Games and public libraries

Brainstorming discussion

How are you using games in your library? Do you run board game groups? Do you have console based games? How do you encourage people to mix and to play well with others? What ways could games be used in your library? This is a great opportunity to bring ideas along and have people help you develop them further. You might even find someone to collaborate with on your ideas.

We will also be having a reading discussion (to see how IM works for a reading group). Please read something with a Scare up a good book theme before the discussion...and you may even want to bring a new toon along and come as a Worgen (don't forget your new toon will need to join the guild as well - so whisper Franticread to join).

Franticread (Ellen Forsyth): Hello, my name is Ellen Forsyth. Welcome to the first games and libraries discussion of the year. If you are tweeting, blogging, posting the Flickr please use #rugame. It is great seeing you here‚ including the occasional Worgen. I guessing we don't have one here from a flooded or burned out area‚ today. That provides its own very scary elements.

For the first half hour we will be talking about you are using games in your library. Do you run board game groups? Do you have console based games? How do you encourage people to mix and to play well with others? As well a what ways could games be used in your library?

When it gets to half past we will change our discussion to that of reading and how we can Scare up a good book‚ to tie in with the Australian summer reading program, and the ReadIt2011 discussions. So firstly a quick around the room on how you use games at your library and if your library does not use games a few suggestions about how it could. So perhaps we could start with Warriorwolf?

Warriorwolf: I'm from Moreton Bay Public Library in Queensland; working in young people's services. We use gaming for intergenerational programming. We have afternoon gaming clubs; we are also developing gaming for tying and engaging non-readers to literacy. We have weekly board game and big game afternoon sessions.

So how we tie it all together: We tie the kids experiences to writing, reading, poetry, and film, etc. They are and will be creating I hope their own game. We will have team working on script writing; our art club on the graphics.

We use everything or will be the from Dungeons & Dragons to World of Warcraft. Also chess and other boardgames. This will be a long project.

Stefwynn (Mylee Joseph) : Lots of public libraries here are providing console games and inviting kids to use them, a few use them for programming as well. But I work in a reference library and I wish we could create a game that let you play online in Australia's history.

Grimmau (Sean Riley): Hi all, I'm Sean Riley, and I'm an Information Services Librarian at the University of Technology, Sydney. Generally, at UTS we've used games and gaming in two ways. The first is promotional. Setting up Wii or Xbox games for large scale events such as our library fun day, as a way to try and draw attention. It's a bait and switch strategy. If we 'bait' with the games, we might 'switch' them to the info lit exhibits.

Reynârdine: Which games are you baiting with?

Grimmau (Sean Riley): As an example, we used Wii Sports, Wii Sports Resort and Sonic & Mario at the Olympic Games for a recent sports-themed event.

That said? In my experience, it doesn't work. Surprisingly, not on the 'switch' part, but on the 'bait'. The problem is that games are contextualised. They don't exist in a vacuum. Making an idiot of yourself with Wii sports is one thing with friends, but is quite another with strangers in a public venue. If your goal is to draw people in, I highly recommend a sausage sizzle more than games. No student can ever resist free food.

Now, that said, the other way we've used games has been educational, and here we've had more success. QR codes are basically a form of bar code designed for camera devices. They can store a lot of information in a small square. What we did was print off a bunch and stick them up around the library. Players could scan one to get a URL or a clue to the next one.

Stefwynn (Mylee Joseph): Did they need to find them in sequence or was it like a treasure hunt?

Grimmau (Sean Riley): In sequence. We handed out the first one on a piece of paper. (Along with plain instruction on paper for those without QR capable phones!) The end result was that we sent students all over the library, delivering web pages with relevant Info Lit to that area of the library.

Stefwynn (Mylee Joseph): So it was like a quest IRL in the library?

Grimmau (Sean Riley): Right! It was a fetch quest, more or less.

Bronnwen (Kelly Penfold): That's a really fantastic idea.

Franticread (Ellen Forsyth): Sounds great.

Maxwelig: I think that's a great idea, an in-library murder mystery or something to promote library usage and information retrieval.

Franticread (Ellen Forsyth): That sounds good.

Grimmau (Sean Riley): We've also made web quizzes and put up prizes for those who completed it, but that's less interesting. Though also very good for information literacy.

Stefwynn (Mylee Joseph): Is it hard to generate your own QR codes?

