Week 10 - Reflect: Gamification within Libraries

This week we were asked to explore the role of gaming within libraries or information organisations and whether there was a place for it. Obviously there already is, as Katya Henry (2012) points out various libraries using gamification in her YouTube presentation including State Library of Queensland, British Library, Ann Arbor District Library and New York Public Library. When I watcher YouTube presentation, what she described as gamification made me think immediately of the reading programs that libraries do over the summer/Christmas break. I wasn’t too sure whether it counted as gamification, but Harris in his article points out that ‘libraries have already been using gamification in their summer reading programs’ (2012, p.9).

In a practical side of gamification, Bohyun Kim (2012) suggests five thoughts on how libraries could use gamification to their advantage:

1. Provide level-up experience for library users
2. Award some status and powers associated with library use that can be admired
3. Show the progress bar in library catalogue
4. Colour-code the status of check out items
5. Library currency to accumulate and spend

Also, Kim advises libraries thinking of implementing gamification to avoid these three pitfalls: poor design, over-gamify and a game that is organisation centred rather than user centred. Likewise, both Harris & Kirk believe that the ‘real value of games are the episodes of authentic play that unite groups and build communities’ as opposed to the actual game (2012, p.9).

So I gather from those sentiments that libraries have to make gamification less about the library and more about the user and community. In Henry’s presentation, the majority of the libraries presented gamification as a way to encourage children or teens to take advantage of their time within the organisation (although the British Library’s option of being a historical character sounds pretty cool, especially if you could dress up).

By making the time spent within libraries more enjoyable for children, there’s an option for a new wave of people who as they grow up remember the fond times spent in their local library, and will most likely be active supporters of the libraries and encourage their children to go. I guess it’s our duty as librarians or information professionals to continue to create these enjoyable experiences and if gamification is used wisely, there’s no reason why it can’t help us do so.

Reference List

Harris, C. & Kirk, T. (2011). It’s all fun and games in the library. Knowledge Quest. 40 (1). Pp.8-9. Retrieved from http://aasl.metapress.com/content/k146r1351475723m/

Henry, K. (2012, September 26). INN333 Gamification [video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3A8RU_IWsxI

Kim, B. (2012). Harnessing the power of game dynamics 1: why, how to, and how not to gamify the library experience. College & Research Libraries News. 73 (8). Pp. 465-469. Retrieved from http://crlnews.highwire.org/content/73/8/465.full