I was inspired to write this article after a discussion in the LibGaming Google group, of which I’m part.  It was a lively discussion about what librarians should know about gaming, and there were lots of participants.  I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention it, for what was said in that discussion certainly informed this article greatly.

If you’re a librarian, you do readers’ advisory.  It may be a small part of your job, if you do cataloging or ordering or hold an administrative position.  In fact, you may never do it while on work time, but if you work in a library, people (especially friends and family) are going to ask you if there are any good books out there.  Conducting readers’ advisory at the family dinner table is no different than conducting readers’ advisory at the reference desk, and is part of the overall public service you perform as an information and media professional.  Given this, you have to read.  You have to sample from all genres and formats.  You may not finish every book you start, but you need real experience with as much literature as you can get your hands on.  Read-alikes, reviews, and guided tools found online can only go so far; effective readers’ advisory begins with reading.

Following this line of logic, effective gaming programs and advocacy begins with game play.  If you’re planning on integrating games into your library’s offerings, you need to be at least an entry-level gamer.

You don’t have to be an expert on tactics and techniques for first-person shooters.  You don’t have to have an encyclopediac knowledge of the classics and up-to-the minute know-how on new games.  It’s not about being the best.  It’s not about having a backlist of D&D characters at varying levels for use with multiple editions of the game.  It’s about having an appreciation for the medium as an art form and a way to connect with others–and there’s no better way to do that than to actually experience the medium itself.   Also, be an active gamer will give you more credibility when you advocate for gaming at your library; you’ll be able to bring your own experiences to the table along with the excellent research and professional writing done supporting games and gaming.  What’s more, if you’re familiar with games and gaming, you’ll be able to actually play with your patrons during your game programs, just like I do.

Even if you don’t get into the action yourself, it doesn’t hurt having some know-how on basic mechanics shared by many of the most popular games, so that you can better assist your patrons on getting started with their game play.

You don’t even have to spend money on games to get into the hobby.  Kotaku recently did a run down of the best free PC games.  Maybe you can give some of these games a spin.  If you have a friend that owns a gaming console, chances are they’ll have you over for a game night, or even let you borrow their equipment.  Check around your community for gaming groups that get together for Dungeons and Dragons or other tabletop games.  Gamers of any type are, for the most part, an enthusiastic lot who love to share their passion and welcome new members to fold.  If you do end up having to take a financial plunge, don’t be afraid of buying used equipment and games from GameStop, eBay, or Amazon.

What games should you play?  Well, as many of them as you can!  Just like every book has its reader and every reader their book, there’s a game out there for everyone.  If you’re a really competitive person, you may like Call of Duty: Black Ops or Halo: Reach for their online multiplayer modes.  If big guns and tactical positioning isn’t your thing, and you prefer something a bit more fast-paced, then Super Street Fighter IV might be a good choice.  Not up for that level of competition?  Team Fortress 2 is one my favorites, because it’s just plain fun, even when you’re losing.  Super Smash Bros. Brawl is already a popular game among your teens, most likely; why not give it a try yourself?

Like racing and fast cars?  There’s lots of great racing games out there, both realistic (Need for Speed: Shift, Gran Turismo 5) and not (Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, Blur, and Split/Second).  Mario Kart is always a fun, cartoony racing game that makes a great centerpiece for a party.  Maybe you love puzzles.  There is no shortage of puzzle games out there, but if I might suggest the excellent Portal, or the rather addictive game Plants vs. Zombies, which while not strictly a puzzle game certainly fires the same neurons as a puzzle game would.

If you love fantasy and science-fiction and always wanted to live those types of stories, try these role-playing/adventure games: Dragon Age: Origins, the Mass Effect series, Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas, or any game with Final Fantasy or Zelda in the title.

Maybe you’ve played video games in the past and drifted away from the hobby.  Well, I’ve excellent news for you.  The Nintendo Wii has a feature called Virtual Console, which lets you purchase and play the old school classics for the consoles from the ’80s and ’90s.  Super Mario Bros., Sonic the Hedgehog, and many others are right out your fingertips.  Perhaps reconnecting with an old favorite is the best way to start your new gaming journey.

And to think, I just touched on video games!  Board games  are infinitely more varied.  If you want something quick and easy, yet addictive and engaging, try Pictureka or In a Pickle.  Chess, checkers, Connect Four, and Clue are old favorites that never fall out of popularity.  I love Stratego because it’s highly tactical in its game play, much like the video games I enjoy.  There’s also many, many card games out there, traditional and new.  Collectible card games such as Magic: the Gathering and Yu-Gi-Oh are great.  Go to your local Target or Wal-Mart and look at the board games; you’ll find lots to explore.  Also, hit up FunAgain Games to see some excellent, less mainstream games.  And by the way, Monopoly is so yesterday: Settlers of Cataan is where it’s at now.

Regardless of how you get into games or what games you get into, you may find this to be a hobby you enjoy and want to keep at.  Even if you don’t become a gamer, you need to learn to play if you want to bring gaming into your library.  You need to connect with the material, experience first-hand its value for education (both direct and indirect), understand why people love games, and be able to speak the gamer’s language (not the one used by hardcore competitors, necessarily: they make sailors and tattoo artists blush).  You need an appreciation for the demographic you are serving and you need to be able to help users engage with games on their level.

So go ahead.  Get gaming!