Publication date:
16 February 2017Length of book:
148 pagesPublisher
Rowman & Littlefield PublishersISBN-13: 9781442279131
Games can seem to do the impossible: reach patrons and drive traffic to projects and services. But how can libraries use gamification and game elements to improve instruction and outreach, or to encourage the use of particular areas and services? In this guide, readers will learn about how to structure game activities in order to best reach their patrons. Chapters devoted to topics such as personalization, goal setting, working with partners, games in instruction, and assessment illustrate some of the many ways games can have an impact in libraries. Everything in this book is presented from a practical point of view – email templates, real-life examples, and scenarios are included. Games have a lot of potential for use in many different library services, and this book will help you decide how they might work best for you. From the first seeds of a project’s beginning to its eventual maturation, this book will help you develop, implement, and evaluate game-style projects at your library.
I would recommend it for those non-game player teacher librarians out there who are intrigued, but want to get their head around this concept before launch. So, spend a couple of hours with this author; then, get a group of students to have a discussion about gamification, and then ask them if they would be your team of selectors and testers. Better to enter this strategy prepared than face a disaster and try to back up. You won't go wrong with this author's guidance.