Free course in Gaming in Libraries

May 20, 2009 Uncategorized No Comments

Free Gaming in Libraries Course via YouTube

Scott Nicholson, associate professor at Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies, will be teaching a video-based course on the basics of gaming in libraries. Every day during the month of June, participants will be able to view a new video exploring some concept of games or how libraries can integrate games into their programs. The class will cover games appropriate for all age groups in many types of library settings.

Throughout the month of June, Scott Nicholson will teach IST 600 Gaming in Libraries in three online spaces, two of which are freely available to anyone:

· The Syracuse University YouTube channel, where video lectures and guest speakers will be posted, and where students enrolled in the class will be required to post weekly video responses. (http://www.youtube.com/syracuse)

· American Library Association (ALA) Connect , a social networking site for the ALA that will host the discussion of students, speakers, librarians, and other participants from the general public. (http://connect.ala.org/forum/10310)

· The iSchool’s online learning management system, a private space for enrolled students to ask questions and submit their assignments.

Students and other participants in the class can expect to gain a solid understanding of the spectrum of types of games, know how libraries typically use games, and be able to select games for their own libraries based upon the goals of the program and the mission of the library. They will learn how to start a gaming program, how to facilitate the activity, how to assess the program, and how to tie the assessment back to the library’s mission.

Nicholson’s biggest goal for the course, however, is to bring together students, librarians, gamers, and representatives of the gaming industry for a month-long discussion about the roles that games can play in libraries. The course is being offered by the Syracuse iSchool to its students and students enrolled at partner schools through the Web-based Information Science Education (WISE) Consortium. The course is being funded by the Kauffman Enitiative Project at Syracuse University.

The primary Web site for the course is at http://gamesinlibraries.org/course .

Recent articles

May 10, 2009 Uncategorized No Comments

Over the last few months, I’ve had a few articles come out in various publications. You can see preprints of these pieces online:

Nicholson, S. (2009). Why gaming? Digitale Bibliotheek 1(1), 17. Online preview available on Page 10 of http://www.digbib.nl/index.php?file=2_292583_DB0901-preview.pdf

Nicholson, S. (2009). Library gaming census report. American Libraries 40(1/2), 44. Preprint available at http://librarygamelab.org/CensusReport2007ALA.pdf

Nicholson, S. (2009). Go back to start: Gathering baseline data about gaming in libraries. Library Review 58(3), 203-214. Preprint available at http://librarygamelab.org/backtostart.pdf

All of the articles put out about from the work of the Game Lab can be found at
http://gamelab.syr.edu/publications/