[OPLINTECH] Games in the library

[Marcy Kaiser]

We have 7 workstations set aside for games and no Internet.  There are 4 in 
the Children's area with different aged games on them and 3 in the Teen 
area.  The ones in the teen area also have Microsoft Office and Mavis 
Beacon.  The are secured by the network and Deep Freeze.  For most of the 
games you need the cd to play them, we hold their library card while they 
have the cd.  A few of the games I have gotten to run without the need of a 
cd.

Some of the titles in the Teen area are the Tycoon ones, a 303 games 
explosion with all kinds of games, Sudoku Challenge, some Harry Potter ones, 
Jewel Quest, a construction one that's like the tycoon ones,  Coffee House 
Chaos, and Collapse Crunch.  I also have shortcuts to all the standard games 
that come on the PC.  We have bought some that have permission issues and 
will not work correctly.  Every year of so the Children and Teen Librarians 
and myself just go shopping at our local Best Buy and see what looks like 
fun.  The kids love the computers, and like the change of the games every so 
often.

In the computer room (on the Internet) they are allowed to play games as 
long as they will work on our PCs.  I don't download plugins for specific 
games and the patrons can't.  We also encourage new PC users to practice 
using a mouse in solitaire.  And as far as staff games I'd love to set and 
play spider solitaire all day myself, but I think the patrons and director 
would frown on that.

Marcy Kaiser
Technology Coordinator
kaiserma at oplin.org
Columbiana Public Library
332 N. Middle St.
Columbiana, Ohio  44408

330-482-5509----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Travis McAfee" <mcafeetr at wcnet.org>
To: <oplintech at oplin.org>
Sent: Wednesday, February 15, 2006 1:21 PM
Subject: Re: [OPLINTECH] Games in the library


> I'd like to hear what other libraries are doing with this.
>
> Like most libraries, mine sees a fair share of Runescape, online cards,
> miscelaneous flash gaming sites, etc.  We actually encourage new computer
> users to play around with solitaire because it helps people learn the 
> mouse.
> We've recently been investigating a way to give Teens access to gaming
> computers / console games.  We've been stuck in deliberation for a while 
> now
> because the concerns we have continue to weigh down any practical 
> solution.
>
> Our goal is to have 2 off-network PCs, secured by DeepFreeze, running a 
> few
> games in our Teens space.  It's getting harder and harder to find games 
> that
> have any sort of educational value (or even a low amount of violent 
> content)
> for the PC in general.  Considering that our target audience is teen, our
> options feel even more limited. The Tycoon series (Railroad Tycoon, Roller
> Coaster Tycoon) seem like a safe bet...  But even being a gamer myself I
> tend to draw a blank past that.
>
> Any help or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Travis McAfee
> Technology Coordinator, NORWELD
> mcafeetr at wcnet.org
> 419.352.2903
> 800.848.0144
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Mann, James H." <JMann at gcpl.lib.oh.us>
> To: <oplintech at oplin.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, February 15, 2006 11:33 AM
> Subject: [OPLINTECH] Games in the library
>
>
> If your library is using console or computer games could you reply and
> let me know what you are doing?
> TIA
>
> Jim Mann
> Technology Coordinator
> Greene County Public Library
> Xenia Ohio 45385
> (937) 376-2996 x210
> mailto: jmann at gcpl.lib.oh.us
>
>
>
>
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