State of Play: Video Game Programming and Characteristics in U.S. Libraries

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 29
  In Roundtable Session: Manipulatives, Movement, and Games as Informal Learning Strategies

Abstract

Given the growth of the videogames industry and an emphasis on digital literacies in Library Science, it is not surprising to hear anecdotal accounts of increased library videogame programming for youth community members. Yet perception is not always reality. Extant literature reveals minimal evidence about the actual state of play of videogame programming in libraries, and the presence of videogame programming in libraries might be similar to the use of videogames in K-12 education, where interest outstrips implementation. This mixed-methods investigation of US libraries explored the presence of such programming and the forces that constrain and support it. As with videogames in K-12 education, first- and second-order barriers are valuable in understanding the presence or absence of programming in libraries.

Authors

• Sandra Schamroth Abrams, Saint John's University

• Richard N. Van Eck, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences