Gaming and Libraries Symposium

When a new trend emerges and grows as quickly as gaming in libraries has, those of us who weren't involved at an early stage can sometimes feel like they've been left behind. In all likelihood, there are librarians all over the country who have heard about the growing role that gaming is playing in many libraries and would like to expand its role in their own libraries as well, but just don't know how to get started.

ALA has created a fantastic new resource for just that type of librarian.The Librarian's Guide to Gaming: An Online Toolkit for Building Gaming @ Your Libraryis now available online. If you are looking to get gaming off the ground at your library, this is a one-stop-shop that will get you going in a hurry. Read More »

Our friends at AL Focus have once again provided some great video coverage, this time from last week's Gaming, Learning and Libraries Symposium.

To relive your fantastic memories, or to find out how much fun you missed, check out this post by Greg Landgraf.

Greg Landgraf at American Libraries has some outstanding coverage of the symposium over at AL Inside Scoop. You can read his detailed and comprehensive coverage symposium events here, here, here and here. Read More »

My parents never bought me a Nintendo when I was a kid. They had this crazy idea that reading was the best way for me to learn and entertain myself, so I had to go over to my neighbors house when I wanted to play The Legend of Zelda or Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out. I’d go back home after playing and describe how cool these new games were to my parents, who inevitably rolled their eyes, frustrated at this trendy, expensive new toy their son was dying to have.

As I write this from the 2008 ALA TechSource Gaming, Learning and Libraries Symposium, I can’t help but think how far gaming technology has come since the days of 8-but graphics and cheap midi sound effects. At this symposium, gaming is hardly a game—it’s a rapidly evolving and increasingly important part of our profession. More and more, librarians are using gaming to help students of all ages learn, to help adults improve and hone their skills, and to draw young people into a lifetime of library use.
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The preliminary program for the 2008 ALA TechSource Gaming, Learning, and Libraries Symposium is now available and registration is underway. This year's program includes topics for academic, public, and school librarians interested in all aspects of gaming in libraries and offers new tracks such as:

• Beyond videogames
• Collection development
• Games and community
• Games and academic libraries
• Games and school libraries
• Instruction & literacy
• Managing gaming

Our keynote speakers continue last year's tradition of addressing games & learning while also helping to make sense of today's hot topics. Read More »

• Andrew Bub - writer, parent, and GamerDad

It seems like the role that gaming plays in libraries is expanding exponentially. What once seemed like a trend is now a deeply entrenched part of our profession. Gaming is playing a bigger and bigger role in academic, public and school libraries all over the world and librarians are not only increasing their gaming content and its availability, but are also using it prominently in library programming and public service.

Our colleagues have been working hard to keep up with constantly evolving technology and increasing demand, while trying to ensure that there is a method to the madness of the gaming world. Gaming played its largest ever part in the 2008 ALA Annual convention, with hoards of librarians attending gaming-related programs, meeting with vendors and participating in the open gaming night at the Anaheim Hilton. The blogosphere is abuzz with positive feedback about this year’s programming. Read More »

Registration for the 2008 ALA TechSource Gaming, Learning, and Libraries Symposium is now open! Last year we sold out at 300, and this year we expect the 350 spots to go quickly, so we encourage you to sign up early.

We're in full swing for planning the second annual ALA TechSource Gaming, Learning, and Libraries Symposium, which will take place on November 2-4, 2008, in Oak Brook, IL (a western suburb of Chicago).

There's some preliminary information on the site about registration, the location, and keynote speakers, but we've also just posted the official Call for Presenters. If your library is doing something innovative with gaming, if you're doing research around gaming and libraries, or if you have ideas to propose and share, please submit a proposal. We want to offer another great program chock full o'the best sessions, and that could include you!

The deadline for submitting your proposal is June 15, 2008, and we'll respond by July 1. Help us make GLLS2008 even better than last year's event! Read More »

By Liz Lawley
Presented July 24, 2007
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By Eli Neiburger
Presented July 23, 2007
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