Summer is in full swing. At the North Plains Public Library this means that our 12 computers are being used during the day even more than during the rest of the year. The other day there was quite a wait for access and we had a building full of young people. Nice!

I spent some time chatting with the various groups but the whole time I was wishing I had some board games (other than Scrabble) that I could bring out to engage them while they waited. I learned a bit about so called German or European board games at Computers in Libraries in April, but I also have a serious board gamer on staff. When I mentioned the idea of us getting some games for times when there’s an opportunity to engage people with content I could tell he was into it. In response he emailed me a list of potential games. I asked Adam if it was okay and I’m sharing the list here.

Games for all ages and skills:

• *Lost Cities: set collecting card game, 2 player, 30 minutes to play
• *Blokus: abstract strategy game, 1-4, best with 4 players, 20 minute game
• For Sale: auction card game, 3-6 players, 20 minute game
• Hey! That’s My Fish: abstract strategy, 2-4 player, best w/ three, 20 minutes
• Coloretto: set collection card game, 2-5, best w/ four players, 30 minutes
• Gulo Gulo: action/dexterity childrens game, 2-6, best w/ three players, 20 minutes

Older kids games (short):

• *Hive: abstract strategy, 2 player, 20 minutes
• Mr Jack: deduction game, 2 player, 30 minutes
• *Wings of War - Famous Aces: WW1 simulation card game, 2-4, best with four players, 30 minutes

Older kids games (longer, more involved):

• *Ticket to Ride: transportation hand management game, 2-5, best with 4 players, 45 minutes
• Pandemic: co-operative play environmental game, 2-4, best with 4 players, 45 minutes
• *Samurai: tile placement, area control game, 2-4, best with 2 players, 45 minutes
• Ingenious: abstract strategy, tile placement game, 1-4, best with 2 players, 45 minutes
• Through the Desert: abstract strategy, tile placement game, 2-5, best with 3 players, 45 minutes

He continues:

I tried to pick games that were easy to learn, short, and didn’t have a lot of pieces to lose. I’ve only played about half of these games and I starred those. You can lookup any of these games and get tons of info on them at boardgamegeek.com - That’s where I’m getting my info. As you can see I’m a board game geek. Maybe some of these suggestions will peak your own interest to play…I own “Samurai” and “Ticket to Ride” if you’re interested some time.

You bet I am. Maybe our at next staff meeting we’ll just play “Ticket to Ride!”

Bonus links
Just in case you haven’t seen them yet, these posts from Library Gamer discuss AASL standards and board games:

• AASL Standards Pt. I: Inquire, think critically and gain knowledge
• Board Games & AASL Standards Pt. II: Draw conclusions, make informed decisions, apply knowledge to new situations, and create new knowledge
• Board Games & AASL Standards Pt. III: Share knowledge and participate ethically and productively as members of our democratic society & Pursue personal and aesthetic growth
  

• Ladytron – Sugar: http://www.last.fm/music/Ladytron #
• @HiddenPeanuts http://is.gd/Pn2 ? and a rebuttal http://is.gd/Pn4 #
• what else am i going to do for 3h on a wed morning besides bake a lemon meringue pie? #

• “Napoleon Dynamite” at the library tonight. Candy prizes for costumes/Pedro shirts. Sweet! #
• Chromatics – Tick Of The Clock: http://www.last.fm/music/Chromatics #

Like books or libraries? Have an iPhone or iPod Touch? Then just maybe you’ll want to download some of these nifty library-ish iPhone wallpapers. I made them while half watching “Napoleon Dynamite” during a summer reading program event tonight.

Click through to flickr for the full size 320×480 images.

If you happen to like many of the designs you can download a zip file with all of them: iphonewallpaper.zip. Enjoy!

I stumbled upon this great scene in the library today and it made me happy. There’s probably an opportunity here…

A friend invited me to join Plurk, yet another status updating site. I joined not because I need another place to microblog but just to check it out. There are a few neat things about the site, two of which I’d like to point out here:

Tweets, er plurks, are displayed on a timeline. I like this. I also love the fact that the timeline progresses from right to left. It took me a second to get accustomed to it, but I love that it isn’t what I think of as the typical flow. It makes good sense considering we, at least in the US and many other places, read from left to right. There’s no need to scroll for new content.

[time from right to left - click for big]

 
Another feature that I really like is that Plurk gets better, or at least give more options, as you invest more time in it. Through a reputation system they call karma, plurk rewards users for making connections, starting conversations, updating profile information, inviting friends, etc… It also takes karma points away for spamming, being defriended and the like. Attaining a certain level of karma opens up options to let you customize your profile with different colors and designs.


[you can do more with karma points]

There’s something to this. I had no time or effort invested in Plurk but I instantly wanted to raise my karma. It reminded me of wanting to level up in Game Neverending. There’s no real reason to do it, but it’s still compelling.

Is there a place for this in our OPACs and websites? Would it be wrong to actually reserve some fun options (assuming our web presences have some fun options) to reward use?

I don’t know if I’ll end up using the site much, but for what its worth, you can friend me at http://www.plurk.com/user/walkingpaper. At the very least you’ll get some karma points!

• in my non-library life: http://www.crossfitportland.com/archives/315 #
• have you noticed that worldcat.org has nice URLs? http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/32703992 #
• Ladytron – Commodore Rock: http://www.last.fm/music/Ladytron #

I suspect that the majority of library users out there are repeat visitors. They’ve gotten over whatever barriers to service we erect and have made the library a part of their lives. I’ve been able to recognize, at least by face if not by name, most of the people coming to the points of service I’ve worked in libraries.

I’ve also noticed people’s library use getting deeper as more time passes. Perhaps at first they come in to to simply check out a DVD or use a computer. After more visits during which the relationship is grown they’re more apt to talk about the book they’re checking out, or ask for some help.

This makes sense. Engaging strangers in smalltalk is one thing, but in a library setting there’s often little motivation to go beyond that. So besides being friendly and open, how can libraries and librarians build relationships with people?

Museum 2.0 has some advice that certainly pertains to in-house (and online) library services:

Creating a place for participation is not enough. To design spaces that encourage participation, you have to find ways to offer users mediating objects, rules, and events, and enough non-uniformity to allow intimate moments to slip through. And the hardest part? You have to do it in a way that feels accidental, surprising, and authentic. Otherwise you just become another guy in a bunny suit, people hurriedly passing by.

I’m immediately reminded of the Thinkering Spaces that Jenny Levine has been posting about. The bit about “mediating objects, rules and events” makes me think that libraries should offer more content (maybe specifically story) creation projects for people in the library.

See the rest of the post at Museum 2.0 for her list of “list of conditions for non-compulsory participatory encounters with strangers.”

• google maps opac mashup http://www2.kfpl.ca/z3950/ajax/try4.html #
• PDF menus are the worst. good on the rogue pub in north plains for going HTML, even though it looks like a 1997 angelfire site #
• 26 days of straight uptime for the MBPro is nothing to complain about. #

In the latest Multnomah County Library Newsletter, a nice little plug for RSS. Good for people who are already in the RSS know, and good for those still get to discover the joys.