Library Seeks $300,000 to Build Game Collection
The Toronto Public Library is asking for $300,000 in funding so it can build a game collection and set up video game programs in eight of its locations around the city.
The Toronto Star reports that the library believes those who rent out the video games will learn literacy and problem-solving skills. The gaming programs will be used to bring in children who previously would never have considered going to the library. Once they get them in, the plan is to introduce them to other things a library offers, like books.
"It may be the only time a young person comes in. It can act as a magnet to attract people. Once we get them in there, you can be darn sure that our librarians will be hard at work to introduce them to everything else the library can offer," city Councillor Adam Vaughan said.
While it seems like a great idea, some people are skeptical about the plan. Bruce Ballon, who heads a clinic at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health that treats adolescents addicted to the Internet and video games, says the library has to be careful and consider the social implications of what they're offering. There's also a debate about what kind of games the library should offer. Should it stick to PG titles or should Grand Theft Auto and other mature titles be available too?
There are already successful gaming events happening around North America to suggest the programs Toronto is planning could be a huge hit. A library in Ann Arbor already hosts gaming events and says up to a hundred people show up several times a month. The IT director there says it doesn't matter why people come to the library, just that they're turning non-library users into library users.
Read the full story here.
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anything that puts kids near a book is a good idea. i remember when my library started offering music cassettes and movies on vhs back in the late 80's, and it made me go more often to rent them for free and grab a book or two while i was there.
This has to be done carefully, but I doubt the library will carry games like MW2, Halo, and such.
I can see this getting out of hand real quick.
May be the next thing the library will consider will be buying a french wines collection to attract even more readers?
I never thought about how much I read while playing video games... How many lines of dialog are in a game like Final Fantasy 6-13? Even in 13 I have the subtitles on, the screen seems so empty even when there is a ton of action going on. We'll see if this takes off. I like the idea.
Good to see someone is getting with the times, and redesigning there distribution model. If the mpaa and riaa would follow suit maybe they wouldnt have to worry about piracy
lol.. I have a bad feeling where they'd start borrowing the disks and making copies of them for their home use. You'll also run into DRM issues with modern games. Library will also have a hard time keeping up as they'll need to build a min-cyber cafe with updated computers every once in 4 years or so.
My library in Indiana has all sorts of games like Call of Juares, Crysis, War Craft 3, old Sierra Games like Kings Quest, and all sorts of those weird ones to like Celebrity Cooking. If you request a game they usually get it as well in about a month or two. I think it is great I love to check out a game and play it for a week or two with out having to spend anything. My library growing up had games too, both on 3.5" and 5" disks. This doesn't seem weird to me at all.
Yeah, but will they have Crysis?
well, if they really implement it, i will go to the library more
but how're they gonna get around those Double D issues? you know, DLC and DRM
Games with limited installs cleary won't be used....
Prolly games with DRM similar to Oblivion, meaning Infinite installs, all you need is to have the disc.
I can see the thinking behind this idea, I can even see where it might work. I feel a little sad for today's youth being bribed into a library. Getting lost in a good book (even some bad ones) is a great way to spend time. It is also a good work out for your brain. Kids, and some adults, don't know what they are missing out on.
Whats a book?
I never thought about how much I read while playing video games... How many lines of dialog are in a game like Final Fantasy 6-13? Even in 13 I have the subtitles on, the screen seems so empty even when there is a ton of action going on. We'll see if this takes off. I like the idea.
Maybe not such a good reference when considering the Japanese translation to English is a little sloppy in many areas of these games.
Games with limited installs cleary won't be used....Prolly games with DRM similar to Oblivion, meaning Infinite installs, all you need is to have the disc.
I'm sure that the library would have to purchase a certain license from the developer so that they're allowed to loan out these games and the DRM restrictions would likely be removed.
Some libraries already do this.
And it's mostly not for computer games.
I don't think libraries will have much of a problem loaning out MA rated games. The only reason they don't loan out "MA" books is because books don't have such labels. In fact from the people I know librarians are very much against censorship and very much for making information available to the public, even if that means non filtering porn sites on the public computers.
Just think: if books were treated the same way video games are by flipped-out parents and censor wannabes, libraries today would be a bit emptier.
Ok I love this idea. If my library starts loaning games, I will personally donate some of my old games to the library. Gamestop pays crap for games anyway... Plus, I get to use the games that they are loaning out...
Hmm.... how about renting out some PDF eBooks?
The Topeka Library already does this with a huge red box.
It rents out over 160 Blu-rays, 150 360 games, 150 Wii games, and only 98 PS3 games. Also rents out Music CD's. Games you get a 14 day period, with the max of 2 at a time. Blu-rays are 3 Day rentals, with the max of 2 aswell.
Sounds like a FREE GAMEFLY...
And also yes, they rent out E-Book PDF's here too. Sorry for the double Post.
May be the next thing the library will consider will be buying a french wines collection to attract even more readers?
Drunk Gamers in the library! that'll go over smoothly
I don't feel that the games they offer is a problem. Depending on what games they have, they might draw in more people. But the real problem is crime, in my opinion. All the LAN centers in my area closed partly due to kids fighting too much and some fights going too far. Look at the kid in China getting knifed in the head. Sure he was cheating, but the outcome is way too brutal.
Whoo proud to be Canadian. Now if they could just move the idea over to my city next...
Maybe they should disguise books as game manuals...
woohoo. i love my toronto - i still have my library card too. I have only been using it to log onto the city's public wifi though - but less now that I have 3G. Great to have another reason to carry it around.
can anyone say lan party in the study room?
Because Halo=Literacy. =p
print on paper is dead.
As others have already pointed there are public libraries that are already doing that and not just games.
Hmmmm it could work. I remember getting into Pokemon when I was younger and learning to read better because of it