Grimmau (Sean Riley): Not at all. There are web sites that will do it for free.

Stefwynn (Mylee Joseph): So anyone with an Android or iPhone could play?

Grimmau (Sean Riley): Even lower tech phones, as long as they have a QR code reader. And we had plain paper alternatives. Thank you very much!

Franticread (Ellen Forsyth): Thanks Grimmau that really sounds great - perhaps we could hear form Bronnwen now?

Bronnwen (Kelly Penfold): Sure thing, Frantic. Hi everyone. I'm Kelly Penfold and I am a library assistant at McMaster University, specifically our new media centre. I know that more traditional types of games such as scavenger hunts and such have been used in the library in the past, though I'm not well versed in how all those worked. I'm more involved with the new media centre's video game collection/room.

The centre's only been open for about four months now, so we're still trying to find ways to grow, but basically, we have a collection of video games and a room with three stations that can be booked online by students. They come in, get their games and controllers and play for their booked time. It's a great stress reliever for students, but we also provide support for courses which revolve around games and gaming.

We're currently thinking of adding a 'staff picks' area to our website and do some kind of physical support for this to help showcase games that might be neglected, as well as hoping to tie them into literature in our collection as well as film events. A lot of 'plans' are still in the works, but so far, that's one of our busiest rooms. It's very well received. And because there are time limits, we're not really concerned about students spending too much time playing and not attending to their studies. So there's a fun factor and an academic factor. I believe you already spoke to Shawn McCann in another session. This was the centre he was originally overseeing. I'd love to fill you in as things move forward. Thanks for the chance to chat!

Franticread (Ellen Forsyth): Thanks Bronnwen; that really does sound excellent. Perhaps Maxwelig would like to tell us what is happening.

Maxwelig: Myself and Fyrefly are from Randwick council library. Mostly through the young adults section in the past we have had board game activities, and Wii and Playstation tournaments. Generally Wii Sports, Guitar Hero, etc. Since the last meeting we have been working with the reference section to look at starting a book club online.

Stefwynn (Mylee Joseph): Any tips / tricks for libraries that want to try holding a tournament?

Maxwelig: Ok, tournaments we do with a set number of kids in round robin style events. Wii tournaments can attract younger kids, and also kids expect larger prizes which aren't on the cards. But we're lobbying management and IT support regarding World of Warcraft and instant messages usage. It's an interesting exercise.

Warriorwolf: What age range do you get attending?

Maxwelig: For tournaments age range is 11-18, but with Wii kids from 6-7 years want to play.

Fyrefly: Can I ask, those who have board games - what age groups do they attract?

Stefwynn (Mylee Joseph): Chess is popular with tweens.

Franticread (Ellen Forsyth): It sounds like you are doing really interesting things with games and have some great plans. As you have noticed it is past half past, but I think we want to hear from everyone, so I will push back the reading discussion a little.

Maxwelig: Has anyone here using IM in the workplace? With support from management? Any resistance based on the view than IM is just for gaming?

Stefwynn (Mylee Joseph): We don't use IM but do use Twitter!

Bronnwen (Kelly Penfold): We use IM all the time, Maxwelig. We use it as a 'back-room' for staff to support each other when they have tough questions to answer and we use IM for research help for the students/faculty.

Maxwelig: Do you have anything online about it, like website info?

Bronnwen (Kelly Penfold): We have our chat widget page. One moment.

Franticread (Ellen Forsyth): Thanks to Max and Fyrefly - perhaps we can hear from Masquirade next?

Masquirade: Ok, I am Kim, I work at Tamworth City Library, which is the head Library for Central Northern Regional Library in the New England section of NSW.

We have six Wiis available in some of our thirteen branches, we have recently purchased some chess and checker sets for use in our main branch and have the recourse to run a Dungeons & Dragons tabletop game. One branch is very enthusiastic about running a competition each holidays with relevance to a sport currently being run, e.g. tennis right now, with a prize donated by a local business. We're also still in the process of planning a LAN party, but I think we need to test this out on staff first so they know what to expect.

Franticread (Ellen Forsyth): That is probably a good idea - so they can start to get their heads around it - although some of them may play bridge and that is like a LAN party.

Maxwelig: Just a quick question about Dungeons & Dragons sessions. How did you run them? Promote them? Does a staff member run them?

