Thing 15 - Online Games and Libraries

This Thing has brought me into contact with my prejudices and biases toward online gaming. Intellectually, I can see that video gaming could be fun, socially engaging, and mentally stimulating. But I find it hard to understand how a person could spend hours involved in a world that is make-believe. I am shocked by the amount of time that gaming seems to consume.

But...I am of the generation that grew up watching television for hours each day. And frequently not the "good" stuff on public TV (that's all we had back then; no cable TV, so no Discovery or History Channel or Learning Channel). I and my cohort watched sit-coms, and lots of them, literally for hours every day. Now, there's a waste of time.

I found the article by Henry Jenkins, "Eight Myths about Video Games Debunked," very enlightening. The author refutes these eight myths: (1) The availability of video games has led to an epidemic of youth violence; (2) Scientific evidence links violent game play with youth aggression; (3) Children are the primary target for video gamers (over 60% of the market consists of adults 18 years of age or older); (4) Almost no girls play computer games; (5) Because games are used to train soldiers to kill, they have the same impact on the kids who play them; (6) Vido games are not a meaningful form of expression; (7) Video games play is socially isolating; and (8) Video game play is desensitizing.

I find especially promising the idea that gaming can be a leveler, a socially- and politically-neutral way for teens of both genders to meet, get to know each other, and even work together.

I took a look at Puzzle Pirates, and it does look like a lot of fun. I hadn't heard about the game before. On the other hand, I had heard of Second Life, but had never visited the site or actually seen what it looked like. It was enlightening to see a little bit of what it's all about. I took a look through the Second Life site, took the Info Island tour, and visited the Teen Second Life resources that were listed in the Thing.

Although I probably won't pursue online gaming or Second Life for myself, I think that online game play might have a place in the library. Gaming won't overrun the library, but will only be an additional option. Offering games for checkout or at special stations won't harm anyone, and may bring in new patrons, as well as bringing a new form of entertainment to library users. Special event gaming, like tournaments, sound like a lot of fun, both for the participants, and for the librarians putting on the events.

The idea of gaming in libraries seems to me now like a breath of fresh air. Fresh air to clear out the cobwebs and dust, to bring a little life and laughter into the library.