Now we get to the really fun stuff! For the last two challenges, we will meet this Sunday, November 23, at the library for an hour long hands-on Technology Petting Zoo, followed by staff game night! For the Technology Petting Zoo, I will have several laptops, digital cameras, MP3 players and USB drives for you to experiment with, and get used to working with so we can better help our patrons.
After our Technology Petting Zoo, we will finish out the night with a staff game night! Why game night? Well, for one, it's a lot of fun (just ask the folk who were there last time). Two, gaming has been in the news an awful lot lately, but there are many misconceptions as to what gaming is and who gamers really are. For example, I imagine that many of you do not consider yourselves gamers, but if you play Solitare or Minesweeper on your computer or go online to play Text Twist and Bookworm, you are a gamer. According to the newest Pew Internet Survey, 97% of American teens play some sort of video game, whether on their computer, cellphone, or gaming console. 97%. 94% of girls are gamers, and 99% of boys. That difference is surprising, because it's a commonly held belief that girls just don't play video games. Maybe that's not so true anymore. According to another study produced by IGN and Ipsos MediaCT, More than 47% of adult gamers said that playing video games was a fun way to interact with their family. They were also 11% more likely to go out and play sports than non-gamers, and twice as likely to go out on dates in a given month than non-gamers.
Gaming has become such a prevalent part of life that many libraries are adding gaming to their programming. Ann Arbor even has their own gaming leaderboard. We have had a gaming program for almost as long as I've been here, and we have at least 30 teens show up consistently every week. Usually, that number is more! Some libraries even have a circulating video game collection.
Gaming in libraries has become such a popular trend, that this Saturday, November 15th is actually National Gaming Day @ your library! It's amazing how far we've come.
Your Tasks: Come to the library on Sunday November 23, from 5-8PM for our Technology Petting Zoo and Game Night! Play! Have fun!
Bonus links: Gaming in the library doesn't have to just be video games. One Australian library, for example, checks out sports equipment as part of their library collection. Another creative use of gaming in the library is this company, who creates miniature golf courses inside libraries for use in special events and fundraisers. Game on!
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