Re: LibGaming - 8 new messages in 2 topics - digest

[Diana Maliszewski]

I've enjoyed reading the recommendations on here. Because I'm in a school library, my purposes and needs differ slightly but these lists are very useful - thank you to all.
Are there any other members of this list-serv that are in school libraries? I'm planning on devoting a half-day just to exploring ALA toolkit on gaming in libraries, and another half-day to reading Beth's book "Game On" (I took Beth's course on Manga, MP3s and MMORPGs and it was super!). Sometimes it feels a bit lonely and "pioneerish" because there aren't a lot of people doing what I am attempting in school libraries around here.
Diana

On Sat, Aug 8, 2009 at 3:19 AM, LibGaming group <nor...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

LibGaming
http://groups.google.com/group/LibGaming?hl=en

LibG...@googlegroups.com

Today's topics:

* {LibGaming} Any Library kids computers using Steam Downloads? - 1 messages,
1 author
 http://groups.google.com/group/LibGaming/t/6452ed77d4cbe224?hl=en
* Wii and DS recommendations for library programs? - 7 messages, 5 authors
 http://groups.google.com/group/LibGaming/t/60c4e1415bf8585d?hl=en

==============================================================================
TOPIC: {LibGaming} Any Library kids computers using Steam Downloads?
http://groups.google.com/group/LibGaming/t/6452ed77d4cbe224?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Thurs, Aug 6 2009 2:43 pm
From: Tama


Hi Beth.

Thank you for the information on GameTap. It sounds like a good
service. I suggested it to our IT people. They are trying to get
software to trick the computer into beliveing the Game CD is still in
the PC drive. Our Library service has lots of games, so software that
allows our games to be installed onto the hard drive while
circumventing having to have the cd in the drive all the time is a
good idea.

Virtually yours,

Tama Neill
Prahran Library
Stoninington Council
Victoria
Australia






==============================================================================
TOPIC: Wii and DS recommendations for library programs?
http://groups.google.com/group/LibGaming/t/60c4e1415bf8585d?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 7 ==
Date: Fri, Aug 7 2009 11:32 am
From: Dawn Rutherford


Hello everyone,



I'm thinking of refreshing our Wii and DS sets that librarians can use in the branches for programs.



Currently we have the following games for the Wii:



Big Brain Academy

Madden NFL 08

Mario Cart

Mario Party 8

Mario Strikers Charged

Pokemon Battle Revolution

Super Smash Bros

Wii Play

Wii Sports



And these for the DS:



Big Brain Academy

Bomberman Land Touch

Elite Beat Agent

Mario Cart

New Super Mario Brothers

Tetris

Worms 2



What are we missing or is new that you feel works best for groups of 4 or more?  Preferably the DS games should be able to play multiple people off one card.  I've heard good things about Carnival Games and Boom Blox Bash Party for the Wii, but would love to hear your opinions.  A friend recommended The World Ends With You,  Metroid Prime Hunters, and Advance Wars: Days of Ruin for the DS, but again, I'd like to get a second opinion as I don't know any of those games!



Much thanks in advance,



Dawn Rutherford

Teen Services Coordinator

Sno-Isle Libraries

7312 35th AV NE

Marysville, WA  98271

360-651-7069

DRuth...@sno-isle.org






== 2 of 7 ==
Date: Fri, Aug 7 2009 11:40 am
From: Scott Nicholson


What would help is to know, of your list, what works well in your
branches.  It's just like reader's advisory - we need to know what
books you liked to recommend new ones.

Another question is the goal of the program.  Why are you doing
gaming?  The "4 or more" helps, but what is the format of the program
in which they are used?

 The World Ends With You and Metroid are great solo RPGs if you have
an extra 30 hours for your library program for one player to enjoy the
game... but not good for in-library gaming.

You can do a quick search on these titles in a review spot like
Gamespot or IGN to see if they sound appropriate before considering
them further.



Collection development for games is just like collection development
for anything else.  You figure out what is used locally, look for
holes, read reviews, and make decisions.  We have good in-place
processes for making decisions about what to bring into the library,
and those processes can work for games, too.







