- 291 views
- 216 downloads
"It's Dangerous to Go Alone! Take This": Video Games and the Library Catalogue
-
- Author(s) / Creator(s)
-
Introduction: Video games are becoming increasingly important items in library collections but this has not been accompanied by metadata and cataloguing practices that sufficiently describe games in ways that are relevant to video gamers. This research asks: to what extent do the Edmonton Public Libraries video game catalogue records convey relevant information about these items to video gamers?
Methodology: Catalogue records of 58 video games in the Edmonton Public Libraries collection were analyzed and coded. A set of metadata elements based on the work of Lee et al. (2013b; 2016) that are relevant to the information needs of video gamers was used as a framework for coding. The social elements present in records were also open coded.
Findings: While basic information is present in the catalogue record, there is much information specifically related to video games that is left out. Furthermore, social elements that provide insight into what information video gamers find valuable are largely unsearchable in the catalogue.
Originality/Value: This is the only study that looks at the video game records of a specific library. It also suggests improvements that can be implemented without drastically changing cataloguing practices. These findings can then be applied to other library systems in order to help facilitate engagement with patrons about video games.
-
- Date created
- 2019-02-08
-
- Subjects / Keywords
-
- Type of Item
- Conference/Workshop Poster