February 4th, 2010 Brian Herzog
I’m pretty unsophisticated when it comes to video games, but I do occasionally play escape games when I’m looking for a way to occupy some time. I enjoy them because they require logic and problem solving, but are also just fun.
I saw one recently I thought I’d share: in “Library Labyrinth,” you’re locked in the library with a serial killer, and you need to find objects and solve puzzles to survive him and get out of the library. Good times, I know, but I also liked that winning this game involved using Twitter (in the game - you don’t need an account yourself). Clever, and it also shows (again) how ubiquitous Twitter has become.
Give it a try, and if you get stuck, a helpful tips from previous players is also available.
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Posted under Library, Random | 2 Comments »
January 14th, 2010 Brian Herzog
This is bizarre: a little while ago I dreamed about telling an a adult patron he was being too loud in the library, because he was playing Marco Polo with his kids to entertain them. He yelled back, asking me what I expected him to do.
I went to the reference desk to review our games policy (this is a dream remember, so it made perfect sense at the time). It didn’t mention specific games, so I sat down with my director and came up with a list of games that he could and couldn’t play in the library:
Approved Games:
I Spy
Hide and Seek
Cards
Board Games
Puzzles
Button, Button, Who’s Got the Button?
Thumb Wrestling
Sandman
|
Unapproved Games:
Marco Polo
Tag
Red Rover
Red Light, Green light
Duck Duck Goose
King of the Mountain
|
I remembered the dream when I woke up, so quickly wrote down the games I could recall. How sad that I dream about things like this.
However, it also reminds me of Library Mini Golf, which I think is a great idea. I also still like the idea of having tournaments for any number of video games (which, oddly, didn’t make my dream list).
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Posted under Library, Random | 1 Comment »
May 28th, 2009 Brian Herzog
Here’s an interesting idea:
The Westerville (OH) Public Library has wii and Xbox 360 set up in the library for patrons to use. The games are popular, of course, and often have a waiting list.
To improve the patron experience, their Friends group purchased a set of restaurant pagers (those disks with flashing lights and vibrations that alert people when their table is ready), which the library uses to let patrons know when it’s their turn to play.
I thought this was a great idea. These pagers could also be used when patrons have to wait for computers or study rooms, or anything, really. They require staff time to manage, but they seem more efficient than a sign-up sheet, and they have the added benefit of letting patrons use the library while they’re waiting, instead of being stuck in one spot.
Good job, Westerville.
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Posted under Library, Service | 2 Comments »
October 30th, 2008 Brian Herzog
Last month, my library added to our collection a nice new game table. It was donated in memory of a long-time patron who enjoyed board games.
It’s a very nice table - all wood, “pub height,” and the different game boards are self-contained in the table top. The included games are:
- Chess
- Checkers
- Scrabble
- Backgammon
- Monopoly
We set it up in the Teen area and are circulating game piece sets from the reference desk. We also did a “games” display near the desk to promote the table.
The problem is, no one has used it yet to play games. I see people sitting at it to study by the windows, but the five sets of game pieces have yet to be checked out. Something like this might take awhile to catch on, and we’ve been toying with the idea of starting a chess club.
But regardless, I like having it. It’s a nice way to remember a patron we all miss, and it encourages people to use the library for more than just academic research - it’s a place in the community people can come to relax and enjoy someone else’s company.
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Posted under Library | 6 Comments »
July 26th, 2008 Brian Herzog
This reference question is just funny. A coworker and I were sitting at the desk when the phone rang. She answered it, so I only heard her half of the conversation:
My coworker: Reference desk.
[a few seconds of silence]
My coworker: No, I’m not.
[a few seconds of silence]
My coworker: Sorry, no, I don’t.
[a long time of silence]
My coworker: Well, I’m not sure. I don’t think there is actually a list, that anybody keeps. Maybe you could put an ad in the paper?
[a few seconds, then the patron hangs up]
After the call, my coworker turns to me, smiling, to fill me in. Apparently, the patron first asked if she, my coworker, was going to the Olympics in China later this year. When she said no, the patron asked if she knew of anyone who was going.
With my coworker answering no to that as well, the patron explained her question. Apparently China is issuing special postage stamps for the Olympic summer games. The patron’s grandson collects stamps, so the patron was looking for someone who was going to Beijing for the games and could mail him a postcard with one of the special Olympic stamps affixed.
Which is a very nice thing to do, but I’m not sure why she thought the library maintained a list of people going to the Olympics. I thought the suggestion of putting an ad in the newspaper was a pretty good one - you never know who responds to newspaper ads, but it just might work.
In looking for a picture of the stamp in question, I found a few websites that might interest philatelists:
Tags: 2008, beijing, china, games, libraries, Library, olympics, postage, public, Reference Question, stamp, stamps, summer See Also
Posted under Library, Reference Question | 2 Comments »
