In 2006, in light of the success of the first year of gaming, the Public Library of Charlotte Mecklenburg County (PLCMC) applied for an LSTA Innovations Grant and received $69,000. The goal of the grant was to study whether gaming programs would attract new adult users and whether current users would better use library resources because of the gaming events. These programs were to have a multitiered approach. On the one hand, we were studying the impact of low-tech versus high-tech gaming. On the other hand, the study was to also ascertain if gaming has an impact on literacy or traditional learning. There was an added interest in the social aspect of gaming. A research firm, Praxis, Inc., was contracted to assist with data collection and analysis. The grant allowed for the purchase of $2,000 worth of board games, twelve Alienware laptops, and numerous games and accessories. During the first year of the grant, each event included board games and electronic games. Attendance at the previous year's console gaming events ranged between twenty-five and eighty patrons, depending on venue, and expectations were similar for the LSTA gaming events

During the planning phase of the project, it was anticipated that two events would be hosted per month: one electronic and one board-gaming event. Due to staffing changes before the grant was awarded, the events were scaled back to one event per month. Each event offered board and electronic games.

Events would also have a traditional learning component. Learning opportunities would be presented using PowerPoint presentations, educational handouts, and library materials on special themes. Four special themes where selected: World War II (or war); racing (NASCAR); history; and sports (Carolina Panthers and the Charlotte Bobcats). These themes correlated directly with the most popular gaming titles available at the time. It was anticipated that staff members would have ad hoc conversations with participants during the events to promote library resources. Charlotte not only hosts two sports teams, but also has a NASCAR training program at a local college. The hope was to tie in with these external organizations and to promote learning and job training.

The hardware was purchased based on company reputation and best price. Three hardware manufacturers were contacted, and Alienware offered the best price and warranty. Games were selected based on online gaming reviews, their networking capabilities, and their overall “fun factor.” Accessories such as flight sticks, mice, headphones, controllers, and steering wheels were also selected based on online reviews.

The most difficult aspect of the project was marketing. The “Gaming Zone” staff approached promotion in a very direct way, going out into the community and distributing print materials. An e-mail list was also created, and patrons were encouraged at each event to sign up. Print marketing has high costs associated with it, and the distribution of materials is time-consuming. One staff member designed professional-looking posters, which were printed in color. Staff developed relationships with local coffee bars, gaming locations, and comic book stores. An additional Web presence was created in the form of a blog, which hosts entries about PLCMC events, a calendar, and RSS feeds from popular gaming sites.

The Gaming Zone blog http://thegamingzone.wordpress.com

Materials were shipped in sturdy Rubbermaid containers and were transported by the library's internal Shipping & Receiving department. Materials were also packaged inside protective containers or bags to keep damage to a minimum.

Staff members were given time off-desk during the day to package and prepare all materials for shipment. Each event was held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on the second Thursday of the month. The planning committee considered it important to have recurring events at regular intervals. Setup required about 30–45 minutes if all machines were preconfigured and the software was properly set up.

Currently one staff member was responsible for the coordination of all materials. This person also installed and re-imaged all laptops and did troubleshooting for all games. Recurring programs were extremely staff-intensive and required creative scheduling. Two staff members were responsible for promotion and used work time to go into the community and distribute flyers. One staff member administered the blog. There was a core group of about twelve staff members who rotated on a volunteer basis to help with setup and tear-down at the LSTA events.

Board gaming was less staff-intensive, and one person was charged with the entire cadre of board-gaming events. Although overtime pay was not available to staff, all hours spent at events or gaming-related work are considered official work time, and the appropriate comp time was awarded weekly.

The data was collected through entrance surveys that patrons filled out as they arrived at each event. Each survey asked the following questions:

• What is your name?
• What is your age range?
• Do you have a library card?
• Have you been to an event before?
• Are you a member of a gaming club?
• Zip code
• Which of the following library branches do you most often visit?
• Are you interested in participating in a focus group?

