Video games are a dynamic, modern, popular medium worthy of a place in every library, but starting a collection can feel overwhelming. You might have questions like, how much funding will it require? Are these materials more prone to theft? Is this a juvenile collection, young adult, or one for all ages? This webinar will provide you with practical solutions for all your questions. We’ll walk through the process of creating, maintaining, and promoting a new video game collection. You’ll hear lessons learned and tips for success that Billings Public Library used to create a successful collection, along with strategies from other libraries around the country. You’ll leave ready to get started creating what is sure to be one of your library’s most well-circulating collections. 

Presented by: Joseph Lanning, Reference Librarian and Archivist, Billings Public Library (MT)

Tweet: #wjwebinar

Access Recording

• View Webinar Recording (You will be prompted to login to our free Course Catalog.)

Webinar Attachments

• View slides (pdf)
  
• View chat (xls)
• View captions (txt)
• Learner Guide (doc) Use alone or with others to extend your learning. 

Related Resources and Links

• Billings Public Library
• Video Games info at Billings Public Library and their Nintendo Switch Console User Agreement Form
• Entertainment Software Rating Board, ESRB.org
  
• List of best-selling Nintendo Switch video games, Wikipedia
• List of best-selling PlayStation 4 video games, Wikipedia
• GameStop, Nintendo Switch games, most popular
• Best Buy, Nintendo Switch games, most popular
• ALA's Games and Gaming Round Table (GameRT)
  
•  National Gaming Survey – 2024
• GameRT Game On! Grant (apply by March 1, 2024)
• On Facebook, League of Librarian Gamers - ALA GameRT
• DEVASO carrying cases, on Amazon
• SD Memory Card Case, on Amazon
  
• Program example from Des Moines Public Library, Nintendo Switch Teen Tournament: Mario Kart 8
• Program example from Austin Public Library, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Tournament
  
• Why have games in libraries? Dealing with obstacles and challenges to bringing games into the library, GameRT
• 15 Surprising Benefits of Playing Video Games, Mental Floss
• Shared in chat
• Naperville Public Library (IL) video game collection (1,843 items), suburban public library
• For game news, reviews and podcasts
  
• Metacritic
• OpenCritic
• The Besties
• Triple Click
• Girl Mode
• Press Start
• Into the Aether
• Castle Super Beast
• Polygon
• Kotaku
• Inverse
• NintendoLife