Libraries Got Game: Aligned Learning through Modern Board Games - Softcover

Mayer, Brian; Harris, Christopher

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0838910092 ISBN 13: 9780838910092

Publisher: ALA Editions, 2009

Synopsis

The high-profile topic of gaming in libraries gets thorough consideration from two educator-librarians, who explain exactly how designer board games—which are worlds apart from games produced strictly for the educational market—can become curricular staples for students of all ages. Drawing on their experience as game aficionados and developers of a nationally recognized program that brings games to school library media centers, the authors equip colleagues with everything they need to initiate a board game project with * Direct links between board games and curriculum * Suggestions for building a core collection across grade levels * Strategies for program development and implementationFrom promoting the idea to teachers and administrators to aligning specific games to state and national education standards, this book will help you build a strong collection that speaks to enhanced learning and social development and is just plain fun.

About this title

About the Author

Brian Mayer is a library technology specialist for Genesee Valley BOCES, an educational services agency that supports the libraries of twenty-two small, rural districts in western New York, as well as an independent library consultant on gaming in libraries. His focus is on modern board games and putting authentic games into educational settings to engage students with the curriculum. He has been instrumental in the growth of designer games as educational resources and has written several documents aligning games with national and state standards. He is the author of many articles on gaming in libraries and writes on the subject in his blog Library Gamer. Mayer earned his elementary teaching certification at Buffalo State and his MLS at the University of Buffalo.

Christopher Harris, author of the blog Infomancy, is the coordinator of the school library system for Genesee Valley BOCES. In addition to his writing on Infomancy, he is a regular technology columnist for School Library Journal, talking about The Next Big Thing. Along with Andy Austin, Harris wrote an ALA TechSource Library Technology Reports issue on using the open source Drupal content management framework in libraries, which was published in 2008. He was a participant in the first ALA Emerging Leaders program in 2007 and was honored as a Library Journal Mover and Shaker in 2008. An avid gamer, Harris was a member of the ALA/Verizon Foundation Gaming and Literacies grant national panel of experts.

Reviews

This is a valuable resource for K-12 librarians interested in building curriculum-aligned "designer" game collections. The authors look at modern board and card games that go above and beyond the dice rolling of Chutes and Ladders or Candy Land. They explain how specific games enhance language-arts, social-studies, and math units, and build literacy skills. The two chapters devoted to promoting and justifying the inclusion of games in the library are well documented and a wonderful source to have to convince skeptical administrators. Suggestions for building a core collection, which highlights top recommended games for elementary school, middle school, and high school; a list of game publishers; a list of games discussed; and a glossary of terminology are included.—Jessica Tymecki, North Bellmore Public Library, NY
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With all the hype on gaming in libraries, this new title focuses instead on “designer” board games as “curriculum-aligned instructional resources” for libraries and classrooms. Part 1 describes their value for student engagement and higher-order thinking, part 2 shows alignment with specific standards, and part 3 includes details for school libraries, such as purchasing guidelines. “Great Games” in part 4 lists 10 recommended games for each level—elementary, middle, and high school. For example, “Pandemic” takes 45 minutes to play and involves stopping the worldwide spread of disease, and “Froggy Boogie” strengthens color recognition and math. A glossary, index, and list of publishers are found at the end. The authors are school library system educators who have a conversational style while citing research. They make promoting a game collection attainable and sound without a lucky roll of the dice. --Susan Gooden

Edition details

• Publisher: ALA Editions
• Publication date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0838910092
• ISBN 13: 9780838910092
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 134