Libraries continue to embrace videogames as a way to lure youngsters in, hoping that an initial visit for games might assist in opening a door into the world of books and literature, but not everyone is happy about the advancements.
Earlier this week we told you about the author of a book on videogame addiction criticizing the American Library Association’s annual National Gaming Day. Now, a letter to the editor of the Prescott, Arizona-based Daily Courier, written by Susan Deane, decries the current state of libraries.
“When I was young,” wrote Deane, “a library was a place to read and study and you never spoke above a whisper.”
These days, “I see kids and young adults on computers playing video games and listening to music, which other patrons can hear,” she complained, adding, “Using computers are for information not game or music playing!”
Such advances have turned visiting the Prescott Library into an “unpleasant experience” for Deane.
The four commenters on the story all agree with Deane, with one offering that, “A library is meant to be a place of study, a place to read and learn a quiet, calm, placid, tranquil place. Not a clone of Grand Central Station!!!"
Comments
Re: Evolution of the Library Objectionable to Some
I can't say I have noticed people eating or talking loud or playing music in the library. Granted I haven't been to one in a while, but I don't recall any of this from the last time I was there.
I would like to point out to the author that as media changes so must the library.
Re: Evolution of the Library Objectionable to Some
Eh, part of the problem is the fact that reading has been made into this "uncool" thing to do, making less kids want to do it. Hell, too often there seems to be this war on intelligence, where reading and learning are viewed as chores rather than soemthing that can be enjoyable.
Re: Evolution of the Library Objectionable to Some
Library is a public terminal for information, without getting people to use their service society lose a corner stone of information giving and archiving.
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Re: Evolution of the Library Objectionable to Some
"When I was young..."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDcbO2bRxhg
Ok, I feel better now. :)
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Re: Evolution of the Library Objectionable to Some
Back in the day we had the Library of Alexandria where there were no books, only scrolls! Those were the days.
Re: Evolution of the Library Objectionable to Some
No flood protection either, apparently.
Re: Evolution of the Library Objectionable to Some
Granted, I haven't been in every library but the ones I have been in, the gaming area is completely separate from the research, study, and other areas. Plus, all the terminals have head phones.
Andrew Eisen
Re: Evolution of the Library Objectionable to Some
Actually I've only been to the local PL, and I've never really noticed anyone playing games there or otherwise being disruptive. I wonder if some of this may simply be due to the poor layout of the library in question? Then again my local library doesn't have a cafe either. This place she's writing about sounds like a dream, honestly...a library with video games and a cafe? Dayum.
Re: Evolution of the Library Objectionable to Some
"Using computers are for information"
Ladies and gentlemen, a product of the Prescott public school system.
I kid, I kid. Mostly. I had some pretty good teachers there.
That said, I think it's perfectly reasonable to make people wear headphones if they're in a common area, and keep the games away from the reading areas. The library was recently remodeled; I would think they'd have room to put the games in a separate section. My kindergarten class used to take trips there and watch Reading Rainbow in one of the rooms; I remember it being reasonably out-of-the-way.
Re: Evolution of the Library Objectionable to Some
You know the person who wrote that column?
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Re: Evolution of the Library Objectionable to Some
No, but I know the city, the paper, and the library. It's been a long time since I lived there, though.
Re: Evolution of the Library Objectionable to Some
Ah, Reading Rainbow, now that I can approve of at libraries. I wish it was still around. If it is, I don't know how I'm missing it.
Re: Evolution of the Library Objectionable to Some
It ended recently due to budget cuts at PBS. Lasted something like 25 years, though.
Re: Evolution of the Library Objectionable to Some
Can libraries have video games / software?
I'd say that would make sense given the function of a library. There is alot of software that has outlived it's commercial usefulness and it would make sense to have libraries archive that old stuff for public access. If that includes classic video games, so much the better.
Re: Evolution of the Library Objectionable to Some
If that includes classic video games, so much the better.
I'd be a lot more comfortable with such places as say, the the Library of Congress handling that than my local public library. And classic games are a slightly different story anyway, since very few of the little twerps that annoy me on a regular basis even know that Mario's as old as he is, or that games didn't always have bump-mapping and save everywhere options.
Re: Evolution of the Library Objectionable to Some
I more or less agree that video games don't have a place at the library. At least not out in the main area where you're disrupting the quiet zone so people can read and study in peace. The mutually agreed-upon tranquility of the library is one of its most attractive features. Maybe a backroom with a door would be fine. I guess I have no issue of using games to lure kids in, I just don't want libraries to sound like an arcade.
