From conference program: Libraries are using virtual technology to educate users about library services, encourage interactivity and support professional skills development. One library created a YouTube video game to educate users about library resources.

1. Gaming the Library
Willie Miller & Bill Orme
IUPUI University Library, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Internet Librarian International
October 15, 2013
London, United Kingdom

2. Key Messages
Game-based learning is useful to libraries for
creating new opportunities for user engagement.
Focus learning outcomes more on interactions than
specific resources.
Time is a valuable and exhaustible resource.
User-testing is worth the additional time.

3. Presentation Outline
• Game Learning Review
• What is The Missing Project?
• “Missing” Origins
• Project Goals
• Planning || Marketing|| Launch || Reception
• Lessons Learned

4. Gamification:
“the process of game-thinking
and game mechanics
to engage users and solve
problems”
(Zichermann & Cunningham, 2011)

5. Game-Based Learning Research
• Games and digital natives (Prensky, 2001)
• Students designing games (Gershenfeld, 2011)
• Adoption in Higher Ed (2012 Horizon Report)
• Tips for designing digital library games (Kim, 2012)
• Libraries designing information literacy games (Smale, 2012)

6. What is the Missing
Project?

7. “Missing” Origins
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAL9zI27P9I

8. Project Goals

9. Library’s Value-Added
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Subject Pages
Mobile Site
Study rooms
Room Reservation System
Reference Services
Text-a-Librarian
Rich Media Cluster
International News Room
Pop Shop (Popular Browsing
Area)
• Access Services
(Circulation/Course
Reserves/Media)
•
•
•
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•
•
2120 Learning Lab
Subject Librarians
Soft Seating (Sleeping!)
Lilly Auditorium
Quiet Floor - 3rd Floor
Academic Commons
(Reference)
• Writing Center
• Movable Sections in Gov.
Docs
• Meebo

10. Planning
Marketing
Launch
Reception

11. Lessons Learned
• Add tech experts early
• Take other units into consideration
• Avoid using vendor names
• Centralize planning documents
• Test full product before launch
• Build assessment into the process early

12. Lessons Learned
• Remember, students are students
• Remember, volunteers are volunteers
• Align your vision with your capabilities
• Understand, time is a critical resource
• Consider offering academic credit
• Keep in mind, your viewers may not be as in love with your project as
you.

13. Gaming the Library
Willie Miller: wmmiller@iupui.edu, @LibraryWillie
Bill Orme: orme@iupui.edu

14. References
• Gershenfeld, Alan. (2011). Leveling up from player to designer. Knowledge
Quest, 40(1), 54-59.
• Johnson, L., Adams, S., & Cummins, M. (2012). The NMC horizon report:
2012 higher education edition. Austin, TX: New Media Consortium.
• Prensky, Marc. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants, Part II: Do they
really think differently? On the Horizon, 9(6), 1-9.
• Rieber, L. P., Smith, L., & Noah, D. (1998). The value of serious play.
Educational Technology, 38(6), 29-37.
• Smale, Maura A. (2012). Get in the game: Developing an information
literacy classroom game. Journal of Library Innovation, 3(1), 126-147.
• Zichermann, Gabe, & Cunningham, Christopher. (2011). Gamification by
design: Implementing game mechanics in web and mobile apps: O'Reilly
Media.