Games, Play and Gamification in the Bucharest Metropolitan Library as Seen through Facebook Posts

Authors

  • Paula-Grațiela Cernamoriț PhD student, Doctoral School in Communication Sciences, Faculty of Journalism and Communication Studies, University of Bucharest, Romania

Keywords:

public library, Romania, social media, Conceptual model of the library gaming experience, content analysis

Abstract

Games, play and gamification, used in organized public library programs, are ways in which libraries can attract a larger audience, especially those who are not yet interested in reading. In this way, contact with the library would enable them to find out about other resources that these cultural institutions offer, thus encouraging them to become regular patrons of non-game services. This paper aims to find out whether these new ways have been used in activities carried out with the public in the Bucharest Metropolitan Library. Research on games, play and gamification in public libraries is very limited in Romania and it could benefit researchers and librarians alike. A content analysis was done on the posts made on Facebook in 2023 by the Bucharest Metropolitan Library. The findings of the study showed that games, play and gamification were used mostly in thematic activities combined with reading, learning and creative workshops. Collaboration with institutions, associations and other organizations has increased the quality of the services offered. The research is valuable in that it presents activities in which librarians have used games, play and gamification, thus offering ideas for all Romanian librarians who could implement these tools on a larger scale in our public libraries.

References

*** (1974, July 10). Why Not Make Up Your Own Game. New York Times. Retrieved from

https://www.nytimes.com/1974/07/10/archives/why-not-make-up-your-own-game.html, date:

09.2024.

*** (2002). Legea bibliotecilor din România Nr. 334/Romanian Library Law No. 334. Ministerul

Justiției din Romania. Retrieved from https://legislatie.just.ro/Public/DetaliiDocument/58841, date:

09.2024.

*** (2011). Find the Future at NYPL: The Game [Video]. You Tube. Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTAIBv-oVYk, date: 11.09.2024.

*** (2023). Regulamentul concursului regional “Vânătoarea de lectură în biblioteci”, ediția a III-a,

an școlar 2023-2024/Rules of the regional competition “Reading Hunt in Libraries”, 3rd Edition,

School Year 2023-2024. Casa Corpului Didactic București. Retrieved from https://www.ccdbucuresti.

org/images/PDF/Biblioteca/2023-2024-Vanatoarea/Regulament_Vanatoarea3.pdf, date:

09.2024.

*** (2023). Târgul Regional de Știință și Tehnologie pentru Copii - CODE Kids FEST - Brăila

/Regional Science and Technology Fair for Children - CODE Kids FEST - Brăila 2023. Biblioteca

Județeană “Panait Cerna” Tulcea. Retrieved from https://tulcealibrary.ro/targul-regional-de-stiinta-sitehnologie-

pentru-copii-code-kids-fest-braila-2023/, date: 11.09.2024.

*** (2024). Vacanța la Ludotecă/Holiday at the Toy Library. Biblioteca Județeană “Panait Cerna”

Tulcea Facebook page. Retrieved from

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=489162740736141&ref=sharing, date: 11.09.2024.

*** (n.d.). Biblioteca Metropolitană București: Colecții și servicii/Bucharest Metropolitan Library:

Collections and services. Wikipedia. Retrieved from

https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblioteca_Metropolitan%C4%83_Bucure%C8%99ti, date: 11.09.2024.

*** (n.d.). Cluburi de vacanță 2024/Holiday clubs 2024. Biblioteca Județeană “Panait Cerna” Tulcea.

Retrieved from https://tulcealibrary.ro/%f0%9f%8e%89cluburi-de-vacanta-2024/, date: 11.09.2024.

*** (n.d.). Code Kids - Programează viitorul comunității tale/Code Kids - Program the future of your

community. Progress Foundation. Retrieved from https://www.progressfoundation.ro/coding/, date:

09.2024.

*** (n.d.). Filiale/Subsidiary. Bucharest Metropolitan Library. Retrieved from https://bibmet.ro/, date:

09.2024.

*** (n.d.). Makerspace. County Library “Panait Istrati” Braila. Retrieved from

https://www.bjbraila.ro/makerspace/, date: 11.09.2024.