Re: Evolution of the Library Objectionable to Some
When I was young...
I stop reading there. She invalidated her own "argument".
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Re: Evolution of the Library Objectionable to Some
Trust me, you could have stopped at "Prescott".
Re: Evolution of the Library Objectionable to Some
I don't think so. Her point stands plenty strong, because despite the cliche, she really isn't exaggerating. Hell, I remember a time where libraries were dead quiet, and I'm only 26. Nowadays, in my area, and a lot of others, libraries are noiser than a damn kindergarten class on cocaine. The people running them don't even do much about it until some crazy homeless person starts screaming about the government murdering people or some shit.
Of course, I'm sure libraries may have gotten noisy in the past, and I'm certain there's plenty of them today that don't tolerate that crap, but the fact remains that times have changed. People at places that don't cost money to get in, like libraries, really have gotten less and less considerate towards others. Librarians themselves truly have become complacent to the rudeness. The serenity of a library isn't the norm any more, and I'm dead certain that hooking up a TV for the little brats to play Guitar Hero on is only going to make thing worse. Hell it's bad enough they have a damn playroom full of toys for crumb-crunchers at public libraries. I don't know how long they've been there, but they were a bad idea then and video games are a bad idea now.
Don't get me wrong, luring young ones into the library is a good thing, but it should be books that do that, not the fact that they can play the Xbox 360 there that their parents won't buy for them.
Re: Evolution of the Library Objectionable to Some
Don't get me wrong, luring young ones into the library is a good thing, but it should be books that do that, not the fact that they can play the Xbox 360 there that their parents won't buy for them.
I can´t say how much have changed the libraries on U.S., because I have never been in one there. All I can say she is just being nostalgic and regreting that it not like on her days and using the "damn kids, get off of my lawn" argument.
Adding videogames or movie series to keep the libreries bussiness alive shouldn´t be bashed in the way she said.
By the way, I also don´t know what kind of games the have on libreries on there. Do they have Gears of War or something like that?
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Re: Evolution of the Library Objectionable to Some
I don't know if I just had unusual libraries, but when I was growing up (80s) my local library did indeed have movies, music CDs, and video games. I can actually recall playing some games on an orange monochrome touchscreen display at my library, it was my first exposure to computer games.
Re: Evolution of the Library Objectionable to Some
I can´t say how much have changed the libraries on U.S., because I have never been in one there.
My advice would be to think about stuff like that before making such comments as your first one.
Adding videogames or movie series to keep the libreries bussiness alive shouldn´t be bashed in the way she said.
It is if it's going to attract kids who just want to play video games, which trust me, that's exactly what's going to happen in most cases in the U.S.
By the way, I also don´t know what kind of games the have on libreries on there. Do they have Gears of War or something like that?
Don't know about Gears of War, but my local library would have a Guitar Hero hooked up right now if it weren't for budget cuts. That's another problem: libraries aren't necessarily going to stay open from putting in video games, in fact it could help CLOSE them for good if they aren't careful. Especially with brats fighting over controllers and breaking expensive shit, like the 40 some-odd-inch flat screen hanging on the wall of the second floor of my local library.
Re: Evolution of the Library Objectionable to Some
1. What I mean is that I don´t live in the US My problem with this woman is that she expects that things keep working the same way tnah back on her days, which is pretty much egotistical when libreries today sure want to keep attracting young people instead of old.
2. That´s not neccesarily truth, it is a possible scennario but I don´t see this happening so easely. I guess it depends how much games they have in there.
3. If they only have more family friendly games like GH, maybe there is the chance it´s not gonna happen the way you are speculating. The situations you are describing are more like insolated incidents than anything as a plausible cause to close a library. Let´s hope that in any given case, people who work on those places to find the way to keep it working.
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Re: Evolution of the Library Objectionable to Some
But that's just it...times have changed. Either the libraries need to adjust to what the majority of people want *today* not how they were used 5, 10, 20 years ago. If the majority of people think a library needs to be quiet and contemplative then those people need to *actually go to a library* and use it often. Otherwise the libraries will try to meet the demand of the people they *can* get to go to the library. And if those people want games, music, cafes and loud fun, well, guess what...that's what the library of the future is going to look like. Complaining about it for nostalgia sake servies little purpose.
