Scott Nicholson discusses “Reframing Gaming” and Jenny Levine rounds up ‘The Games People Play” in the August issue of American Libraries.
Rafael C. Alvardo, Director of Academic Technology Services at Dickinson College (Carlisle, PA), writes about Overcoming the Fear of Gaming: A Strategy for Incorporating Games into Teaching and Learning in EDUCASE, introducing faculty to games as a new medium for curriculum requirements, and recommending, among oher approaches, studying the game critically, not just playing and discussion. For example, “Instead of using Civilization IV to replace the voice of an authoritative text (or podcast, for that matter) on the nature of historical change, faculty can ask students to study the logic of the game as it applies to the subject matter.”
Kelly Czarnecki covers a cross-country Super Smash Brothers Brawl tournament on the YALSA blog that involved libraries in NC, MI, and OH. “We improved our geography … as well as our sportsmanship skills [and] teamwork skills,” writes Czarnecki. More coverage is on the PLCMC Gaming Zone blog and the AADL AXIS blog.
“Literacy has more than one meaning,” says Kirsten Andersen, explaining the unconventional collections at the Greater Victoria (Quebec) Public Library.
Columbus Public Library got great coverage in the Dispatch about the library’s gaming initiative. “Gaming is storytelling for teenagers,” said Julie Scordato, teen services specialist. Check out CPL on YouTube.
Gaming & anime are destined to combine at an annual event at the Irvine Library, where teens are invited tobring their own consoles and games to play with. “By setting up a game system you are inviting everyone to play; share and share-alike is the rule.” advises the staff blogger promoting the Anime Club.
The new Goudy branch of the Langford Library (Victoria, Canada) is offering express library services that include popular materials, wifi and gaming stations. Says mayor Stew Young: “It’s what I believe should happen with libraries. We should be building smaller ones, more Internet-friendly, more funky with the coffee shop right beside it.”
1UP, publisher of numerous gaming magazines and related websites, writes on their blog: “It should come as no surprise that we at 1UP wholeheartedly support the notion of videogames in libraries, and we bow down to the inevitable future of Halo-savvy librarians.”
Brian Mayer posted a short and succinct entry at LibraryGamer on Why Games Belong in Libraries.
In other gaming news…
Gamasutra is offering a webinar titled “Serious Games: Using Gamer Technology to Solve Real-World Problems,” on Tuesday August 19 at 2pm EDT.