Thanks, Meghann! This covers a lot of discussion topics we are sure to have here. Headphones is a strong consideration for us, since our locations would not be soundproof. SO students are OK with bringing their own headphones? Because we have gotten away from that.
I don't have a list of the titles we are getting yet, and am just getting up to speed with this genre. All the best, Debra From: Meghann Matwichuk <mtw...@udel.edu<mailto:mtw...@udel.edu>> Reply-To: "videolib@lists.berkeley.edu<mailto:videolib@lists.berkeley.edu>" <videolib@lists.berkeley.edu<mailto:videolib@lists.berkeley.edu>> Date: Wednesday, October 1, 2014 11:23 AM To: "videolib@lists.berkeley.edu<mailto:videolib@lists.berkeley.edu>" <videolib@lists.berkeley.edu<mailto:videolib@lists.berkeley.edu>> Subject: Re: [Videolib] Games and Game Technology in Your Library or Commons? Hello Debra, The UD Library supports a small (~60 titles) collection of video games on the PS, PS2, PS3, XBox 360, and N64 platforms (primarily PS2 and PS3). It began as a grant-funded collection which was first loaned and then donated to the Library by a Foreign Languages and Literatures professor who teaches courses on Japanese games (a PS3 console and ~20 PS2 and PS3 games were donated). We have four consoles: PS2 (which plays both PS and PS2 games), PS3, XBox 360 and N64. We do not loan them -- we have set them up in our Viewing Carrel areas for on site use. Most of our gaming carrels are set up to accommodate as many as 4 students at a time (the gaming exercises assigned often include roles for observers as well as players). Currently there is no separate fund for games, although I've been advocating for such a fund. If / when there is a fund, I will collect in the same way that I currently collect for other media -- both on request and proactively anticipating student and instructors' needs. As it is, I only purchase games if they've been specifically requested by an instructor. Some of the minor challenges we've faced in the few years we've been doing this... *Noise. Get a few students together playing Street Fighter while wearing headphones -- no amount of signs begging them to be quiet and mindful of others using the space are going to keep their enthusiasm from getting the better of them. Ideally we would have soundproof rooms for them to use, and they wouldn't need the headphones. But, that's not the case and we try to be loose. If they become very loud or we notice other users popping up like gophers in other carrels and shooting them a stink-eye, we'll go out and ask them to keep it down. *Perception. The painfully short-sighted "What are games doing in an academic library?!" Ironically enough, our most vocal complainant was a film studies professor. I gently reminded him that this was a challenge routinely lobbied against feature film back in the day (and that still persists on some level, even within the library). *Equipment. Because they are small, portable, valuable, and easy to slip in a coat pocket or backpack, we check out the controllers to the student's account if they choose to use our consoles. We do not check out other accessories -- headphones, remotes, etc. This makes it a challenge for our student desk attendants to remember to check in the controllers, which means we have to back out fines regularly. A bit of a pain. Additionally, keeping the wireless controllers charged requires a little bit of vigilance. *Online games. We've had requests for games purchaseable through the PlayStation store. After talking with colleagues in our Collection Development, Systems, and Acquisitions departments, it was determined that the licensing terms (written with individuals and not institutions in mind) would prevent our ability to meet the needs of that instructor. I've mentioned Steam a few times, but there doesn't seem to be an institutional desire to grapple with some of the challenges the need for online games entails. The biggest surprise for me so far is that the Foreign Languages and Literatures profs have been our biggest users of what they've dubbed 'the games lab'. The assignments have much more of a cultural anthropology bent than I would have expected -- we don't have anyone using our materials to study, say, the technical side of gaming -- we don't have new media folks or art folks or any of the other folks along those lines coming to us. But, we have a Spanish prof who teaches a class along the lines of 'Violence at the Border' through the lens of videogames like Red Dead Redemption. And an Italian language prof who's assigned Assassin's Creed II as a tool to study representation of the Italian Rennaisance. Etcetera. Hope this is helpful! Best, -- Meghann Matwichuk, M.S. Associate Librarian Film and Video Collection Morris Library, University of Delaware 181 S. College Ave. Newark, DE 19717 (302) 831-1475 http://www.lib.udel.edu/filmandvideo On 10/1/2014 9:02 AM, Mandel, Debra wrote: Hi- I'd be interested to hear from folks who have successfully integrated games collections and use of game consoles in their institutions, particularly in those with academic game design curricula. Do you check out consoles? How do you collect games? What are the challenges of becoming a gaming venue? How has this impacted your budget?? Your space? Thanks! Debra Debra H. Mandel Acting Associate Dean, User Services Northeastern University Libraries 320 SL Boston, MA 02115 617-373-4902 617-373-5409-FAX VIDEOLIB is intended to encourage the broad and lively discussion of issues relating to the selection, evaluation, acquisition,bibliographic control, preservation, and use of current and evolving video formats in libraries and related institutions. It is hoped that the list will serve as an effective working tool for video librarians, as well as a channel of communication between libraries,educational institutions, and video producers and distributors.
VIDEOLIB is intended to encourage the broad and lively discussion of issues relating to the selection, evaluation, acquisition,bibliographic control, preservation, and use of current and evolving video formats in libraries and related institutions. It is hoped that the list will serve as an effective working tool for video librarians, as well as a channel of communication between libraries,educational institutions, and video producers and distributors.
