Mu’aadh Mohamed, 8, (left) and James Bierbrier, 4, play Wii boxing at the Alta Vista library.
Patrons of the downtown library will be hitting buttons, as well as the books, thanks to a new project to install video-gaming machines.
The Ottawa Public Library already lends video games to patrons, but the new project aims to further encourage young people to visit the library.
Desiree Zimmerman, a 25-year-old student at Carleton University, says that there is a need to attract people to public libraries these days, because the Internet has become a major source of information.
“I find people don’t go to the library anymore because of the Internet,” she says.
Zimmerman says she makes a lot of visits to the main library, but the video-gaming machines will not make her go more often.
She says the machines will appeal more to younger people who do not have video-gaming consoles of their own.
“Maybe if I was here for another reason I’d check it out, but I don’t think it would draw me to the library. I think it would be good for younger kids, though.”
Jane Venus, manager of children and teen services for the Ottawa Public Library, says that even those who already own video-game consoles will use the library’s machines as it provides them with an opportunity to meet other video-gaming enthusiasts.
“You can use it with people that you may not have in your basement.”
The project is being assisted by a $30,000 donation from the Ottawa developer Urbandale Corp. for the downtown and St.Laurent branches, but there is currently not enough funding to make installations in all of the 33 branches.
Venus says that libraries in lower economic areas are being targeted to begin with, as the availability of video-gaming machines will be in higher demand.
She adds that the project has the possibility of being implemented in all of the branches.
This will depend on raising the necessary funds, but for now Venus says it is difficult to estimate how much the installation would cost.
“It’s quite popular, so I wouldn’t be surprised if we expanded to the other branches,” says Venus.
She says the deadline for the downtown and St.Laurent projects depends on the design chosen for the casing of the video game consoles, as well as their availability.
However, she says she hopes to have the machines installed by the spring of 2009.
The Ottawa Public Library is currently investigating what designs are available, with a focus on protecting the consoles from damage and theft.
Pilot projects are currently underway at the Alta Vista, Centennial and North Gloucester branches. The libraries are trying the Microsoft Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, and Nintendo GameCube through various workshops for patrons.
The consoles are on loan from various sources. The video-gaming machines, however, will be permanent installations.
The North Gloucester Wii club meets every second Friday to use the library’s Wii console.
Jens Walker, 17, says he has participated in the Wii club events before with his friends.
While Walker says he thinks that owning a video game console can be more convenient, he adds,
“I don’t see much of a difference in terms of how you experience it.”
He says that the integration of video games into the libraries shows that they are working to make libraries a more multimedia experience.
“I think it’s good that there are so many different options.”
The video-gaming program makes visiting the library a more enjoyable experience, he says.
“It makes it more fun and more comfortable.”
The video-gaming workshops will continue over the next few months to determine which console and games will be used for the final project.