Sunday, December 7, 2008

I choose Wii!

I'm the part-time youth services librarian at my local branch library. We live in a suburban community. My main responsibility is to program for middle-school aged students. We have one large community room with a widescreen tv. I would like to get some gaming equipment that will work in that room with our existing tv for tournament-type events.

How would you research?
* I would ask my patrons what they would like to see in the library. I would also look at whether any other libraries have successfully implemented a gaming program and what they are using.

What would your criteria be?
* Money! How much money do I have 1) for a system, and 2) for games.
* The equipment can only be used in the community room (that's where our only tv is), so it has to work with our existing equipment.
* Our library is small, so games need to be family-oriented (suitable for sibling and/or grandparent spectators).

Which do you think you would get?
* Like so many others, I would choose the wii. The wii can be used by disabled patrons, it has lots of family-friendly games that students enjoy playing, and the whole system is less expensive than the PS3 (which the kids are clamoring for). The wii accessories (e.g., extra remotes) are reasonably priced, and the system has a good track record for durability and ease of use. Other libraries in my area are successfully using the wii for gaming in the library, which makes it easier for me to justify to my superiors!

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