Masquirade: I don't think most of my fellow staff members even know how to play bridge. We have the resources for it, but I don't think anyone has ever played D&D. I missed that fad by a few years. (Well and truly Gen Y.) So we're trying to work out how to do it while still being a bunch of newbies at it ourselves.

Bronnwen (Kelly Penfold): I love that some of the libraries represented here are looking at tabletop RPGs and LARPs as gaming opportunities in the library. I love those sorts of games and so much fun could be had.

Franticread (Ellen Forsyth): I think we just have Reynârdine to hear from. So, Rey…

Reynârdine: Hi folks. I'm BWS Johnson, a boring Library Consultant. Which is quite similar to a Stand Up Philosopher. Bulls**te is my speciality, and gaming in libraries is a favourite of mine since it's so darn fun. I could push puzzle games past me old Bored but electronic gaming was out of the question since they had a bit too much starch in their dry cleaning. But seriously, if you're having trouble bringing your staff up to the gaming level you'd like, where they're comfy teaching Patrons at very least, talk to your regional library system and see if they know someone local. Who maybe will even show up for baked goods. Or Vegemite. Or what have you, and will show your staff the ropes. Because librarians everywhere are really just one big guild.

Gaming kind of lends itself better to over the shoulder learning. So as much as we might like reading, doing is more productive, at least with my learning style.

Stefwynn (Mylee Joseph): As a newbie myself I have relied on colleagues with more skill - definitely worth effort to have opportunity. Only way to learn gaming is doing, in my humble opinion.

Bronnwen (Kelly Penfold): Agreed.

Franticread (Ellen Forsyth): Which ties in with these talks well, because some of the people here really are new players. (But I have to say don't judge by toon level!) Thanks Rey. Anything else you would like to say before we go on to talk about scary reading? No? Well, thanks very much Rey. I really like the image of a global library guild.

Okay ‚ thanks for this great discussion. It is now time to scare up a good book. This ties both with the summer reading program and the readit2011 twitter based reading group which you are welcome to participate in. Readit2011 is a monthly reading group where people use social media to discuss their reading. This month the discussion is about scary books, next month it is about romance.

So if we are talking about scary books‚ what make a book scary? Keeping in mind scary non-fiction as well as scary fiction. Or a scary game or film. Just a quick around the room discussion. There may even be scary poetry?

Grimmau (Sean Riley): There IS scary poetry. The Raven.

Franticread (Ellen Forsyth): What makes scary scary?

Masquirade: For me, not much. (Coward!)

Warriorwolf: Suspense. With some fear.

Maxwelig: The "other"

Grimmau (Sean Riley): I think three things make something scary.

Franticread (Ellen Forsyth): What are they Grimmau?

Grimmau (Sean Riley): The first is simple taboo. Blood, guts, gore. The 'gross out' elements. Kind of cheap, but it works. After that, we wind up in the horror aspects. That tingle you get as you realise the spider is crawling over your hand. And then there's the terror ideas. These are the hard ones to get across, but it's the greater fears. The sense of helplessness. That which we can't control. That which we don't understand. That which confuses us and leaves us alone. I mean, a rampaging grizzly? Horrific. But an asteroid, even though it leaves you just as dead, is on a whole different level of scary.

Maxwelig: There is always the elements of the best horror making the reader think of their worst fear.

Franticread (Ellen Forsyth): And it is about fear. There are scary things happening in the current floods in Australia and they may be scary in anticipation of what could happen, but may not, so the suspense idea from Warriorwolf. Things can also be scary because of people's own experience, rather than generic scary like rampaging grizzly.

Stefwynn (Mylee Joseph): I think for younger readers it's a combination of the unknown and their imagination filling in the gaps. Even quite young kids enjoy being scared and getting mastery of their fears, in stories, maybe not so much with monsters under the bed?

Grimmau (Sean Riley): I also think scary works differently for children. Scariness is a marker of truth for children, because adults often go to lengths to shield them from scary things. And they know that.

Maxwelig: There is a lot more horror in children's lit and film than adult, and adults are more concerned about the scares than the kids.

Fyrefly: That's why lit is so great, it lets kids explore 'scary' in a safe environment

Grimmau (Sean Riley): Fear also doesn't need to be big. Remember, they use fear in advertising. That Telstra ad, the Great Wall of China one? Was predicated on the fear of you letting down your child.

