August 10 6:45 P.M.
Could video games soon be joining the books and magazines on the racks of your local library? According to the Kansas City Star, 20% of libraries already offer console games to patrons, and a fifth do the same for PC gamers -- and it's a growing trend.
In fact, libraries from small community centers to the Library of Congress are investigating ways to integrate video and computer games into their current offerings, in the form of coffee-shop-like gathering places, or with extensive efforts to archive and catalog the wealth of material the gaming world has to offer.
According to Syracuse University's Scott Nicholson, it's a logical extension of the mission of libraries. "Gaming in the library provides users with a chance to meet other people in their community who are not in their normal school or work life — people far outside their typical demographic boundaries," he told the Star. "The library has become a place not just for taking materials home, but for engaging with others in the same physical community."
Meanwhile, the Library of Congress is approaching video games with a view to prosperity rather than socialization. It's been collecting video games since the 1980s, and is currently involved in a study on the best way to preserve the ever-shifting landscape of gaming for study and analysis in years to come.
Are video games games popping up in your local library? Are they a necessary part of the atmosphere, or an unwelcome distraction from what's supposed to be a quiet and contemplative environment? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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Posted: 10 Aug 2009
