Games in Libraries, why do we do it?

Why games in Libraries? 

A public library is a place of knowledge and many of us still consider that knowledge is books. Therefore, public still typically associates libraries with borrowing books and other materials, and computer and Internet access to patrons. Although this might be true to small libraries there is a strong movement supported by IFLA of new services in public libraries, such as makerspaces, programming and wide array of other services supporting Sustainable development goals and public literacy. 

Wikipedia states, that “Public libraries exist in many countries across the world and are often considered an essential part of having an educated and literate population. Public libraries … serve the general public's information needs.” So, should Games and particularly computer games be part of this new library agenda?  

To answer the question, one should first describe what knowledge is. In literature knowledge is often conceptually distinguished as tacit and explicit. Explicit knowledge is captured and documented knowledge, for example Regulations, Documents, Instructions, usually presented in certain written format (books, journals etc.). Tacit knowledge on the other hand is hard to document and measure, it is in our minds and is shared in nonwritten forms through experience and connections.1 Tacit knowledge can also be split into technical dimension (know-how, skills, expertise, tips and tricks), and cognitive dimension (understanding, viewpoints, ideas, intuition, assumptions, mental models). 2,3 

Naturally knowledge converts from one form to another and there is interaction between tacit and explicit knowledge. It is common in literature to represent these two types of knowledge as an iceberg, explicit being the top (or smaller visible part). Meaning that tacit knowledge actually is way bigger than explicit knowledge. 

Another concept – intelligence, we might think of intelligence as having a lot of knowledge about certain subjects. But we also might consider quick thinking and the ability to reason. Such factors as first proposed by psychologist Raymond Cattell refers to as fluid intelligence and crystallized intelligence. Fluid intelligence is "the ability to perceive relationships independent of previous specific practice or instruction concerning those relationships." While crystallized intelligence involves knowledge that comes from prior learning and past experiences. The Cattell-Horn theory of fluid and crystallized intelligence suggests that intelligence is composed of different abilities that interact and work together to produce overall individual intelligence. 4 Fluid intelligence along with crystallized intelligence, are both factors of what Cattell referrers to as general intelligence. Both factors of intelligence are equally important in everyday life. While everyone acknowledges that Crystallized intelligence can be improved through learning. Only recent studies found that it is possible to improve fluid intelligence with brain training. 

Both types of intelligence increase throughout childhood and adolescence. Many aspects of fluid intelligence peak in adolescence and begin to decline progressively beginning around age 30 or 40. Crystallized intelligence continues to grow throughout adulthood.5 

Kendra Cherry suggests “Gains in intelligence don't come from sticking to the same old routines. Keep exploring new things in life and keep learning new things. Tackle learning a new language. Take piano lessons. Visit a new country and learn about the people and culture.” 4 

Applying these concepts of knowledge and intelligence to libraries we see that for a library to call itself a place of knowledge only having printed materials for lend is merely enough. Public libraries must think about services covering tacit knowledge and both fluid and crystallized intelligence development for their patrons, not only Explicit knowledge. And this is exactly where hands-on experiences and games come into libraries. 

For example, National Library of Lithuania (NLL) positions itself as the Lithuanian space of knowledge creating value to the public with a mission “To become an integral part of the state information policy, culture, education, science and economic progress.” While mission of a national library is substantially broader than one of the public libraries, part of national library usually is public library, in Lithuania there are separate public library units for adults and children. 

National Library of Lithuania (NLL) organizes several activities related to hands-on experiences and games: 

• Makerspace activities – creating robots, creating worlds in real life using Lego or other materials, or virtual worlds using computers and software. 
• Hosts Global Game Jam event in Vilnius – where few hundred professional and amateur game developers gather for one weekend and develop game prototypes.  
• Develops video games or interactive experiences as with traditional exhibitions – Virtual reality experiences or video games provide additional context to the exhibition. 
• NLL is also working on a virtual reality system in e-cultural heritage portal, for users and libraries to develop experiences with cultural heritage.  
• National library is also developing social VR experience to be used in all public libraries in Lithuania.  

Vilnius public library uses game environment for bibliotherapy, and for behaviour education to socially excluded families. 

Next chapters of this paper will describe how Video games can be used to interest younger generation in cultural heritage or provide educational value. First of all, by playing games, and then creating games. 

