News Report #4
Nebraska Auditor Cries Foul on Gaming in Libraries
American Library Association
3/19/09
http://www.ala.org/ala/alonline/currentnews/newsarchive/2009/february2009/nebrgamingaudit.cfm?persistent=&expy_dt=

A Nebraska library recently purchased the video games Rock band and Dance Dance Revolution with their sales tax from a nonprofit agency. A YouTube video was soon released announcing the commissions purchase, and now an audit is being issued on the situation. The auditor is saying that the purchase of the game equipment was a questionable use of their funds. When a taxpayer saw the video, they soon contacted auditors and found that the library had spent over 500$ on video games. The library representative stated that the games were purchased because the technologies are becoming more common, and they represent new ways to communicate and to educate. The NLC also stated at a conference that the games were bought to educate the librarians on new evolving technologies, not just for the kids. The audit also states that “State equipment and time should only be used for official Commission business. Employees playing games or accessing virtual websites on State time appears to be inappropriate.” They claimed to have put the video on YouTube to show librarian viewers a simple economical way to distribute media. An attendee at the convention stated that she had no clue how to use video games. She said she had no children at home to show her or give her advice on which games to purchase. Scottsbluff public library director, Bev Russell received a grant, and is planning on purchasing a Wii for the summer of Scottsbluff Public Library. They are calling it the “Be Creative @ Your Library” program. She also says “to know how to communicate, you gotta be cool”.

I do not agree with games like Dance Dance Revolution, and Play station being purchased for library use. I can understand why taxpayers were getting upset to see that their money was being used on non educational video games. Spending money for an account with Second Life, or Flickr is appropriate, since they are ways of sharing education, and communicating; having virtual dance contests on the other hand is defiantly inappropriate for libraries. Just because the game technologies are becoming more and more popular, that does not give them an excuse for buying the games within educational budgets. They claimed that the reason for buying the games was to teach the librarians how to integrate game programming into their skills. If a librarian wants to learn how to play Play station, she or he should purchase the game with their own money, not come up with some excuse to try and take the taxpayers money. The woman who claimed not to have kids at home to teach her how to play the games should go to a best buy, target or maybe even an arcade if she needs to learn. They have the games set up for free and anyone can play. Putting games in libraries would certainly be fun for people, it would surely bring more young people in, but doesn’t that defeat the whole purpose of the library? When people think of libraries they immediately think of “Shhhhhh”, “QUIET”, and concentrated study time. They don’t think to go to the library to play Wii with their buddies, and that’s how they need to keep it.