Data was also gathered from four focus groups, which included 170 patrons over eight sessions with an average of 21.25 patrons per session. These focus groups were held at participating branches where regular gaming events already took place. They were chosen as project partners because of either staff's ability to offer assistance or interest in the project. At the three venues, average attendance was

• Beatties Ford Road Library (BFR): 27
• Morrison Regional (MOR): 9
• Freedom Drive (FRL): 32

Based on the registration survey, the participant profile was

• 84% of participants reported having a PLCMC library card.
• 37% reported this was not their first visit to a Gaming Zone event.
• 10% said that they had visited the Gaming Zone Web site.
• There was no statistical correlation between the venue and the likelihood of having a library card.
• There was no statistical correlation between the age of the participants and the likelihood of having a library card.
• The most frequent zip codes identified by participants as their residence area were 28216 (25%), 28208 (12%), and 28213 (7%).
• All of these zip codes are in economically depressed areas.
• These zip codes have a census population of 90,000.
• Of this population, 29,000 are under the age of 21–25 and 55,159 (61%) are African American.
• Overall, participants were more likely to be African American than White or some other ethnic identity, with a 5:3:1 attendance ratio.
• Participants aged 21 and older made up the majority of the players, while those 16 and younger were the second largest group.
• Reference and technology services are the most frequently mentioned reasons why patrons visit libraries.
• Focus group participants overwhelmingly indicated that technology is an important factor that draws them to the library. There was a slight variation to this outcome at the more affluent library—Morrison Regional.
• Focus group participants also overwhelming agreed that gaming programs are a good way to get people involved with the library (over 80%).

The variance with the Morrison Regional Library focus group may be due to the differences in cultural and economic realities.

The hard data gathered through focus groups and surveys is important, but other important information came to light through patron interactions during gaming events.

Staff noticed the following:

• Players found gaming staff more approachable outside of gaming events.
• Staff members were able to assist with reference types of questions.
• Staff members used their personal interaction to promote library services.
• Staff members noticed social interactions among various social, racial and economic groups.
• Events that are fun and entertaining build relationships with patrons.

Average attendance for a Gaming Zone event for adults (LAN Party or Board Gaming Night) was 21 people.

The grant was designed to study two key things:

• low-tech versus high-tech
• gaming and literacy

It was extremely difficult to integrate traditional educational elements into the gaming environment. Although possible, introducing artificial learning opportunities during an evening where patrons want to have fun and socialize was simply awkward and unproductive.

Key findings are

• Electronic gaming is much more popular, whereas board gaming appeals to a very specialized and limited crowd.
• Although elements of traditional literacy were difficult to introduce and measure during the events, there is anecdotal evidence that some attendees learned improved computer skills, such as mouse and keyboarding skills. Some games, especially Call of Duty 2, also required teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving skills. There is also anecdotal evidence that games such as Age of Empires III have helped broaden knowledge about early civilizations.
• The social aspects of these gaming events, although only thought of as a secondary aspect of this research, proved to be of greatest interest. These regularly scheduled events allowed attendees not only to develop their social skills, but also to develop long-lasting relationships with library staff. Staff may not be on a first-name basis with all attendees, but all attendees know the gaming staff and feel more comfortable interacting with them and asking questions about the library.
• An additional piece of this social interaction is that staff witnessed people from different social and economic classes mingling and playing together. There may be some evidence that gaming can help bridge the gap between social and economic classes and help blur the color divide.
• There is an apparent gap between technology haves and have-nots. The research shows that while entertaining events allow patrons to socialize, the greatest draw appears to be in lower income areas where access to high-end technology is an important factor.
• There appeared to be a statistical increase in library usage by gaming participants over the course of the year.
• The single biggest reason that Gaming Zone participants cited for using the library was informational/reference requests.
• Patrons did not travel between branches to attend events. The vast majority attended events only at their neighborhood location, primarily due to financial restraints. Keeping events local and having them as frequently as possible is important to participants.
• At year's end, research indicated that the areas chosen for distributing promotional materials did not represent the target market.
• The assessment indicated that promotion, in general, had very little effect on attendance. Word of mouth was by far the most effective form of promotion.
• Web promotion had the lowest impact: 2%.

Many libraries today are focusing on becoming or being the Third Place, a community center or cultural hub for the community. While gaming is by no means the only method for making the library the Third Place, it certainly is one important component of this effort.

While every community is different and we can't assume this data would hold true everywhere, it does support findings from a recent ALA report, Libraries Connect Communities: Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study 2006–2007, that for a large portion of the American population, libraries are their major point of contact with and place to use technology.³ This includes gaming that requires technology, such as online, computer-based, and console gaming.

There are many populations for which libraries serve as the central institution for learning technology, including seniors, who often require more personal help and attention during classes. When you haven't grown up with computers, the Web, e-mail, and YouTube videos, today's technology can be a daunting prospect. Recognizing this, Allan Kleiman at the Old Bridge Public Library in New Jersey explored a new approach for helping seniors become more comfortable with technology. Gaming is at the center of that approach, and so far it has been quite successful.