It has been years since the library’s collection of books was accompanied by music CDs, movies and other forms of media in a variety of formats. Coming soon, you will be able to borrow videogames and the staff expects it to be in such high demand that they aren’t even worried about assigning any shelf space to the collection.
“I think that they’re going to be very popular,” stated teen services co-ordinator Kathleen Troppmann, adding she didn’t think that they would sit around for long periods of time.
While the collection isn’t available for another week or two, you can already browse and place holds on the list of 40 games for the Nintendo Wii, XBox 360 and Sony PS3. They will be further broken down into junior and teen categories with no mature rated games at this time. Some of the titles include Batman: Arkham Asylum, 2010 FIFA World Cup, Endless Ocean and Disney Sing It: Family Hits. You can browse the titles by doing a search for ‘video game.’ Games can be loaned for one week with a limit of two games per membership card.
Troppman added that this is just one of several ways she is trying to reach newer members, but the idea itself isn’t new.
“I think that remaining relevant to the younger crowd is important to us.”
She stated that toys and games used to be circulated during the Great Depression. “Loaning video games is the modern-day version of a long-standing tradition. It’s all part of the wider support we provide for literacy; playing games requires reading skills and helps develop IT literacy. Introducing video games for loan just feels like the natural next step.”
Some of the titles purchased are in response to suggestions from those who have attended the library gaming sessions and she is hopeful that people will make requests for new acquisitions. If you don’t have a way of playing at home, then there’s still a way that you can get in on the game.
“Anyone who doesn’t have a gaming console can still experience these new games as we try some of them out at future big screen gaming events here in the library.”
You can check out the list of video games, as well as the rest of the book, movie and music collection, at www.sapl.ab.ca.
