LIS 9763

I'm not convinced that gaming has a place in the academic world, like some of articles suggested, but I do think that it has a place in libraries (at least partially).  While gaming could be an interesting supplement to the learning environment, it should never replace it.  Like any good teaching tool, it stimulates the user into try new things and it makes learning fun.  It is not a new concept -- after all, young school children are often given coloured blocks to play with and to sort into groups, when they first learn about addition and subtraction.  However, play and fun can only take learning so far, and at some you have to put down the toy and pick up the pencil.
 
That being said, it doesn't matter whether games are educational or not, libraries should be stocking them.  Public libraries provide a wide variety of multimedia, such as movies, music, magazines, and more.  An item doesn't necessarily have to be considered educational or informative in order to be part of the collection -- It merely has to be important to the patrons.  Given the number of people playing games, I would say that they definitely are.
 
I was particularly interested in how Clinton Public Library (Library Success Wiki) incorporated gaming into their youth programming.  They selected games that the youth were really interested and then held tournaments at minimal cost to the library.  This type of activity draws people into the library and really highlights the concept of 'library as place'.  A library is more than just big shelving unit for books.  It is a destination where community members can go and meet with others, exchange information, or just spend time.  Giving youth a place where they are welcome and where they also choose to be is important in building a strong community.