 Playing Games 

Over the last 20- 30 years, computer games have become an extremely popular leisure activity, but when trying to introduce them to libraries we still face concerns about their violent content, potentially addictive properties, and all other negative stereotypes including ruining eyesight. And then there is a game addiction concern – about 2-3 percent of gamers are considered addicted. Among the game genres, RPG, simulation and casual games are associated with addictive behaviour. While play and the leisure environment have little effect on game addiction, the extent of satisfaction with relationships with parents, friends, and teachers did have a significant influence.9 

The positive effects of video gaming are not often highlighted, and therefore these questions need to be answered. 

Why do people play games? 

Nick Yee describes three motivation components:6 

• achievement component, which drives the want to advance in the game, the interest in the rules of the game, and the want to compete with others (and win).  
• social component – to form connections with others, to talk and collaborate with other players, and be a part of a group. 
• immersion component, - changing your role, escaping from real-life, creating and customizing a character, playing unique story of the game. 

Very positive feature of human nature, is, the natural curiosity referred to by psychologists as intrinsic motivation. 

Discussing Self Determination Theory Richard Ryan and Edward Deci argue that social conditions that enhance versus diminish curiosity, and support autonomy and competence reliably facilitated human growth tendency, whereas conditions that controlled behaviour and hindered curiocity undermined its expression. Their study found evidence of the dramatic power of social contexts to enhance or hinder the organismic tendency to integrate ambient social values and responsibilities. Contexts supportive of autonomy, competence, and relatedness were found to foster greater internalization and integration.7 

At NLL we have noticed that children who are worst at school, do very well in makerspace labs, particularly when they have to create something and are not given any limits. Another example from Marvila, Portugal public library – 14-year-old Roma boy who failed at school 3 years in a row started coming to library to play computer games. He gradually stated participating in writing musical workshops and started to learn programming, he developed a simple video game and presented it in the library. After he started to feel excitement and power of learning, he decided to continue school and to become professional video gamer. 

And this is exactly what games do, they allow people to change their social environment easily, take different roles, and experience different (or no) social pressures. Game developers try to balance the game so it a game challenges the player enough so that it is still interesting and makes gamer want to continue to play, but not too hard where it is not fun anymore or too easy where it becomes boring, thus making it easy for player to achieve “flow” which is a completely focused mental state. Competence and achievement are fulfilled in games through “flow”. Autonomy is met because we have control in games and we voluntarily play games. Lastly, relatedness is fulfilled because players can interact and compete with others in a way and world that’s different from real life. Therefore, I would speculate that addiction to games comes not from the games itself, but from social pressures and wanting to be in a better role or different social environment, the game only provides good feeling of flow.  

In conclusion, moderate video game play has been shown to be beneficial. A study conducted at Oxford by Dr. Andrew Przybylski revealed that playing about one hour per day enhanced psychological well-being, while when playing over three hours per day, was correlated with less well-being.10 

Due to the reasons stated above recently, there has been interest in the potential of serious games to help in learning, skill acquisition and attitude and behaviour change. Numerous studies show better results in retention compared to textbook learning. 8 

 Creating Games for users 

 Serious games, or games with cultural value is interesting niche for libraries to explore and provide them as a service for users. However, when game is made by the library, as a library service, it must be polished or the whole concept of gamification can be ruined. User experience is the single most important factor for commercial games, not the graphics, not game mechanics, and not even marketing.  

Problem when developing 3D games about history or cultural heritage is 3d objects. Libraries and museums still have very few 3d scans, therefore we need to develop models from scratch, this increases development budget significantly. Even if a museum does have some 3d scans they will most likely be in CAD format and have to be converted to be usable in real time game engine.   

Several tricks can be used to reduce development budgets. One of them – purchase premade assets for your game or experience. Many things in the game are the just to create mood, environment and do not have to be specific for your game, especially if it has purpose to teach or enlighten. For example, there are many trees, stones, backgrounds and skies, that can be bought in packages for 10-30 Euros. There are also tools like XRMaker, GameMaker that allow building simple experiences without programming knowledge, or there are templates for game engines that simplify process of game development. 

For example Vilnius public library developed first in the world Virtual bibliotherapy game ?Inside the Book Isl@nd“ it is aimed at searching and developing proper solutions for socially vulnerable children’s and young people’s psychosocial problems, strengthening their mental health and assessing effects of bibliotherapy. Online game allows participants to create their individual avatars and, in this way, ensures their anonymity in virtual group meetings. By reading and discussing (together with a professional psychologist) short, literary texts which reflect related problems of the group members, participants benefit in learning to recognize, reveal, share and find solutions for problems they encounter. A scientific research being conducted alongside online bibliotherapy sessions showed that on top of traditional impact of bibliotherapy, online environments lets users feel more secure, and open to conversations. Currently project is expanded and used for family bibliotherapy, where parents and children try to discuss their problems while hidden behind avatars. This environment also has progression and external motivation elements, after bibliotherapy children receive certain in game currency and can build their own house with furniture, dogs etc. Budget for this project was around 25K Eur when using assets from asset store for visual elements, while it could cost over 200 K Eur if everything was custom made. 

