Librarians are beginning to see the importance of game based learning and the incorporation of games into library services. This book is written for them--so they can use games to improve people's understanding and enjoyment of the library. Full of practical suggestions, the essays discuss not only innovative uses of games in libraries but also the game making process. The contributors are all well versed in games and game-based learning and a variety of different types of libraries are considered. The essays will inspire librarians and educators to get into this exciting new area of patron and student services.

This book aims to show how librarians in colleges and universities of varying sizes, populations, and locations have successfully incorporated gaming into their libraries.-Introduction. In an attempt to encompass the variety of ways games are being incorporated into libraries, this book has been divided into three sections: game collections and curricular support, gaming as marketing and gaming as an information literacy tool.

A much-talked-about topic gets thorough consideration from two educator-librarians, who explain exactly how designer board gameswhich are worlds apart from games produced strictly for the educational market can become curricular staples for students young and old.

"Games of all kinds, from breakouts and escape rooms to traditional board game collections, are often featured in academic library instruction, programming, and outreach initiatives, where their natural ability to foster interaction and communication is especially valuable. Games and gamification can be used to help students engage with the thresholds of the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education; locate resources and identify misinformation and disinformation; and build connections with faculty and librarians, in one-shots and for-credit courses. In four sections--An Overview of Games and Gamification, Adding and Maintaining a Circulating Game Collection to your Library, Games and Gamification in Information Literacy Instruction, and Programming and Outreach through Games--Games and Gamification in Academic Libraries explores incorporating games into first-year experience programs, using games to help students engage with special collections, making games accessible, and ideas for game nights and events. Games and gamification function best not as something separate, but as one tool in an academic library's approach to their goals and initiatives. Games and Gamification offers encouragement, strategies, and proven practices for developing and using accessible, welcoming gamification as a flexible tool to meet their institutions' missions and their students' learning needs."--

Helps librarians who are not themselves seasoned gamers to better understand the plethora of gaming products available and how they might appeal to library users. As games grow ever-more ubiquitous in our culture and communities, they have become popular staples in public library collections and are increasing in prominence in academic ones. Many librarians, especially those who are not themselves gamers or are only acquainted with a handful of games, are ill-prepared to successfully advise patrons who use games. This book provides the tools to help adult and youth services librarians to better understand the gaming landscape and better serve gamers in discovery of new games—whether they are new to gaming or seasoned players—through advisory services. This book maps all types of games—board, roleplaying, digital, and virtual reality—providing all the information needed to understand and appropriately recommend games to library users. Organized by game type, hundreds of descriptions offer not only bibliographic information (title, publication date, series, and format/platform), but genre classifications, target age ranges for players, notes on gameplay and user behavior type, and short descriptions of the game's basic premise and appeals.

Whether gaming is already a crucial part of your library's core services or it's only just been introduced, this do-it-yourself new resource will give you the practical tools you need to organize, implement, and market successful gaming events for users of all ages. Author Kelly Nicole Czarnecki shows you how to host gaming events for all different types of users. You'll learn to select systems and resources best suited to your library and budget, plan programs, and develop a circulating collection. Czarnecki gives you step-by-step instruction for implementing an array of different programs, including video games, board games, magic gatherings, Guitar Hero Fests, and more. You'll also find helpful techniques and best practices for marketing your gaming program and evaluating its success, as well as examples and insight from librarians running highly successful gaming programs.

The engaging programs in this book will have people flocking to your library—it's all in the game.