The Daily Orange

Media Credit: Will Halsey

If Professor Scott Nicholson has his way, the library would no longer be a place just for studying - students could also play video games.

Nicholson, an associate professor in the School of Information Studies, recently received a $5,000 grant from Gaylord Brothers, a library supply company located in Syracuse, to begin building a portable library game lab. Money from the grant will specifically go toward purchasing projectors, consoles, screens, accessories and games, Nicholson said.

"This was a great way for Gaylord to support Syracuse University, the community and gaming libraries in general," said Henry Orr, director of business development at Gaylord. He also noted that the credit for the grant should go to Gaylord's President and CEO Guy Marhewka.

"Professor Nicholson is a fantastic individual," Orr said. "He has lots of ideas, and will be able to take libraries to a new place."

Nicholson's goal is to explore the implications of offering gaming as a library service. Additionally, he hopes to study the entire gaming experience and how gaming will change the attitudes of students toward the library.

"Gaming activities are like the new coffee shop in Bird Library; it's not about the coffee so much as the social atmosphere it creates," Nicholson said.

"Libraries are witnessing a shift in the culture of library science and user behavior. Gaming can bring non-users into the library and introduce them to library resources," said Meghan Westbrook, an SU grad student who recently signed up to help with the project.

There have been many of studies conducted regarding the effects of games on individuals and what can be gained through gaming, but "there has been very little exploration of the concept of gaming as a service," Nicholson said.

"Gaming is currently the wild, wild west of libraries," Orr said.

Nicholson said gaming is the next form of popular media, and that in order for libraries to remain relevant, they will have to find a way to support games, as they have books, music and movies.

"In order to have a positive gaming experience, you have to match the player to the game, just as you match a reader to a book," Nicholson said.

"Gaming can help the sense of community that a library hopes to provide," Westbrook added.

Nicholson hopes his Library Game Lab will be able to help libraries effectively allocate resources to support gaming.

Continued...

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