On Fri, Aug 7, 2009 at 2:32 PM, Dawn Rutherford<DRuth...@sno-isle.org> wrote:
> Hello everyone,
>
>
>
> I'm thinking of refreshing our Wii and DS sets that librarians can use in
> the branches for programs.
>
>
>
> Currently we have the following games for the Wii:
>
>
>
> Big Brain Academy
>
> Madden NFL 08
>
> Mario Cart
>
> Mario Party 8
>
> Mario Strikers Charged
>
> Pokemon Battle Revolution
>
> Super Smash Bros
>
> Wii Play
>
> Wii Sports
>
>
>
> And these for the DS:
>
>
>
> Big Brain Academy
>
> Bomberman Land Touch
>
> Elite Beat Agent
>
> Mario Cart
>
> New Super Mario Brothers
>
> Tetris
>
> Worms 2
>
>
>
> What are we missing or is new that you feel works best for groups of 4 or
> more?  Preferably the DS games should be able to play multiple people off
> one card.  I’ve heard good things about Carnival Games and Boom Blox Bash
> Party for the Wii, but would love to hear your opinions.  A friend
> recommended The World Ends With You,  Metroid Prime Hunters, and Advance
> Wars: Days of Ruin for the DS, but again, I’d like to get a second opinion
> as I don’t know any of those games!
>
>
>
> Much thanks in advance,
>
>
>
> Dawn Rutherford
>
> Teen Services Coordinator
>
> Sno-Isle Libraries
>
> 7312 35th AV NE
>
> Marysville, WA  98271
>
> 360-651-7069
>
> DRuth...@sno-isle.org
>
>
>
> >
>



--

Reply to sc...@scottnicholson.com
http://www.scottnicholson.com
Scott's Blog : http://snicholson.livejournal.com/
Scott's Video Boardgame Reviews: http://boardgameswithscott.com




== 3 of 7 ==
Date: Fri, Aug 7 2009 11:42 am
From: Samantha Woodson


Dawn,

I've found that "Mario and Sonic at the Olympics" for the Wii is always a
big hit.

Samantha

On Fri, Aug 7, 2009 at 2:32 PM, Dawn Rutherford <DRuth...@sno-isle.org>wrote:

>  Hello everyone,
>
>
>
> I'm thinking of refreshing our Wii and DS sets that librarians can use in
> the branches for programs.
>
>
>
> Currently we have the following games for the Wii:
>
>
>
> Big Brain Academy
>
> Madden NFL 08
>
> Mario Cart
>
> Mario Party 8
>
> Mario Strikers Charged
>
> Pokemon Battle Revolution
>
> Super Smash Bros
>
> Wii Play
>
> Wii Sports
>
>
>
> And these for the DS:
>
>
>
> Big Brain Academy
>
> Bomberman Land Touch
>
> Elite Beat Agent
>
> Mario Cart
>
> New Super Mario Brothers
>
> Tetris
>
> Worms 2
>
>
>
> What are we missing or is new that you feel works best for groups of 4 or
> more?  Preferably the DS games should be able to play multiple people off
> one card.  I’ve heard good things about Carnival Games and Boom Blox Bash
> Party for the Wii, but would love to hear your opinions.  A friend
> recommended The World Ends With You,  Metroid Prime Hunters, and Advance
> Wars: Days of Ruin for the DS, but again, I’d like to get a second opinion
> as I don’t know any of those games!
>
>
>
> Much thanks in advance,
>
>
>
> Dawn Rutherford
>
> Teen Services Coordinator
>
> Sno-Isle Libraries
>
> 7312 35th AV NE
>
> Marysville, WA  98271
>
> 360-651-7069
>
> DRuth...@sno-isle.org
>
>
>
> >
>


--
"Libraries offer a powerful antidote to the isolation of the Internet,
providing connection, support and community. Rather than wading in a
solitary fashion through the morass of potential misinformation available on
the Net, the student who conducts his or her explorations at a library has
safe, professional guidance in his or her search for good books and accurate
information."
--Julie Andrews




== 4 of 7 ==
Date: Fri, Aug 7 2009 12:05 pm
From: Dawn Rutherford


The hands down favorites for the Wii are Mario Cart, Super Smash Bros, and Wii Sports.

