Akoha Starter packs – I have 19 decks to give away!

September 25, 2008 · Posted in Akoha, Gaming, Social Tools · View Comments

Less than two weeks ago I blogged about an exciting new idea – Akoha. I was enthusiastic about the idea, in fact I love it. I love the idea of doing good and passing it forward, call me optimistic, call me naive, but I think this idea has merit. So I blogged about it, I was a little surprised when I was contacted, asking for my address so I’d have a pack of cards to hand out at my upcoming conference. But I was astonished yesterday morning when I arrived at work to discover not a just a set for me, but 20 sets, 19 to hand out!

Initially I stated – “If you’re wondering what this has to do with Libraries or the Social Web, my usual topics, the answer is nothing.” I was wrong. Oddly enough yesterday morning before I even got to work and discovered my cards, came across the Akoha Challenge and sent out a twitter message about it.

So I’m changing my statement – If you’re wondering what this has to do with libraries or the Social Web the answer is everything! Akoha is all about doing good, libraries are all about doing good. Hey most of us wouldn’t be working in one if we didn’t really believe in the good they do. A lot of libraries have now included gaming in their missions – Akoha is a game, even cooler it’s a big game and an online game. Oh wait, it get’s better, the Akoha Challenge -

After the Akoha community completes 25,000 missions, we will sponsor a Room to Read school in Nepal on behalf of our player community.

If you love the idea too and want to play along leave a comment, email me, talk to me at one of my upcoming conferences, I might just have your deck with me. ;)

Tags: Akoha, big game, big games, cards, games, Gaming, good deeds, librarian, Libraries, library, online games, pay it forward, play it forward

Akoha – Play it Forward

September 15, 2008 · Posted in Akoha, Gaming, Social Tools · View Comments

While browsing my FeedReader this morning I came across this post about Akoha. Akoha is a game, not on your computer, or your Xbox, but a game with cards. Cards that people hand to you and you hand to others that allow you to play good deeds forward. When you get a card, you log on to the site and tell the story of how the card got to you, then you play it forward, passing the card to someone else.

If you’re wondering what this has to do with Libraries or the Social Web, my usual topics, the answer is nothing. This is an idea and a philopshy I am incredibly excited about. The potential it represents is thrilling! I’ve signed up for the Beta and I’m crossing my fingers that I’ll get my cards before MLA, Internet Librairan and ICoLIS!

Learn more

Tags: Akoha, do good, game, good deeds, pay it forward, play it forward, social networking

Guitar Hero Rocks the Library

January 21, 2008 · Posted in Gaming, MRRL, Patron Services · View Comments

Saturday was our first Game Day to include Guitar Hero. It was a small, last minute Game Day in order to help introduce the exciting new programs we’ll be having this year and the opening of our Teen Zone. It was a success! Although the lighting in the room wasn’t great I managed to snap a few ok pictures.

Some how Robin got a hold of the camera while we were setting up and took this one of me. Eh, I had no idea I looked like that while rocking out. Luckily once the teens started showing up I didn’t have a chance to get anywhere near a guitar

Tags: Events, game day, guitar hero, publc library, teens

Games, Gaming and Libraries

October 29, 2007 · Posted in Gaming, Internet Librarian 2007 · View Comments

My Sunday morning pre-conference workshop was presented by Aaron Schmidt and Jenny Levine.

Jenny presented first, reminding us the wide scoop that “gaming” covers – board games, computer games, online computer games such as scrabble, cell phone games, pda game etc. The stereotype that gamers are 13 year old boys sitting in their basements alone, is wrong. Sure there are 13 year old boys sitting in their basements but the average online gamer is a woman over 40.

Aaron followed up with some great information about how to hold your own gaming programs. Dance, Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero are both really popular. You can do an open play or a tournament. Open Play is easier for the staff hosting it, but might lose the interest of the players faster. It’s a good way to introduce people to the games and good for people who haven’t played before. Tournaments are more time and work intensive for staff, but people really like these.

Carver’s Bay did a gaming t0 literacy program. They included games as a part of the new branch and patrons earned time to play the games based on how much reading they did.

Ann Arbor has a great gaming program

We looked at the screen for World of Warcraft and how much information on the screen that players need to process simuntaniously and fast!

Gamers – learn by doing, they are problem solvers, they expect rewards, and believe there is no one “right” way to find an answer or solve a problem, what are we doing to get and keep their attention?

I have this note and I’m not sure who said it Aaron or Jenny but I love it – People should be on committees based not their titles but on their skills

Some thoughts I had

Why isn’t my library renting video games? I think I’ll bring this up. We already have Teen gaming nights
We need to have more gaming nights – maybe a family gaming night?
If we had Friday night Guitar Hero tournament for 20 or 30 somethings would we attrack some people we’re missing now, those in that age range 18-35 without children, that libraries are notoriously missing?

At the end we got to play games both on the Wii and PS2, I sucked at both Guitar Hero and Dance, Dance Revolution. I’m considering getting Guitar Hero for my PS2 when I get home since it was so much fun. I think it will be hard to beat this session!

Tags: games, Gaming, Internet Librarian 2007