Another Session: Making Book: Gaming in the Library

By Natalie Gick, Simon Fraser University

GamesRoom is in it's third iteration

GamesRoom v1: TechBC
Student Initiative: for game design, other areas of study, future employment

GamesRoom v2: SFU Surrey
PCs, Consoles and TVs
Students using GamesRoom started using other library services

GamesRoom v3: New campus
About 500 sq. ft.
Gaming equipment and shelving, soundproof

400+ games
3 day loan
Boxes shelved, games behind shelf
Lock or loan (TVs are locked down, everything else is checked out)

Also have a guitar and a driving wheel

PC Games
Over 100
4 hour loan (for in-library use)

Gameboy Advance and Nintendo DS

Legacy Systems: Reproduction arcade game with lots of old games

Copyright and Loans
PC Games: Click-through licenses, compromise is 4 hour loan period
Console games: DVD-like
Permission to Loan: who owns rights?, asking was largely unsuccessful

Partnerships/Collaboration: Library, School of Interactive Arts and Technology, Academic Computing Services (buy and support), Student Games Club (3 liaisons to library)

Management: Pre-load (can run out of space), now hybrid (pre-install some, students install others, regularly re-image)

Multiplayer gaming: Games Night in the labs (sponsored by Games Club), computers are reimaged the next day

Online Gaming: uses too much bandwidth

Selecting Games: Students, Gaming Research Group, Faculty & Graduate Students, Librarian Jamie Anderson (use Metacritic, Game Developer Choice Awards, BAFTA, School Library Journal to help)

Purchasing Games: Amazon, Best Buy, Baker & Taylor, EB Games, Library Acquisitions (Platform, version, direct link to game)

Cataloging: Searchable platform (538 System Requirements) or Local MARC field (made searchable, created authority file for platform names), game Key is suppressed in local field

Challenges: Equipment failures, Noise, Monopolized (not enough women), Abuse of privileges

Code of Conduct

My summary: What a fantastic idea for libraries! A space that's completely fun for students to use to blow off steam. That is a great way of doing outreach.