For the DS, I would say all things Mario and Big Brain academy are the favorites.

Our gaming programs are usually 2 hours long, and are social events for teens.  I purchased the DS sets (we have 2 sets of 4) specifically to be able to do group programs in tiny libraries with no meeting rooms.

Thanks for the tip on the solo games...doesn't sound like they meet our needs.

Dawn Rutherford
Teen Services Coordinator
Sno-Isle Libraries
7312 35th AV NE
Marysville, WA  98271
360-651-7069
DRuth...@sno-isle.org
 


-----Original Message-----
From: LibG...@googlegroups.com [mailto:LibG...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Scott Nicholson
Sent: Friday, August 07, 2009 11:41 AM
To: LibG...@googlegroups.com
Subject: {LibGaming} Re: Wii and DS recommendations for library programs?


What would help is to know, of your list, what works well in your
branches.  It's just like reader's advisory - we need to know what
books you liked to recommend new ones.

Another question is the goal of the program.  Why are you doing
gaming?  The "4 or more" helps, but what is the format of the program
in which they are used?

 The World Ends With You and Metroid are great solo RPGs if you have
an extra 30 hours for your library program for one player to enjoy the
game... but not good for in-library gaming.

You can do a quick search on these titles in a review spot like
Gamespot or IGN to see if they sound appropriate before considering
them further.



Collection development for games is just like collection development
for anything else.  You figure out what is used locally, look for
holes, read reviews, and make decisions.  We have good in-place
processes for making decisions about what to bring into the library,
and those processes can work for games, too.







On Fri, Aug 7, 2009 at 2:32 PM, Dawn Rutherford<DRuth...@sno-isle.org> wrote:
> Hello everyone,
>
>
>
> I'm thinking of refreshing our Wii and DS sets that librarians can use in
> the branches for programs.
>
>
>
> Currently we have the following games for the Wii:
>
>
>
> Big Brain Academy
>
> Madden NFL 08
>
> Mario Cart
>
> Mario Party 8
>
> Mario Strikers Charged
>
> Pokemon Battle Revolution
>
> Super Smash Bros
>
> Wii Play
>
> Wii Sports
>
>
>
> And these for the DS:
>
>
>
> Big Brain Academy
>
> Bomberman Land Touch
>
> Elite Beat Agent
>
> Mario Cart
>
> New Super Mario Brothers
>
> Tetris
>
> Worms 2
>
>
>
> What are we missing or is new that you feel works best for groups of 4 or
> more?  Preferably the DS games should be able to play multiple people off
> one card.  I've heard good things about Carnival Games and Boom Blox Bash
> Party for the Wii, but would love to hear your opinions.  A friend
> recommended The World Ends With You,  Metroid Prime Hunters, and Advance
> Wars: Days of Ruin for the DS, but again, I'd like to get a second opinion
> as I don't know any of those games!
>
>
>
> Much thanks in advance,
>
>
>
> Dawn Rutherford
>
> Teen Services Coordinator
>
> Sno-Isle Libraries
>
> 7312 35th AV NE
>
> Marysville, WA  98271
>
> 360-651-7069
>
> DRuth...@sno-isle.org
>
>
>
> >
>



--

Reply to sc...@scottnicholson.com
http://www.scottnicholson.com
Scott's Blog : http://snicholson.livejournal.com/
Scott's Video Boardgame Reviews: http://boardgameswithscott.com






== 5 of 7 ==
Date: Fri, Aug 7 2009 12:53 pm
From: Scott Nicholson


On Fri, Aug 7, 2009 at 3:05 PM, Dawn Rutherford<DRuth...@sno-isle.org> wrote:
>
> The hands down favorites for the Wii are Mario Cart, Super Smash Bros, and Wii Sports.

