American Libraries

The 2008 ALA TechSource Gaming, Learning, and Libraries Symposium, held November 2-4 in Oak Brook, Illinois, demonstrated many of the benefits gaming has for libraries, including improved literacy, improved civic engagement, inclusiveness, and even fundraising. Interviewed are:

Lawrence Kutner, Center for Mental Health and Media, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital (keynote: "Grand Theft Childhood? Real Data on Violent Video Games and Youth")

Seann Dikkers, University of Wisconsin-Madison Games Learning Society Group (presentation: "Building After School Game Clubs Using Total War")

Lindsey Wesson, Tennessee State Library and Archives (presentation: "Turning Gamers into Readers: What Wii Can Do")

Amanda Lenhart, Pew/Internet Life (keynote: "Teens, Video Games, and Civics: What the Research is Telling Us")

Rick Bolton, Library Mini-Golf (host, "Golfing through the Stacks")

Larry Lewis Jr., Flying Blind LLC (presenation: "Integrating Non-Visual Access into a Library's Gaming Experience")

Eli Neiburger, Ann Arbor District Library (presentation: "Pokemon Primer")

Transcript (Opens in new window or tab).