Poker, video games now at ... your local library?
Looking for new ways to attract young people, more than three quarters of the nation’s public libraries support gaming, including card games and online activities, according to a study coming out this week.
The libraries’ response to gaming is another indication that the profession is aware of the needs and desires of patrons, American Library Association President Loriene Roy said in a statement included in the ALA’s annual State of America’s Libraries Report. The 24-page document comes out this week, National Library Week.
(Guy Rhodes/Post-Tribune)
Interviewed Sunday, Roy acknowledged some resistance to gaming, citing a librarian from the Texas-based San Marcos Public Library who prefers to focus on books.
But she said most librarians believe that gaming fits an overall strategy to increase teen involvement, noting a nationwide trend of libraries forming teen advisory boards, devoting more space to teen centers and allowing teens to help with the design.
‘‘We find that a lot of teens who come to the library to use games end up coming back to the library to use other services,’’ she said.
Libraries have worked hard in the past decade to change their hushed image, and gaming is now a common event. In early March, about 30 teenagers attended a game night at the public library in Burlington, Iowa, playing ‘‘Guitar Hero’’ and ‘‘Wii Sports’’ among others. About 100 teens compete monthly at ‘‘Guitar Hero’’ at the Rochester Hills Public Library in Michigan.
‘‘I actually know a lot of librarians who are terrific at ‘Guitar Hero,’ ’’ Roy said, adding that ‘‘people who come to play these games often can’t afford them at home. And what better place to try these out than at a library?’’
Roy cited gaming as a positive trend during a difficult time. In recent years, school libraries in particular have struggled to offer more services with less money. Average funding per student dropped from $19.14 in 1999-2000 to $13.67 in 2003-2004. Roy said financial support has probably decreased further in the past few years.
‘‘Funding for a lot of social services is dropping,’’ she said.
In other findings from the association’s report:
— More than 2 billion items were checked out from libraries last year, with the average user borrowing seven-plus books a year.
— Around 70 percent of libraries in 2007 said they were their communities’ only public source for free Internet access.
— As the country becomes more racially diverse, the library profession remains virtually all white, around 90 percent from 2001-2005. Spanish is the libraries’ leading non-English language, but only 3 percent of librarians are Latino, compared to 14 percent of the overall population.
Roy, a member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, said recruitment has increased in the past few years, and that over 500 minority students have received scholarships. She estimated that the U.S. has around 100,000 public librarians.
‘‘We’re not there yet, but we’re strongly committed to creating a work force that reflects the community,’’ she said.
