Games, Gamers, & Gaming: The Importance of Play
Jun 15, 2011By now, most libraries have embraced gaming. We understand that a fun-based activity like this fulfills our patrons’ social and recreational needs. It’s all very serious stuff, this having fun business.
But at the core of what we’re doing is play, and the crucial question is: Why is play important?
A LOT HAS BEEN SAID ABOUT PLAY
Let me start by acknowledging that many books have been written on this topic. Whole careers have been built upon studying the nature of play. The Museum of Play is dedicated to play and is part of The Strong, a broad-based educational institution devoted to the study and exploration of play. The Association for the Study of Play (TASP) brings together academic professionals who conduct research and develop theories of play among children and adults, across cultures and across disciplines.
I cannot possibly do justice to play in a single page. Yet our efforts should be focused in ways that enable its benefits when we offer games in libraries. Alas, under the burden of developing basic game programming, we sometimes lose sight of the importance of play.
WHAT IS PLAY?
Play is a tricky thing. It can be aimless and undirected, or it can be focused and deliberate. Sometimes play is simply about having fun; sometimes it is all serious concentration and fierce, lip-biting intensity.
Play is experimental; it is experiential; it is exploratory. In play, the process of trial and error—especially error—is a natural and essential part of the picture.
An opportunity for play to take place needs little reason, although reasoning is often an element of play. Yet play has its roots in chaos as much as in reason. Consequently, it sometimes seems random, disruptive, and childish.
Play is our birthright, the birthright of all mammals. All playful animals play less frequently as they age, and humans are no exception. But as neotenous primates—neoteny refers to the genetically dictated retention of juvenile characteristics into adulthood—humans worldwide play, at least occasionally, throughout their lives.
All of these considerations reveal the place of play at the heart of learning and discovery. Play is the wellspring of creativity. Brian Sutton-Smith, one of the principle figures involved in The Strong and a central presence in all discussions of play theory over the last 50 years, has said, “The opposite of play isn’t work. It’s depression.”
PLAYING IN THE LIBRARY
In libraries, we are offering games as part of our work. Is that work depressing or playful? Are you taking yourself too seriously, or are you creating a genuinely playful atmosphere?
Reflect on the playful parts of your own life. Identify the things that put a gleam in your eye, that bring a fervor to your words. Find a game, or even create one, that brings out those feelings, and your enthusiasm will spark tinder in others.
Be deliberately interactive, setting up competitions and contests. Create teams that must work together in pursuit of a common goal. Some games are winner-take-all, but many modern board games, for example, require cooperation and coordination among the players—or everyone loses. Many online games have partnership versions, or are aggressively multiplayer by design.
Bring in nongame items for people to play with. Put out old-fashioned Legos alongside your PS3s loaded with Lego games. Display books on subjects related to the kinds of games you’re offering—not only the tie-in books, such as the “Halo” novels at a Halo tourney, but you should have Arkham Asylum out, perhaps bring in a book on the history of mental illness, or some of Oliver Sacks’s popular science books on neurology, in addition to the Batman graphic novels. Surprise your patrons with game soundtracks from your music CD collection.
Look for an opportunity to cut loose and be silly, particularly if you can pick a theme to frame the activities. Plan ahead for something like International Talk Like a Pirate Day, which takes place every September 19. Offer one of the pirate games—mega-movies like Pirates of the Caribbean have spawned numerous game licenses in many flavors—and insist that all visitors talk like pirates from the minute they walk in the door. Model the behavior while wearing a pirate tricorne or eye patch. Make extras to hand out—and not just to the kiddies.
Playtime is no time to be shy or reticent. So what if someone thinks it’s hokey? The important thing is to go out and play.
| Author Information |
| Liz Danforth (@LizDanforth), MLS, an Arizona-basedpart-time librarian who also works as a freelance game illustrator/designer/developer, writer, and library consultant, blogs at www.libraryjournal.com |
