Even though it looks like a green Christmas, Google is helping me get into the holidays! Best wishes to all for a wonderful holiday season and a terrific year in 2007!

Just listened to Jenny Levine, TheShiftedLibrarian, and ALA’s Internet Development Specialist and Strategy Guide and author of their new Library Technology Reports, Gaming & Libraries: Intersection of Services.Jenny talked about definitions:gaming = vido games, console games and online games, as well as board gamesgamer = includes even those who play solitare, tetris, etc. online

She also talked about how big gaming is and why it’s important. The myth is thatgamers are just teen age boys, when in fact women over 40 are one of largest groups of gamers, mostly online, which is 50% more time than men spend each week. There are90 million gamers worldwide. A PEW study in 2003, found that every one of the university students in their survey had played an online game which shows us that while TV is the touchstone for boomers, gaming is the same for younger generations. In fact the average age of gamers in their 30s.

Jenny talked about some of the characterisitics of gamers: hero on a quest, willing to keep trying (learn from mistakes and start again), willing to ask for help and give it, like to collaborate and game as a team, fast and multitasking, strong organizational skills, creative problem solveers, ability to deal with lots at one time, and not be satisfied with just one answer.

Jenny discussed how gaming is content; there are stories in gaming. She gave many examples including the Ann Arbor Public Library which has long lines of teen boys waiting to play games

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