Re: Evolution of the Library Objectionable to Some
Nostalgia isn't the source of it, not for me. I'm very uncomfortable with libraries coming to serve that kind of purpose. There's a place for it already: it's called freakin' Chucky Cheese. Or Dave "N Busters. Or whatever anyone has locally that's loud, and serves soda and fast food and kids run around like idiots. The day libraries turn into that is the day I lose all hope in kids growing up knowing what it's like to read a good book or learn something that it isn't written on wikipedia or recorded on YouTube.
Re: Evolution of the Library Objectionable to Some
Well, in fairness, its entirely possible that actual paper books *may* be slowly dying...to be replaced by Kindles and such. Too early to tell, but it could happen.
Its just the march of progress. No offense is intended here, but your comments, as with the woman who commented on the libraries fits (to me at least) easily in the "the way we used to do it was better" mode. Changes just happens. It makes people uncomfortable, but oftentimes its for the better.
Besides, whos to say these kids won't go play games at the library...and pick up a book on the way out. A book they might not have read otherwise. Part of the appeal of games may simply be in leading the horse to water...
Re: Evolution of the Library Objectionable to Some
Well, in fairness, its entirely possible that actual paper books *may* be slowly dying...to be replaced by Kindles and such. Too early to tell, but it could happen.
That would/will be a sad day for me. But I doubt it, because if something serious happens, like the kind of event that turns the U.S. into a Third World country, as outlandish as that seems, stuff like Kindle isn't going to operate anymore. But only fire and water can ruin our massive supply of books, and we don't need advanced technology to protect them. Just a nice plastic bag. :)
Although if it did happen, despite my unhappiness, I could at least take pride in knowing that books had a pretty good run next to records. Centuries>>>decades.
I just don't see libraries turning into arcades as progrss, I really don't. Perhaps if I held much confidence in kids being lured into reading books from those games I could, but I don't.
Re: Evolution of the Library Objectionable to Some
I think it's funny when I think back to my parents saying things like "when I was young, there were no buses" or a multitude of other things that seemed unbelievable at the time.
Now I think back to when I was young and if you wanted to write someone a letter you had to physically write them a letter. And they wouldn't get it right away.
If you called someone and they weren't home, you had to leave them a message.
I had to get up to change the channel on the tv.
I'm sure there are thousands of things that my kids aren't going to believe when I tell them.
-------
Morality has always been in decline. As you get older, you notice it. When you were younger, you enjoyed it.
Re: Evolution of the Library Objectionable to Some
100% agreed. Older adults tend to have distorted views of the past.
Re: Evolution of the Library Objectionable to Some
May be, but a library was designed for a specific function, study and contemplation. If you just want to game, you can do that just about anywhere. I can't go just anywhere and browse through books for studying. Barnes and Noble doesn't have work tables.
Libraries should update themselves, but they shouldn't be stand-ins for game arcades, especially considering how mobiles games are these days.
Re: Evolution of the Library Objectionable to Some
I disagree.
Libraries were designed to allow people to consume culture in a quiet, shared environment. Ever notice how many trashy fiction books they have? Not exactly the exclusive domain of higher thought.
Though I will agree with the OP that they should remain quiet. If people are causing lots of noise then the library is not policing itself well.
Re: Evolution of the Library Objectionable to Some
Your town must have a lousy Barnes & Noble, without a coffeshop
Re: Evolution of the Library Objectionable to Some
You know I was kind of thinking, the B&N I've seen *do* have tables and cafes. I assume you could work at them. Of course that may vary from store to store.
Of course bookstores like B&N are slowly dying anyway (killed by Amazon), which I feel rather proves my point more than detracts from it.
Re: Evolution of the Library Objectionable to Some
I certainly get your point, but I think it's just a survival issue for the libraries themselves. Telegraph wires were designed to transmit little blips of information long distance, but if no one uses them anymore for that designed purpose, there's little point in keeping them. If people no longer value a library's "traditional role"...perhaps because so much information is freely available on the internet (or easier to get for a pittance through amazon.com)...then the library has to figure out how to adjust.
Ultimately the library has to cater to the majority of individuals and what they want. They can't remain committed to "the way things were" out of nostalgia to their own detriment. If people...that is to say most people...want games in their library, games they're going to get. To draw a line in the sand and say "no way" is a good way to end up in obscelesence (gah, spelling).
Re: Evolution of the Library Objectionable to Some
The main reason people were quite is because headphones(noise suppression or other wise) where not easily available.
These days you need to get everyone to join and visits this means you can;t be as blatantly anal and snobbish about media anymore.
I have a dream, break the chains of copy right oppression! http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/2010/05/21/cigital-disobedience/
Copyright infringement is nothing more than civil disobedience to a bad set of laws. Let's renegotiate them.
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