For reference purposes it is important to note that this book review and supplemental video were originally completed as a Book Context Assignment for Michael’s The Hyperlinked Library course, taught in the Fall of 2015 at San Jose State University. Socially Isolated Addicted young people Few real-life social ties These are just a few of the phrases used to describe the traditional “lonely gamer” in the article The “lonely gamer” revisited by Diane Schiano, Bonnie Nardi, Thomas Debeauvais, Nicolas Ducheneaut, and Nicholas Yee. This has been the stereotype of the traditional gamer for the past two decades. However, Jane McGonigal, […]
Categories Gaming & Gamification
114 posts
You won’t want to miss reading about this library’s innovative experiment with Minecraft to build a community of young users. John Blyberg, assistant director for innovation and user experience at the Darien (CT) Library has turned his “public library into a gathering spot for friends new and old, and a place to decompress” simply by running a single server for Minecraft users. To read more about Blyberg’s innovative way to build an “afterschool sanctuary” follow this link: http://www.slj.com/2015/04/technology/my-public-library-minecraft-community/#_
During my recent commutes to work, I have been enjoying the audio of Jane McGonigal’s 2011 book Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World . This is one of those titles that I have always meant to read, and I am just now getting to it. McGonigal’s general thesis is that the compelling aspects of game-play (especially online gaming) can be applied to many areas of life (social problems, routine tasks, etc) in an effort to make life more engaging. While McGonigal has much to offer the library community, her discussion of collaboration […]
A new project explores and challenges traditional library dissemination. The tools are taken from gamification which intentionally uses game elements to involve and engage users. A virtual tour of a city uncovering hidden treasures, small engaging ways of improving existing services and a new digital experience at the library – this is what the joint project Gamification – activating cultural dissemination resulted in. A project taken on by three libraries: Guldborgsund Public Library, Aarhus Public Library and Hjørring Public Library in their attempt to involve users in their services more actively. Each library contributed with a sub-project exploiting gamification, […]
http://mitpress.mit.edu/sites/default/files/titles/free_download/9780262013369%20_Hanging_Out.pdf
When I was a teenager, I spent most if not all of my time in video game arcades in shopping malls. It was the time of fighting games…Street Fighter II, Mortal Kombat, World Heroes, Primal Rage, and many, many more. Who knows how much money I spent playing those games and more importantly, who cares. What mattered most (and what sticks with me to this day) was being in the same room with people my age who enjoyed the same things as me. It was exciting. It was fun. It created friendships and community. Video gaming in libraries isn’t a new thing. […]
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/aaronstanton/the-game-of-books-a-discovery-game-for-libraries-a There are three days to go – please consider a contribution!
Every year Pierce County Library System unveils a new Summer Reading Program. This year we’ve taken the teen program online (Teen Summer Challenge http://teensummerchallenge.org/) and challenged participants to explore their interests, their library, and their community through activities and masteries. Challengers can share their experiences, earn badges and achievements, interact with friends, claim their mastery of an activity group, earn library fine rebates, and share reviews of the books, music, movies, and places they love. Best of all, teens throughout out county library system can participate in the challenge together in one place! The program has been going for more than […]
I had the honor of helping unveil the German-American Gaming League while I was in Hamburg last month for the Bibliothekartag Library Conference. If you’re interested in the league, please visit this link for more information (please note: the page is in German, so have Google Translate handy!) What is the German-American gaming league? In the gaming league take people from Germany and the United States in an open competition against each other. Here are several computer games such as Wii bowling and playing Mario Kart. Why did the German-American gaming league? We believe that gaming will have a major impact on […]
Great news! In partnership with the Zukunftwerkstatt, TTW Contributor Justin Hoenke will be speaking at the 2012 Bibliothekartag! http://justinthelibrarian.com/2012/05/01/bibliothekartag-in-hamburg-germany-may-20-25-2012/ You can find more information about the conference here:http://www.bibliothekartag2012.de/ I will be in Hamburg from May 21th to the 25th to attend and present at the conference. During my time there, I will be presenting on the following topics: Help unveil the German/American Gaming Library/Museum/Archive League, which was developed in collaboration with Eli Neiburger and Christoph Deeg. Present on the topic of gaming in libraries and share my experiences with implementing video game programs and collections with German librarians. Participate in a workshop for librarians on how […]