Boom Blox, while interesting, is a little slow-paced compared to those
games.  While I like it, I find that it doesn't catch on as easily as
these other games.

The new Wii Sports Resort is nice, and has some exciting mode.  It
also makes you the place for "The Hotness".  The drawback is it's $50
for the game, plus another $60 to prep 3 more controllers.  But the
controls are a lot more accurate.




== 6 of 7 ==
Date: Fri, Aug 7 2009 1:02 pm
From: Jim Peterson


I'd suggest Rock Band 2 or Guitar Hero World Tour, whichever you don't
have on your other consoles. We have RB2 on the XBox 360, and Guitar
Hero on the Wii. I usually leave the Wii open for player's choice, and
they inevitably go to GH while they are waiting for a turn at RB2. Other
titles we have for the Wii include Sega Superstars Tennis, Wii Play
(everyone has that one), and a new title you'll want to consider is
Sports Resort (you'll need to purchase extra Wii Motion Plus devices). I
rented this one for home, and it really is awesome!

Jim Peterson
Technology Coordinator
Goodnight Memorial Library
203 S. Main St.
Franklin, KY  42134
(270) 586-8397
www.gmpl.org
Tweet me @GMLGeek
Library Technology Blog

On Fri, 2009-08-07 at 11:32 -0700, Dawn Rutherford wrote:
> Hello everyone,
>
>
>
> I'm thinking of refreshing our Wii and DS sets that librarians can use
> in the branches for programs.
>
>
>
> Currently we have the following games for the Wii:
>
>
>
> Big Brain Academy
>
> Madden NFL 08
>
> Mario Cart
>
> Mario Party 8
>
> Mario Strikers Charged
>
> Pokemon Battle Revolution
>
> Super Smash Bros
>
> Wii Play
>
> Wii Sports
>
>
>
> And these for the DS:
>
>
>
> Big Brain Academy
>
> Bomberman Land Touch
>
> Elite Beat Agent
>
> Mario Cart
>
> New Super Mario Brothers
>
> Tetris
>
> Worms 2
>
>
>
> What are we missing or is new that you feel works best for groups of 4
> or more?  Preferably the DS games should be able to play multiple
> people off one card.  I’ve heard good things about Carnival Games and
> Boom Blox Bash Party for the Wii, but would love to hear your
> opinions.  A friend recommended The World Ends With You,  Metroid
> Prime Hunters, and Advance Wars: Days of Ruin for the DS, but again,
> I’d like to get a second opinion as I don’t know any of those games!
>
>
>
> Much thanks in advance,
>
>
>
> Dawn Rutherford
>
> Teen Services Coordinator
>
> Sno-Isle Libraries
>
> 7312 35th AV NE
>
> Marysville, WA  98271
>
> 360-651-7069
>
> DRuth...@sno-isle.org
>
>
>
>
>
>
> >




== 7 of 7 ==
Date: Fri, Aug 7 2009 7:17 pm
From: "Mike Pawuk"


I actually highly recommend getting the Pokemon Battle Revolution game for the Nintendo Wii. I've had great success over the summer hosting "PokeMondays" where kids/teens bring in their own DS systems with the Pokemon games like Diamond and they're able to compete in a grand scale by synching up their DS consoles to the Wii. Very fun and easy to do. Just make sure the kids all know that it's BYODS (Bring Your Own DS) and the response I've seen has been phenomenal this summer.

