Grand Theft Library?
Overcoming Resistance to Video
Games in the Library
Anthony Petryk - Carleton University Library
Laura (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 initiatives
5. Common objections - and how to respond to them
6. 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 initiatives
5. Common objections - and how to respond to them
6. 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 Teens
o Seniors
o 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 initiatives
5. Common objections - and how to respond to them
6. Closing thoughts and discussion
Case Study: KFPL
• Decision to pursue Gaming at KFPL came out of:
o Staff interest
o Perceived teen interest
o 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)
• Collections
o Selecting (staff, patron involvement, TAG)
o Purchasing – LSC? Retail?
o Cataloguing
o Housing/Security
• Programming
o With partners
o In-house
• Publicity
o Grant
o Collections
o Programming
Case Study: KFPL (continued)
• Training
o General awareness of gaming initiative and goals
o Equipment and game training
• Evaluation
o Surveys
o 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 Faculty
o Computer and Communications Services
o Student Academic Success Center
o 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 initiatives
5. Common objections - and how to respond to them
6. 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 libraries
o From the library literature
o 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 website
o 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 magazines
o Tailor some displays to gamers, some to general public
• Offer "Gaming for Beginners" workshops
o Use staff's personal equipment, if necessary
Communicating with users (continued)
• Dedicate a highly visible space to the new collection
o Put up a "coming soon" sign well before the launch
• Attract external publicity (free publicity)
o Still a "story" for most journalists
o Invite politicians - great exposure for them too
• Stage the official launch in a high traffic area
o Be ready to do some damage control
Involving staff
• Form workgroups with diverse membership:
o Gamers and non-gamers
o 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 party
o Newbies prefer to watch then try it on their own in private
Involving users
• Consult with special interest groups:
o Teen Advisory Group
o Friends of the Library
o Student Gamer's Association
o Faculty with a teaching interest in gaming
• Ask users what titles should be in the collection
o 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 games
o 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 initiatives
5. 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."
photo credit
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.
Objection #2: Educational value
"The research has yet to show
that so-called 'educational' games
offer anything of value to
teachers or students."
photo credit
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.
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.
photo credit
Objection #4: Theft
"Why buy games when they're
just going to get stolen within the
first week?"
photo credit
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.
Objection #5: Identity crisis
"Librarians shouldn't jump on any
new trend to try and keep their
institutions relevant."
photo credit
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.
Objection #6: Funding
photo credit
"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.
Objection #7: Favouritism
photo credit
"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.
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."
photo credit
1. Libraries also need to buy
gaming equipment and offer
programs for people who can't
afford it.
Objection #9: Changing workplace
"This means more work for us at
the Circulation Desk and in Tech
Services."
photo credit
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!).
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 initiatives
5. Common objections - and how to respond to them
6. 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.