 Another example of serious game developed at library is Virtual reality experience that will be available in all public libraries from winter 2020. The goal of this so-called experimental project is is to help users receive library services in a new way. Artificial intelligence is helping users look for books, read news, get information about public services. In addition, there are integrated multiplayer games, like bow shooting, tennis, basketball, or chess and checkers. Experience is aimed at all different library user groups, environment for elder people looks like an ordinary house they might have wanted all their life, without ant UI elements, but everything interactive, and sports activities for mind and body. Environment or youngsters is playful and resembles amusement park, environment for young adults is underwater base with things to explore and fish to collect. Since this project is all custom made its budget is around 180K Eur.  

Game development is a complex project with many elements involved: planning, game design, drawing, 3D modelling, animation, texturing, lights, sound, UI, UX. User experience (UX) is not just how the player moves, but what the player feels emotionally, and what he or she experiences. 11 

User experience is also most often missed by the beginners in game development. Libraries that want to develop games should choose scope of the project, and tools carefully. And make narrative the core of the game. Game development for users should be only considered, if adequate resources are available, the answer to “why” question is answered. Why are we building this game, or what experience do we want the player to have? Resources are allocated for not only art and programming, but for UX (there is a person who knows how to align experience to the targeted audience, there is enough knowledge for testing and trying to achieve good usability. Something like “Sims” was developed by the team of 100+, for a few years period. Many games we know and play cost from 10 mln. to 200 mln. Eur. Library will never have such resources for a game, and there is no need to build such a game for a library.  

The core difference between making games with library users and making games for library users is the goal of activity and quality requirements. When making a game with users the experience is process itself, and focus should be learning. For example library can collect group of schoolchildren and teach them drawing, sound editing, programming while developing games, these games will not have value as games, but they will have value as teaching activities, and as idea generation process, since library will end up with many unfinished prototypes.  

 Creating Games with users 

 Although not a video game, US based festival “Burning man” captures the essence of social environment and principles of fostering creativity, therefore is very good example of power of games to change behaviour.  

What is Burning man? It is a 8 days creativity festival of 74,000 participants in an area of 15.5 square km, with over 300 art installations, no money - Only ice & coffee for sale, 400+ mutant vehicles, 1052 theme camps and 0 rubbish bins. Where participants create the content. There is no centre stage, Attendees provide the art, entertainment, music and services (as gifts), no booked talent, over 2000 Volunteers 

Festival is built on 10 Principles: 

1. Radical Inclusion – everyone is invited; 
2. Gifting – give gifts, create, make experiences; 
3. Decommodification – No market, no money; 
4. Radical Self Expression – no judgement, be whoever you want to be; 
5. Radical Self Reliance – you are responsible for yourself; 
6. Communal Effort – help others; 
7. Civic Responsibility – everyone is responsible for everyone; 
8. Leave No Trace – only footsteps; 
9. Participation – everyone brings something; 
10. Immediacy – temporary, on a harsh desert environment; 

These principles allow creation of Temporary environment where failure is an option and encouraged, therefor people are nor afraid to make mistakes, and learn by doing. While having fun. As Christopher Breedlove from Burners Without Borders at Burning Man Project says, “Play is paramount”. 

The interesting outcome of this festival is that many learnings and temporary installations created at the festival are used in various projects later. For example, shelters for refugee camps, resource centres for hurricane effected areas and similar. 

Libraries have all the power to create similar environments for their patrons wanting to learn and create. And even if all libraries cannot provide computers for video game development, all libraries can be safe, encourage mistakes, learning by doing and inclusive. 

For libraries that do not have makerspaces or people who can create game development programs for children, events in collaboration with game development associations or companies developing games are a good way to start these activities.  

National library of Lithuania is partnering with several organisations on this topic, but the largest event is Game Jam. Library is open for 24 hours for 3 days during this event. Over three hundred developers gathered last event, they split up into teams and created over 50 game prototypes in these 3 days. Library provided space and internet, some developers stayed overnight, special sleeping area was also provided in the library, and game developers association organises the event itself. 