Mike

Mike Pawuk, Teen Librarian
Brooklyn Branch of Cuyahoga County Public Library
4480 Ridge Road
Brooklyn, OH 44144-3353







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--
Diana Maliszewski
Editor, "The Teaching Librarian" (OSLA)

[Eli Neiburger]

Hey guys, we've been doing Pokémon tournaments at AADL since the Gamecube days, and it's been one of our most popular programs for younger gamers. I've written up our tournament rules format on the gtsystem wiki here:

http://wiki.gtsystem.org/plpl

And we're planning Pokémon Tournaments on 3 Sundays this fall: August 23, September 13, and October 4. If anyone else wants to have open Pokémon Battle Revolution gaming or a tournament that day, we can have our winners square off online! You'll want to test this in advance to make sure your connection is properly set up for Wii online gaming, this page may be helpful:

http://wiki.gtsystem.org/getting_a_wii_online

Pokémon is not only hugely popular, but also one of the most cognitively demanding things that a kid can be into. For example, there's over 200,000 lines of text in a single Pokémon cartridge, and the more the kids read, the further they get in the game. There's also the type matchups: there are 17 types of Pokémon, and each Pokémon can have 1 or 2 types, and each attack has 1 type. Each attack can have 1 of 6 levels of effectiveness. That's a 3D array of knowledge with 5000 cells, each holding one of 6 possible values. The better kids know that matrix, the better they are at the game. Sure, that knowledge won't have much use in their adulthood, but the ability to acquire it socially, and hold it in their little heads, sure as hell will!

Ok, enough Poké-preaching. If you're still wondering what the heck this is all about, see video of one of our tournaments here:

http://www.aadl.org/video/view/555

And don't hesitate to contact me if you have questions about Pokémon or our tournament format, or would like to join us and battle our trainers online!

-eli

Eli Neiburger
Associate Director for IT and Production
Ann Arbor District Library

[Brian Mayer]

Keep strong! Gaming is school libraries is a valuable resource for
connecting students with the curriculum and there is quite a bit out
there for school librarians. I do a lot of work with modern board
games in school libraries. Working at a support and system level we
have built a collection of modern board games that align with state
curricular standards and national informational literacy standards. We
find board games have less of a stigma, they align better with
classroom curriculum and they are just as engaging as their electronic
counterpart.

If you are interested in learning more, I wrote a nice document
aligning modern board games to the new AASL standards which you can
feel free to download and use to advocate in your school:
Here is the full document:
http://sls.gvboces.org/gaming/sites/sls.gvboces.org.gaming/files/Story%20Documents/aaslgamealignment(sheets).pdf
And here is a more friendlier version for staff and administrators:
http://sls.gvboces.org/gaming/sites/sls.gvboces.org.gaming/files/Story%20Documents/LibrariesGotGame.pdf

To see what we are doing you can browse our game library site online
and see the resources that we use: http://sls.gvboces.org/gaming/

We work with school librarians and classroom teachers to integrate and
use games as resources to support student learning in the classroom.
We push in to introduce, teach and help implement the games with our
colleagues with fantastic success. If you are looking for more reading
material, I have a book coming out from ALA in the fall (shameless
plug :P) http://www.libraryjournal.com/blog/1130000713/post/80047208.html

If you have any questions on what we are doing or where to get started
if you are interested, please feel free to get in touch.

> > DRutherf...@sno-isle.org

>
> > == 2 of 7 ==
> > Date: Fri, Aug 7 2009 11:40 am
> > From: Scott Nicholson
>
> > What would help is to know, of your list, what works well in your
> > branches.  It's just like reader's advisory - we need to know what
> > books you liked to recommend new ones.
>
> > Another question is the goal of the program.  Why are you doing
> > gaming?  The "4 or more" helps, but what is the format of the program
> > in which they are used?
>
> >  The World Ends With You and Metroid are great solo RPGs if you have
> > an extra 30 hours for your library program for one player to enjoy the
> > game... but not good for in-library gaming.
>
> > You can do a quick search on these titles in a review spot like
> > Gamespot or IGN to see if they sound appropriate before considering
> > them further.
>
> > Collection development for games is just like collection development
> > for anything else.  You figure out what is used locally, look for
> > holes, read reviews, and make decisions.  We have good in-place
> > processes for making decisions about what to bring into the library,
> > and those processes can work for games, too.
>

