theShiftedLibrarian strikes at my library... Thanks Jenny

Thanks Jenny. Jenny Levine's Gaming & Libraries:Intersection of Services from the ALA TechSource just got back to my desk after making the rounds through my library. I've also shared part of this report with a local seminary librarian and have brought it with me to my local public library.It's been out for a while, but I got my copy after returning from the holidays. It's a great resource for libraries interested in getting involved in gaming and finding out more information.The report pulls together background on video games, educational uses, and how public, school & academic libraries are using video games. While I was very pleased that there wasn't a lot of new information for me (good to know that I am current on my research topic), it is great to have it all combined in one place. The report is a great lead in for librarians interested in learning more and getting started with video games in their libraries. Since it's an ALA publication, even the few librarians who are pretty negative about video games were willing to pick up the report and read. Levine writes to a variety of levels of knowledge and experience. She leads off slowly and allows those new with the subject the ability to understand most everything that comes after.

Jenny's first chapter "Why Gaming?" sets up the justification for gaming in librarie collections, programming and scope. It digs into one of the most important aspect of games - what they teach and how we learn from them. Jenny's use of Johnson's "Everything Bad is Good for You" made me go back and review my notes from this summer on his book. I was pleased see the detailed references which provided me a few more articles I hadn't read. Our library also used the case studies to help plan out our stalled gaming night. There are a variety of examples of setups, promotional ideas, and other helpful pieces to help everyone get started on gaming in their libraries.

Jenny's blog, theshiftedlibrarian, is a great read if you are not already, and her ALA report is not any different. Levine's put together a great resource for all librarians and is a must read. Thanks for continuing to push gaming in libraries to a broader audience.

If you are interested in ordering it or finding out more information click here.