Public Libraries Take Information Literacy to the Next Stage

People love playing games at libraries. National Gaming Day, only in its second year, is an annual event sponsored by the American Library Association which has more than doubled its numbers from 2008. More than 1,360 libraries registered to participate, including libraries in Canada and Japan. But this is more than just a once-a-year phenomenon. In the past decade, technology has taken the age-old library model to the next level. By adopting interactive, gaming trends, modern-day libraries help open doors to the world of virtual, hands-on learning in ways never seen before. National Gaming Day, organizers say, offers a glimpse into that world. "The event was designed to promote awareness that you can actually play at the library and that it's OK," said Jenny Levine, strategy guide for the American Library Association. "There's this stereotype that you have to be quiet, people will shush you and you have to sit by yourself at a table. That's not true anymore."