse groups engaging deeply
Literacy (digital, traditional, gaming)
Resources
• American Library Association’s Games &
Gaming Resources
http://gaming.ala.org/resources/index.php?titl
e=Main_Page
• The Librarian's Guide to Gaming: An Online
Toolkit for Building Gaming at your library
http://www.librarygamingtoolkit.org/
Additional Resources
• American Association of School Librarians
Standards for the 21st Century Learners
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/guid
elinesandstandards/learningstandards/sta
ndards.cfm
• ACRL Information Literacy Competency
Standards for Higher Education
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/stan
dards/informationliteracycompetency.cfm
Resources for Board Games
• Games for Educators
http://www.g4ed.com/
• Board Game Geek
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/
Questions?
Thank you for coming today!
hohmannlk@state.gov