Keywords
Citation
Lee Eden, B. (2010), "Game on! Gaming at the Library", Collection Building, Vol. 29 No. 3, pp. 120-120. https://doi.org/10.1108/01604951011060439
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2010, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
There are many new books related to gaming technologies, gaming as collaborative work environment, and gaming as a learning tool. There are also books that deal with gaming in the library. This particular volume is one of the better ones, especially since it deals with the public library perspective, and also because it is immensely comprehensive in scope and discussion.
There are six “Levels” or sections of focus. They are: The Backstory –Video Game Basics; Video Games at the Library; Providing Library Service to Gamers; Games and Programs; Selecting, Collecting, and Circulating Video Games; and The Future of Games.
Level 1 examines key moments in the history and development of video games. Level 2 discusses the whole idea of offering video games and gaming services in the public library. Some of the topics include: video game ratings, psychological and physical effects of gaming, online resources, conference presentations, conventions and conferences, and vendors. Level 3 gets into the nitty‐gritty of offering video games in the library, from issues such as gamers' mentality, policies and procedures, connecting gamers to books, and providing reference services to gamers. Level 4 examines the legal issues, use of space, and integration with other necessary library services. Topics examined here include: programming basics, setups, schedules, theft, tournaments, evaluations, and best practices, along with many good examples of marketing and sample forms for practical use. Level 5 provides information on collection development for gaming resources, including various genres of video games, developing a policy for collections, how to catalog and store video games, along with some best‐practices models. Finally, the author discusses the future of gaming, looking at projected growth of sales, various device platforms, and predictions related to convergence, content, and virtual worlds. A glossary and annotated bibliography round out this volume.
Having some experience with 3‐D information visualization, I found this book highly informative and practical. I highly recommend it for any public library looking at offering services related to gaming.