Franticread (Ellen Forsyth): Anyone else have comments about what makes scary scary? What have you read recently which was scary and why was it scary (if that is not too intrusive a question)? Feel free to talk about scary films and games as well.

Masquirade: The most recent one involved a girl who was unwittingly raising the dead, very creepy. I slept with the light on. (For the record my book was The Summoning, by Kelly Armstrong)

Franticread (Ellen Forsyth): That sounds scary.

Stefwynn: Scariest books I have read recently - Garth Nix's Abhorsen (Old Kingdom) series - frightening but I couldn't put them down. Written for a young adult audience but work for adults too. Very suspenseful in my opinion.

Masquirade: Abhorsen series is brilliant. He has some creepy related stories in his over the wall short stories book.

Grimmau (Sean Riley): The scariest thing I've read recently is a bit embarrassing to discuss, but I'm nothing if not shameless, so here goes: "Tastings" by Neil Gaiman. It's an erotic horror story in his Smoke & Mirrors book. Without giving too much away, the whole story is a sexual encounter between a woman and a man who can kind of read minds. What's amazing is how well it uses that context of intimacy to because intrusive rather than welcoming. And it _creeps me the heck out_.

Maxwelig: Sometimes the darker side is alluring and that scares people to know what they are maybe capable of or might do. The basis of the original vampire stories e.g. Dracula, Camilla. (Also in the old days a conservative sexual context.)

Bronnwen (Kelly Penfold): I think Grimmau hit on a point I was going to make. Or rather, a side point to his... the word intimacy. I think for some (such as myself), it's easy to get desensitised to a lot of the scary stuff in literature and movies. For me, the fear has to be intimate... rather, it has to be personal. It needs to hit a personal, irrational fear for me to really get scared.

Reynârdine: An atavistic fear?

Grimmau (Sean Riley): I don't think it needs to be personal, but I do agree that desensitisation is tricky. Can I tell a story? (And this story ties into why games may be the best medium ever for exploring horror.)

Bronnwen (Kelly Penfold): Oh, I meant for /some/ people it needs to be personal.

Grimmau (Sean Riley): OK. The scariest game I played last year was Minecraft. For those who don't know it, Minecraft is a game played in a randomly generated world. There's no story, no plot, and no overarching goal. You just go in, mine up stuff, and craft it. Hence the name.

Once I was playing it. Mining some copper up in a mine I'd dug out. And I dug down into the rock... and suddenly fell into pitch blackness. My fall was a heart-stopping distance. And then I heard the moans of zombies. This is all classic cliche horror trope. But it was utterly renewed here. Why?

Because it wasn't a trope. It wasn't scripted. It was emergent and real.

Masquirade: Because it was unexpected.

Bronnwen (Kelly Penfold): Yes, that definitely adds to the fear factor of an experience!

Grimmau (Sean Riley): At possibly the most pure level, fear comes from chaos. From the lack of organisation. From that sense that things DON'T happen for a reason. Fiction cannot truly express this. Because the author has a tight grip on the experience. Everything in fiction does have a reason. The reason the author intended.

Stefwynn (Mylee Joseph): True - fiction has a story arc, characters are like actors on a stage ... can definitely see the difference between that and unscripted game experience.

Grimmau (Sean Riley): But games? There's a different story. It's dynamic. It can be created so as to branch out beyond the confines of the author's mind. And maybe there is the most pure exploration of horror we can find. And that's why Minecraft can be genuinely scary. (As well as beautiful, and lovely, and awe inspiring in turn.)

Franticread (Ellen Forsyth): It really sounds amazing. Anyone else want to talk about scary? Thanks so much for coming along and participating in the discussion today. The next talk takes place 10 February (9 February for those in the USA and Canada) and Dr.Joanne O'Mara, who is a Senior Lecturer, School of Education, Deakin University will talk about research she has been involved in about learning from computer games. This research was part of Australian Research Council funding.

You might think of information you want to add to the discussion later today. Once the transcript of this talk is up on http://gamesandlibraries.wetpaint.com/ you can start a discussion to add more information.

It was great seeing all of you today. I hope you can come along for the next talk too as the research really sounds interesting, and it will be fun having an academic present in World of Warcraft!

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