Gaming and Virtual WOrlds

Well I had a bit of experience with week 11 since it was my group project.  First of all, I created a second life account, Lew Ragu.  I explore this virtual world and found several pros and cons.  I really enjoyed the graphics and found it to be visually stimulating!  It was so cool to wander around different places all in one spot (unlike surfing the web).  The music was great and there is strong evidence that SL is very up to date.  However, being an inexperienced gamer, I really didnt  know what to do with myself.  I visited lands that are of interest to me, such as the Indie music land.  However, once I was there, it too me so long to figure out how to listen to music and such.  Its probably just my lack of experience but I was getting frustrated.  I am sure over time, I would become more of an expert.  I also didn't like how when every time I used SL on my computer, it was terribly slow from then on and did not stop humming.  My computer is a 2007, not the newest but certainly not counting its days, so it makes me question what consequences this could have for libraries where systems are not always this year's model.  Also, the fact that you have to pay for land, which is reasonable for professionals and advertising, but for not-for profit organizations this seems rather impractical.  

Hosting a website of games that includes SL is a great way to get a variety of users interested in learning and using the library's services.  The Game ZOne of Charlotte County and Ann Arbour are two great examples of how libraries can encourage users to explore different learning methods and exercise all of their senses.  I have never seen libraries host Guitar Hero and Nintendo challenges but after exploring the case studies, this seems like such an effective way to increase patron visits, provide alternate learning strategies, create strong and comfortable relationships with librarians and perhaps increase circulation.    

Gaming does not seem "fit" for libraries--they are often considered loud, promoters of the couch potato and non-educational. However, I view gaming and exploring virtual worlds the same way as people now view graphic novels: while they were traditionally deemed 'garbage,' magazine material, non-literary and outright trashy, it has been discovered that they materials are getting resistant learners to read on their own; in the end, it all leads to wider vocabulary, conceptualizing, writing and speech.  I think we can speak the same for gaming and virtual worlds that they foster literacy skills, problem solving, utilize social skills and promote self-discovery--as lame as that sounds.  And we can learn from history because romance novels were seen in the same light and are now a growing phenomenon!