After our discussion Monday night in lass of Beck and Wade’s “Got Game,” it was nice to see this at The Shifted Librarian:
I think the social interactions and socialization that takes place around gaming are often overlooked as being something less valuable than when it happens around books. This is one of the reasons that (as with anything) you can’t truly understand the benefits of video games in libraries if you’ve never played them. It’s why I encourage regional organizations (like state libraries and consortia) to purchase a console in order for their member librarians to experience this. It’s difficult to have an informed discussion without the experiential learning aspect. It’s like deciding if a library should offer a book discussion without ever having read a book. Not everyone has to do this, but the folks involved in the discussion should be familiar with the subject, and they can learn from playing the same way seniors at the Old Bridge PL will learn.
Read the whole post here: http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2007/11/28/still-more-reasons-to-offer-gaming-in-libraries-and-the-value-of-play.html