I purchase video games for our library to support a video game design certificate and degree emphasis. Our games do circulate outside the library for three days and any student/faculty/staff can check them out regardless if they are in the video game design classes or not. The circ stats are through the roof and I've been working with the student run Video Game Club for suggestions on titles to purchase.
We also turned one of our study rooms into a gaming room with PS2 and 3, Wii, Xbox 260 and Nintento Game Cube. Anyone can use the room while the library is open, bring their own controllers or games, or check out controllers from the circulation desk. The controllers and accessories are not allowed to leave the library. I have not run into any licensing issues with the Playstation, Xbox or Wii games. The only issues I have run into is with PC games. Typically the key code to install and play PC games can only be used a finite number of times. Unless the person uninstalls the program after each check out, then once those key codes are used up, you can't install or play the game. We've run into this issue many times to the point where I no longer purchase PC games. I had one faculty ask if we could purchase an Xbox game that was only available via download. I think it was a Scott Pilgrim game that he wanted the students to play for a comics class. I never got a chance to try this out because the professor left the university before the course was offered. Oh well. Feel free to email me off list if you have any other questions. Also this gives me a chance to throw in my own shameless plug. I'm co-presenting a panel session at ACRL on video games collections in academic libraries. I don't know the location, but it is Thursday morning at 10:30 am. Jodie ________________________________________ Jodie L. Borgerding, M.L.S. Instruction and Liaison Librarian Emerson Library Webster University 470 E. Lockwood St. Louis, MO 63119 (314) 246-7819 [email protected] http://libguides.webster.edu/soc http://libguides.webster.edu/religion http://libguides.webster.edu/zombies "Chuck Norris doesn't read books. He stares them down until he gets the information he wants." From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Ball, James (jmb4aw) Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2013 11:04 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [Videolib] Question about video games Hi All, We have a professor who is teaching a class on video games and has requested that we purchase some for the Library, which we're willing to do. We did this for another class many years ago, before my time here as media librarian, and I haven't heard that there were any problems, but I'd be interested in hearing about experiences other libraries have had with collecting and providing access to video games. For example, do you let them circulate outside of the library? Are there licensing issues? Etc. Cheers, Matt ______________________________ Matt Ball Media and Collections Librarian Clemons Library University of Virginia [email protected] 434-924-3812
VIDEOLIB is intended to encourage the broad and lively discussion of issues relating to the selection, evaluation, acquisition,bibliographic control, preservation, and use of current and evolving video formats in libraries and related institutions. It is hoped that the list will serve as an effective working tool for video librarians, as well as a channel of communication between libraries,educational institutions, and video producers and distributors.
