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2015 ANNUAL HIGHLIGHTS ISSUE COGNOTES • 11

Accessible Gaming Helps Libraries Fulfill Social Mission

By Michelle Kowalsky, Rowan University, NJ

A panel of experts discussed the social justice implications of gaming in libraries at the ASCLA program on June 27. Librarians from the Brooklyn and District of Columbia Public Libraries have implemented programs which adapt popular video game consoles for people with various physical disabilities. Mark Barlet, director of the AbleGamers Charity, explained that “a video game is one of the only places on earth where your disability does not have to define you. When playing a fairy or an orc or a knight in a game online, you don't have to identify yourself as disabled, and no one expects you to.”

Assistive technologies for gaming include adapted game controllers, such as the LP Pad, a controller with large buttons, or the Adroit Switchblade™, which allows users to remap buttons and switches in order to manipulate the controls in alternate ways. Users who have a limited range of motion, or who have visual or auditory disabilities, are able to have the same experience of certain games on Xbox One™ PlayStation4™, for example, with adjustments to game settings or controllers which are not traditionally hand-held.

Most libraries already have equipment available to create an “arcade” environment with multiple data projectors and stations operating simultaneously to reduce wait time for participants, or rooms which can accommodate several gamers moving about simultaneously, such as when playing virtual bowling. Nick Higgins, Brooklyn Public Library, explained that he uses games to teach turn taking, and often participates in modeling and parallel play with students who have intellectual disabilities. “Gaming is a shared social achievement,” Higgins stated, “and it provides an opportunity for a person with a disability to master the skills of the martial arts or be a superhero.”

“Gaming ... provides an opportunity for a person with a disability to master the skills of the martial arts or be a superhero.”

The session emphasized that librarians must always find a way to include everyone in gaming activities, since these are important intergenerational and multicultural programs for people of all abilities. Librarians who engage gamers are able to help all members of their communities become lifelong learners, meet new people, and experience being part of a team, while promoting library services in the process.

2015 LITA Forum, Registration Now Open

Plan now to join the Library and Information Technology Association (LITA) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis, November 12 - 15, 2015, for the 2015 LITA Forum, a three-day educational event that includes two preconferences, three keynote sessions, more than 55 concurrent sessions, and 15 plus poster presentations. Full details at the 2015 Forum website: http://litaforum.org.

The 2015 LITA Forum is the 18th annual gathering of technology-minded information professionals and is a highly regarded annual event for those involved in new and leading edge technologies in the library and information technology field. Registration is limited in order to preserve the important networking advantages of a smaller conference. Comments from past attendees:

• “Best conference I've been to in terms of practical, usable ideas that I can implement at my library.”
• “I get so inspired by the presentations and conversations with colleagues who are dealing with the same sorts of issues that I am.”
• “After LITA I return to my institution excited to implement solutions I find here.”

Keynote Sessions

Mx A. Matienzo

Director of technology for the Digital Public Library of America, he focuses on promoting and establishing digital library interoperability at an international scale. Prior to joining DPLA, Matienzo worked as an archivist and technologist specializing in born-digital materials and metadata management.

Carson Block

Carson Block Consulting Inc. has led, managed, and supported library technology efforts for more than 20 years. Block has been called “a geek who speaks English.”

Lisa Welchman

Welchman is president of digital governance solutions at ActiveStandards. In a 20-year career, she has paved the way in the discipline of digital governance, helping organizations stabilize their complex, and multi-stakeholder digital operations. Her book, Managing Chaos: Digital Governance by Design, was published in February 2015 by Rosenfeld Media.

Preconference Workshops

“So You Want to Make a Makerspace: Strategic Leadership to support the Integration of New and Disruptive Technologies into Libraries: Practical Tips, Tricks, Strategies, and Solutions for Bringing Making, Fabrication, and Content Creation to Your Library.”

Presenters include:

Leah Kraus

Director of community engagement and Experience at the Fayetteville (New York) Free Library

Michael Cimino

Technology innovation and integration Specialist at the Fayetteville Free Library

“Beyond Web Page Analytics: Using Google Tools to Assess Searcher Behavior Across Web Properties.”

Robert L. Nunez

Head of collection services, Kenosha Public Library, Kenosha, Wisconsin

Keven Riggle

Systems librarian and webmaster, Mar-quette University

Visit http://litaforum.org for registration and additional information.

Generate Noise to Find the Love for School Libraries

By Kacee Anderson, Harmony Science Academy

Eli Neiburger, deputy director of the Ann Arbor District Library, gave a charismatic and subtly funny presentation at the AASL President's Program on June 27, asking attendees, “Where is the love for school libraries?” Funding issues are widespread and Neiburger noted that, “All libraries are in a pickle, but school libraries are at the pinch point of this problem.”

Many challenges facing school libraries are perceptual. Part of the problem are the mistaken assumptions people make about libraries, such as the belief that everything is on the cloud, so we don't need libraries. In reality, there is no cloud; it is just someone else's computer. Other mistaken assumptions are that businesses care about you, when they care about maximizing shareholder value; and that publishing is philanthropy, when it's the publisher's job to restrict access and the library's job to get it out there.

Neiburger provided insight into the mistaken assumption that ebooks will replace paper books. He stated, “Because we've seen other formats eat each other, we assume the same is going to happen to books. The reality is that ebook sales have cratered.” The book market is actually remaining rather strong in print.

So, how to foster love in the school library? First, do not worry about reading. School librarians do not need to worry about those avid fiction readers; they need to work to reach the other 80 percent of the students. According to Neiburger, “This is a golden age of reading and writing. This is the highest literacy rate our society has ever achieved.”

In terms of education, Neiburger discredited the assumptions that schools are in the education business and that education can be measured. In reality, the product of schools in not education, it's accreditation. Education is immeasurable. Summer slump is a test-taking slump, not a knowledge slump. Kids’ leisure pursuits are more challenging and relevant to them than the tests. Librarians should find ways to bring those outside interests into school libraries. Neiburger has set up video game tournaments in his own public library to draw in and serve those patrons who might not otherwise utilize the library.

School librarians need to remember that generating noise is what moves the needle. It has to get to the point where cuts to the library result in hundreds of people showing up to the school board meetings. Librarians also should discard the assumption that libraries are all about books. Libraries are not really about books anymore. The book is actually just one of the many ways to serve users.

One of the biggest keys to fostering love in the library is for librarians to ditch as many rules as possible. The rules are a big part of the problem. The archaic idea that the library needs to be a quiet space should no longer be reflected in libraries. Quiet is not a resource of the library, especially in schools. Rules such as no food or drink hinder students and ignore their biological needs. Kids need a space where they are free to discover, learn, and be themselves. Librarians who work to create a less restrictive space for students are far more likely to receive the love that they seek.

Eli Neiburger said school libraries need some love during the AASL President's Program on Saturday.