> > On Fri, Aug 7, 2009 at 2:32 PM, Dawn Rutherford<DRutherf...@sno-isle.org>

> > > DRutherf...@sno-isle.org

>
> > --
>
> > Reply to sc...@scottnicholson.com
> >http://www.scottnicholson.com
> > Scott's Blog :http://snicholson.livejournal.com/
> > Scott's Video Boardgame Reviews:http://boardgameswithscott.com
>
> > == 3 of 7 ==
> > Date: Fri, Aug 7 2009 11:42 am
> > From: Samantha Woodson
>
> > Dawn,
>
> > I've found that "Mario and Sonic at the Olympics" for the Wii is always a
> > big hit.
>
> > Samantha
>

> > On Fri, Aug 7, 2009 at 2:32 PM, Dawn Rutherford <DRutherf...@sno-isle.org

> > > DRutherf...@sno-isle.org

> > DRutherf...@sno-isle.org

>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: LibG...@googlegroups.com [mailto:LibG...@googlegroups.com] On
> > Behalf Of Scott Nicholson
> > Sent: Friday, August 07, 2009 11:41 AM
> > To: LibG...@googlegroups.com
> > Subject: {LibGaming} Re: Wii and DS recommendations for library programs?
>
> > What would help is to know, of your list, what works well in your
> > branches.  It's just like reader's advisory - we need to know what
> > books you liked to recommend new ones.
>
> > Another question is the goal of the program.  Why are you doing
> > gaming?  The "4 or more" helps, but what is the format of the program
> > in which they are used?
>
> >  The World Ends With You and
>

> ...
>
> read more »

[D]

No harm in a shameless plug when it works. I've seen your site and
your work on linking the curriculum and gaming is very valuable. If we
want active learning, motivated kids and cognitive skills, it's the
way to go.

My interest is from the angle of trying to develop games/ active
learning activties with specific types of skills built into the
structure of the game. For example, if I want students to look at the
relative value of different technologies I might 'put' them in Africa,
ask them to set about delivering medical information on AIDS to the
population, and then get them to find out which devices would get the
best information to the most needy groups. This lets us put the
skills, the course content, a context and assessment together when the
'game' is designed and tested.

This works equally well with younger kids and we've been looking at
'experimental' approaches to tabletop/ desktop RPG design and
commercial videogames. Be happy to post more details if anyone's
interested.

Regarding school libraries, I appreciate the difficulty in convincing
teachers to go down this route. I have a range of material with fairly
persuasive information on the value of gaming within the curriculum.
To overcome/ body-swerve critics/ skeptics, we're in the course of
revising and posting the material in a context where teachers and
principals may find it easier to take 'ownership' of active learning
and educational gaming. I.e. ideally the principal or teacher comes to
the librarian asking why you're not doing more to get gaming and
active learning off the ground in your library. Again be happy to post
details if you'd like to know more.

Must dash!

David

On Aug 19, 3:17 am, Brian Mayer <brianmaye...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Keep strong! Gaming is school libraries is a valuable resource for
> connecting students with the curriculum and there is quite a bit out
> there for school librarians. I do a lot of work with modern board
> games in school libraries. Working at a support and system level we
> have built a collection of modern board games that align with state
> curricular standards and national informational literacy standards. We
> find board games have less of a stigma, they align better with
> classroom curriculum and they are just as engaging as their electronic
> counterpart.
>
> If you are interested in learning more, I wrote a nice document
> aligning modern board games to the new AASL standards which you can
> feel free to download and use to advocate in your school:

> Here is the full document:http://sls.gvboces.org/gaming/sites/sls.gvboces.org.gaming/files/Stor...
> And here is a more friendlier version for staff and administrators:http://sls.gvboces.org/gaming/sites/sls.gvboces.org.gaming/files/Stor...

>
> To see what we are doing you can browse our game library site online
> and see the resources that we use:http://sls.gvboces.org/gaming/
>
> We work with school librarians and classroom teachers to integrate and
> use games as resources to support student learning in the classroom.
> We push in to introduce, teach and help implement the games with our
> colleagues with fantastic success. If you are looking for more reading
> material, I have a book coming out from ALA in the fall (shameless

> plug :P)http://www.libraryjournal.com/blog/1130000713/post/80047208.html