Does gaming belong in the library environment? I think it has its place, but I don't think it replaces books, or the knowledge that one can attain from them. I also think gaming swallows up time, and keeps kids from getting out in the fresh air or doing other things. In a controlled environment, as the libraries in the articles mentioned, or for a few hours a week, I think it can bring teens into the libraries and give them a safe place to be. Teens notoriously avoid the library experience, unless, and only under duress, they need information for a school report. At least, if gaming is encouraged, teens may find that libraries are not such a bad place to be.
I did try the games that were created by the Carnagie Mellon Institute, I never did figure out the reference game, but did reasonably well on the shelving, after several tries. I also found the comments most interesting on the article from The Shifted Librarian concerning gaming in the library, and the comment about gaming causing a "disconnection" between parents and kids, and kids should be playing and learning in the "real world" and not the virtual one. As stated, anything done to excess, whether its online games or eating too many Cheetos, is not good for anyone. Gaming has a place in libraries, as long as its not all consuming.
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