Entrepreneurial Thinking at the Library: Becoming Relevant to Potential Users through Gaming
Scott Nicholson, associate professor and director of the M.S. in library and information science program at Syracuse University’s iSchool, has been awarded an Enitiative grant to incorporate entrepreneurship into library use by promoting gaming as a relevant library service.
Gaming programs for libraries can increase the effectiveness of library services, as they bring in new users who can take advantage of already purchased library resources in a safe and non-commercial setting. The Library Game Lab will help libraries researching a appropriate gaming activities, providing training, selection and program guidelines, and ways to present and market gaming programs that help those that are skeptical to accept these unusual programs. Gaming, as an interactive activity, increases people’s ability to judge and take risks, to improve their decision-making ability and confidence, to accept and learn from failure, and to make them more agile in changing and uncertain life situations. These skills are critical in adapting to the changing face of the workplace.