About a month ago, the American Library Association (ALA), in partnership with Verizon, named the winners of the Libraries, Literacy, and Gaming grant. Out of 390 applicants, 10 libraries were chosen to receive $5,000 to create programs that will use games (video or otherwise) to help kids and teens learn how to use technology, think critically and creatively, and explore concepts in a hands-on manner.
I am proud to say that Wayne County Public Library, my employer, was one of the 10 libraries. I am equally proud to say that I was the primary author of the grant proposal and will serve as Project Coordinator on our grant-funded project: Play Me a Story, a series of programs that use games as a springboard for creating narratives.
It’s going to be a great year for libraries as the ten grant winners implement their programs. It’s also going to be a great year for gamers. With libraries embracing games as a way to teach, the non-gaming public will (hopefully) begin to appreciate video games as something more than a recreational pursuit, and will see the educational value of good, old-fashioned play.
I want to thank the great team I have to work with at Wayne County Public Library (names withheld because I don’t have their permission and it’s way too late to call them) and the great experts giving us their advice and guidance throughout this initiative (WARNING–SHAMELESS NAME-CHECK: Beth Gallaway, Dale Lipschultz, Eli Neiburger, Scott Nicholson, plus a bunch of others). I want to give a special wave to my friend and guild leader Liz Danforth.
By the way, let me say again: 10 winners out of 390 applicants. Pretty freakin’ mind-blowing. It’s like going through Left 4 Dead on Expert without dying.
July 15, 2009 at 8:45 am |
[...] ALA 2009: What Happens in Chicago…Will Be Talked About All Over the Internet I spent the weekend (a long weekend; left this past Thursday, came home Sunday) at the 2009 national conference of the American Library Association. I was there because of activities going on relevant to the grant I helped my library win. [...]