The document discusses plans to create an academic games collection for the library at Goldsmiths university. It describes approaching the course leader for a new MA in games to start a pilot collection. The collection will include console and PC games, as well as board games. A games cabinet has been built to house physical games. Digital games will be linked from the library catalog and research guides. The collection aims to support courses in games programming, design and art across many degrees. Future plans include expanding the collection and hosting events to engage students with games.

1. Creating an academic games collection for
Goldsmiths
Eve Jamieson
Computing Subject Librarian
eve.jamieson@gold.ac.uk

2. Department of Computing
BSc (Hons) Creative Computing
BSc (Hons) Digital Arts Computing
BSc (Hons) Games Programming
MA in Computational Arts
MA in Computer Games Art & Design
MA in Creative & Cultural Entrepreneurship:
Computing Pathway
MA in Independent Games and Playable
Experience Design
MFA in Computational Arts
MPhil & PhD in Arts & Computational
Technology
MPhil & PhD in Computer Science
MPhil & PhD in Intelligent Games & Game
Intelligence

3. Pilot Project
Approached by Phoenix
Perry, course leader for new
MA in Independent Games
and Playable Experience
Design, to get games into
Goldsmiths Library.
www.phoenixperry.com
Inspired by NYU Open Library
https://gamecenter.nyu.edu/academics/the-open-library

4. Goldsmiths Library
• Pressure on study space and shelf space
• 1 Library help point
Ground floor
• IT helpdesk with media equipment lending
1st floor
• Large audiovisual collection (mostly DVDs)
2nd floor

5. https://libguides.gold.ac.uk/computing/games

6. https://librarysearch.gold.ac.uk/

7. Console: Playstation 4 (PS4)
Playstation 4 in 2nd floor audiovisual room
Room bookable by students
Games, controllers and headphones borrowable from
Helpdesk on ground floor (for use within the Library only)

8. Games Cabinet
Ground floor, no booking necessary
Designed and built by Phoenix Perry
Designs shared on GitHub
https://github.com/phoenixperry/arcade_cabinet

9. Examples from the collection
Images taken from Steam or game website (hyperlinked)

10. Board Games
Will be borrowable from Helpdesk on ground floor (for use
within the Library only)
For use in group study area on ground floor, or bookable
group study rooms
Will need to monitor impact on study space

11. Future Plans
• Expand game collection
• Include student-created games through Itch.io
• Hold regular events with guest speakers
• Soft launch of board games
• Board game evenings
• Games Library Week – next year?
• Visit other games collections in the UK (any suggestions?) eve.jamieson@gold.ac.uk

12. Useful articles
Brown, R. T. (2014) ‘A Literature Review of How Videogames Are Assessed in Library and Information Science and Beyond’, The Journal of
Academic Librarianship, 40(5), pp. 447–451. doi: 10.1016/j.acalib.2014.06.009.
Cross, E., Mould, D. and Smith, R. (2015) ‘The Protean Challenge of Game Collections at Academic Libraries’, New Review of Academic
Librarianship, 21(2), pp. 129–145. doi: 10.1080/13614533.2015.1043467.
Ferguson, C. L. (2016) ‘Ready Librarian One’, Serials Review, 42(1), pp. 42–46. doi: 10.1080/00987913.2015.1137672.
Miller, O. (2014) ‘Collecting Library Resources for Video Game Design Students: An Information Behavior Study’, Art Documentation:
Bulletin of the Art Libraries Society of North America, 33(1), pp. 129–146. doi: https://doi.org/10.1086/675712.
Robson, D. and Durkee, P. (2012) ‘New Directions for Academic Video Game Collections: Strategies for Acquiring, Supporting, and Managing
Online Materials’, The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 38(2), pp. 79–84. doi: 10.1016/j.acalib.2012.01.003.
Thomas, C. M. and Clyde, J. (2013) ‘Game as Book: Selecting Video Games for Academic Libraries based on Discipline Specific Knowledge’,
The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 39(6), pp. 522–527. doi: 10.1016/j.acalib.2013.07.002.