It is worth noting, that Global Game Jam is really a global event, and libraries in most countries could contact with organizing teams. For library, which is willing to make games of their own hosting event like this can serve several purposes:  

1.  Library employees can participate and train with professional game developers, in case of NLL it was also good opportunity to see what tools developers use. Most development tools are free. Game engines like Unity, Unreal, Cry or Defold are all accessible and free, but selecting the best for the library can be a real challenge due to complexity. Some engines require knowledge of C#, others C++ or Lua programming languages, and some also support visual programming – easier to understand for non-programmers. Game Jam is a good opportunity to try them, discuss with teams that use certain engines. Other tools like Audacity for sound, Gimp for image editing, Blender for 3d modelling are also free and being aware of these tools can save a lot of money for the libraries. 
2.  If library does not have people who can develop games, but is willing to start, Game Jam event is good for finding young developers, and recruiting them. Young game developers are often willing to be in game business to make games and are ready to work for less if the job is fun. Larger salaries are always an issue for libraries. 
3.  Library can be just a place where Game Jam event is happening, and it is good, because this is often the first time when some youngsters visit the library and see it not just as a place full of bookshelves and old librarians, but as a cool place with many young people and activities. 
4.  Library can participate as a team and build game prototype different than most shoot/kill type games. This year in Game Jam at NLL, while presenting ideas few participants decided that being at the library, they should make games about transmission of knowledge. At the end of event, everyone was presenting prototypes; one prototype was about knowledge sharing and dissemination from generation to generation, helping to see how values change over time. Games like this can help libraries show their value to public. Since there was no professional designer game art was made by 14-year-old student. The purpose is not to make a great finished game, but to try out ideas, discuss, learn and make working prototype. 

 Libraries that do have people and makerspaces can take it further and organize non formal classes for robotics, programming or game development. There is no need to use professional tools, there are many free simplified environments for story making, drawing, music creation. At National library makerspace is free to come at any time, the only rule is that parents have to come with smaller children. There is no differentiation of creators, librarian just provides tools (be it computer, LEGO robot or a hammer) and helps with tutorials and instructions. In short creates environment to create make mistakes safely. Most youngsters want to build something of their own. They have passion, they have dreams, what they lack is tools and knowledge. This is where libraries can come in. 

References: 

1.  Kathy A. Salzano et.al. (2016) A Knowledge Management Framework and Approach for Clinical Development, Therapeutic Innovation& Regulatory Science, Vol. 50(5) 536-545 
2. Panahi, S., Watson, J., & Partridge, H. (2013). Towards tacit knowledge sharing over social web tools. Journal of Knowledge Management, 17(3), 379–397. 
3. Nonaka, I. (1994). A dynamic theory knowledge of organizational creation. Organization Science, 5(1), 14–37. 
4. Kendra Cherry (2019). Fluid Intelligence vs. Crystallized Intelligence. https://www.verywellmind.com/fluid-intelligence-vs-crystallized-intelligence-2795004 
5. Hartshorne JK, Germine LT. (2015).When does cognitive functioning peak? The asynchronous rise and fall of different cognitive abilities across the life span. Psychol Sci. 2015;26(4):433-43. 
6. Nick Yee.CyberPsychology & Behavior.Dec 2006.ahead of printhttps://doi.org/10.1089/cpb.2006.9.772 
7. Ryan, R.M., and Deci, E.L. (2016) “Self-Determination Theory and the Facilitation of Intrinsic Motivation,Social Development, and Well-Being.” American Psychologist 55.1 (2000): 68-78. Web. 17 Oct. 2016. https://selfdeterminationtheory.org/SDT/documents/2000_RyanDeci_SDT.pdf  
8. Claire Ikumi Hitosugi, Matthew Schmidt and Kentaro Hayashi (2014). CALICO Journal Vol. 1, No. 1, Thomas & Peterson: Web 2.0 and Language Learning, pp. 19-39 Published by: Equinox Publishing Ltd.  
9. Changho Leea and Ocktae Kimb. (2017) Predictors of online game addiction among Korean adolescents. ADDICTION RESEARCH & THEORY, 2017 VOL. 25, NO. 1, 58–66 https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/16066359.2016.1198474 
10. Nir Eyal. (2018) Kids’ Gaming Obsession Isn’t Really About the Games It’s about unmet psychological needs. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/automatic-you/201808/kids-gaming-obsession-isn-t-really-about-the-games  
11. Celia Hodent, “5 Misconceptions about UX (User Experience) in Video Games”, 04.06.2015 (https://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/CeliaHodent/20150406/240476/5_Misconceptions_about_UX_User_Experience_in_Video_Games.php)