Austin360 blogs > Digital Savant > Archives > 2008 > October > 29 > Entry
Librarian talks video games, education
[Omar here. A few weeks ago, a librarian from Burnet contacted me asking if I might be able to help with a video game program they were trying to get off the ground. I asked Trisha Runyan, assistant director of the Herman Brown Free Library, to write a guest blog for Digital Savant about the project and the challenges she’s encountered. You can comment below or e-mail her at the library if you have advice or feedback.]
It began with an email from my boss, “It” being the advisement that she wanted me to learn more about the potential venue of gaming events for teens… at our local library! My first reaction was to laugh. The image of a headline on a local paper took over my frontal lobe: “Library challenges local video arcade for business.”
My second reaction was to laugh again: “Why not?”
Here is some data obtained from the first major research endeavor on the topic. (Titled, “Teens, Video Games and Civics,” this report can be found at http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/263/report_display.asp)
- 99 percent of boys and 94 percent of girls engage in video gaming.
- 97 percent of kids, ages 12-17, play these games via software installed on a computer, the Internet, or console game systems such as the Sony PlayStation 2, GameBoy, or Wii.
- 48 percent are mobile when they play, using a cell phone or a hand-held device
According to the Pew report, the five top favorite games among American teenagers are: “Guitar Hero,” “Halo 3,” “Madden NFL,” “Solitaire” and “Dance Dance Revolution.” These games are diverse in their significance for several reasons, including their suitability for a general audience and whether or not they encourage solitary behaviors.
For me, the good news was to read that while many teens will play games alone occasionally, only 24 percent of the kids surveyed stated that they only play alone. Unfortunately, in my mind, “not alone” doesn’t necessarily indicate that they are in a room with friends, at least not a linear space.
Many of the kids interact with others through the Internet. This is the first reason I began to consider the possibility of gaming events at the library as a positive concept, a common thread of interest as a means of gathering teenagers into a controlled and safe environment.
BUT THE LIBRARY!!??!!
As I began to seek the opinions of other library staff in our central Texas area, I began to feel as though I was asking Democrats to give me reasons why Gov. Palin would make a good vice-president. I decided to stop asking and began to appreciate that I work for a boss who can see the world expanding and who can recognize that this gaming thing might just be the ticket to attracting an important generation back into the world of books and multimedia that every library can offer.
The Pew Report provides excellent data on the realities of what kids are doing with electronic gaming devices and software: 76 pages worth of data and references. If you are a parent who cares, or a professional who wants to learn more about this venue, it is a good read. There is, however, much more to know. In an article dated October 5 2008, “Using Video Games as Bait to Hook Readers,” The New York Times Book Review acknowledged that the publishing industry is recognizing the value of a new genre of product development - the tie in of a book with a related video game. “Spurred by arguments that video games may teach a kind of digital literacy that is becoming as important as proficiency in print, libraries are hosting gaming tournaments, while schools are exploring how to incorporate video games in the classroom.”
Not just a little bit… during the first half of 2008, the New York Public Library attracted almost 8,300 teenagers in by hosting more than 500 of these gaming events. At the Columbus Ohio Library 300+ tournaments have been held. (For information, go to http://www.columbuslibrary.org, click on “Events” and scroll down to “Teen Gaming.”
There is plenty of data to show that “if we host it, they will come.” There is also plenty of skepticism that the cognitive skills required for successful gaming can translate into traditional reading proficiency. Apparently publishers see a connection. Take, for instance, Scholastic, the American publisher who recognized the potential of the Harry Potter series after numerous others had turned J.K. Rowling down. They recently released “The Maze of Bones,” the first installment of a 10-book series tied to a Web-based game. Random House Children’s Books and Disney are also in on the same product development track.
Does that portend that libraries will abandon our role as the sanctuary for avid readers who seek the incomparable pleasure of a good book enjoyed in a cozy chair in a quiet space? Will the ability to read become even more problematic for young adults than it already is? Will war games become a learning tool for problem solving rather than those horrid math word puzzles we had to wrestle with in school? (Remember? If Mary has two apples and George has three oranges, who will make the better pie?)
For now, our hope is to gain the interest of kids who aren’t coming to the library. Perhaps as they wait their turn they will look around and discover a magazine they like or a graphic novel they heard a friend mention… or a classic that can be shared with their parents. It will be awhile before I have answers since we won’t start our tournaments anytime soon, but meanwhile I am logging on to Yahoo Games to practice my hand at knocking out bouncing orbs and stopping fish from being swallowed by sea monsters.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment Categories: Austin, Internet, Videogames
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By DMC
October 30, 2008 9:37 AM | Link to this
Great article Trisha! As the mom of 2 boys who really enjoy gaming this might be the ticket to get them into the library. And of course, once there, play games and check out some books.
By Gloria Ray
October 29, 2008 12:08 PM | Link to this
This is a verythought provoking post. I was particularly struck by the research. I am a strong proponent of meeting our youth "where THEY are", not where we are. We must use THEIR interests to provide "teachable moments." The most important work for my generation is to train up the next generation. Good work, Ms. Runyan.
By TR
October 29, 2008 11:28 AM | Link to this
I'm laughing, grinning, reading my words on Omar's blog; and feeling like Queen for the Day.