*** (n.d.). SmartLab-Tehnologie modernă pentru toți elevii din județul Călărași/SmartLab-Modern

technology for all students in Călărași County. Biblioteca Județeană “Alexandru Odobescu” Călărași.

Retrieved from https://www.bjcalarasi.ro/smartlab/, date: 11.09.2024.

Adams, S. S. (2007). The case for video games in libraries. Library Review, 58(3), 196-202.

Alvarez, V. (2017). Engaging students in the library through tabletop gaming. Knowledge Quest, 45(4),

-48.

Branston, C. (2006). From game studies to bibliographic gaming: libraries tap into the video game

culture. Bulletin of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 32(40), 24-29.

Broussard, M. J. S. (2013). No Muggles in the Library Tonight! Harry Potter Night at an Academic

Library. Library Trends, 61(4), 814-824.

Brown, S. & Vaughan, C. (2010). Play: How it shapes the brain, opens the imagination, and invigorates

the soul. New York: Avery.

Burkhardt, A. (2013). Taking games in libraries seriously. Games in education. Retrieved from

https://mcpress.media-commons.org/gamesineducation/taking-games-in-libraries-seriously/, date:

09.2024.

Copeland, T., Henderson, B., Mayer, B., & Nicholson, S. (2013). Three different paths for tabletop

gaming in school libraries. Library Trends, 61(4), 825-835.

Cornea-Duțu, S. (2023). O misiune literară emulativă: Vânătoarea de lectură în biblioteci/An emulative

literary mission: the library reading hunt. Atelier Didactic/Didactic Workshop, 23, 18-19. Retrieved

from https://www.ccdbucuresti.

org/images/PDF/Revista/REVISTA_AUGUST_2023_Atelier_Didactic.pdf.

Downie, S. & Proulx, S. (2022). Investigating the role of gamification in public libraries’ literacycentered

youth programming. International Journal of Play, 11(4), 382-404.

Felker, K. (2014). Accidental technologist: Gamification in libraries. Reference & User Services

Quarterly, 54(2), 19-23.

Gee, J. P. (2012). Digital games and libraries. Knowledge Quest, 41(1), 60-64.

Grant, R. (2021). The Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library: How Memphis Created the Nation’s Most

Innovative Public Library. Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved from

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/memphis-created-nations-innovative-public-library-

/, date: 11.09.2024.

Gray, P., Erdahl S. A., & Tatgenhorst, L. (2022). Public Libraries as Centers for Play. American Journal

of Play, 14(2), 131-148.

Haasio, A. & Madge, O.-L. (2020). Gamification and games in the libraries. Proceedings of the 16th

International Scientific Conference “eLearning sustainment for never-ending learning”, April 30th -

May 1st.

Haasio, A., Madge, O. L., & Harviainen, J. T. (2021). Games, Gamification and Libraries. New Trends

and Challenges in Information Science and Information Seeking Behaviour: Lecture Notes in Networks

and Systems, 127-137.

Hill, C. (2016). Play On: The Use of Games in Libraries. The Christian Librarian, 59(1), 34-42.

Howe, N. & Strauss, W. (2000). Millennials rising: The next great generation. New York: Vintage

Books.

Huizinga, J. (1949). Homo ludens: a study of the play-element in culture. London: Routledge and Kegan

Paul.

Jackson, L. A., Witt, E. A., Games, A. I., Fitzgerald, H. E., von Eye, A., & Zhao, Y. (2012). Information

technology use and creativity: Findings from the Children and Technology Project. Computers in

Human Behavior, 28, 370-376.

Kapp, K. M. (2012). The gamification of learning and instruction: Game-based methods and strategies

for training and education. San Francisco: Pfeiffer.

Kim, B. (2015). Gamification in Education and Libraries. Library Technology Reports, 51(2), 20-28.

Leavy, P. (2017). Research Design. Quantitative, Qualitative, Mixed Methods, Arts-Based, and

Community-Based Participatory Research Approaches. New York: The Guilford Press.

Levine, J. (2008). Gaming and libraries update: Broadening the intersections. Library Technology

Reports, 44, 3.

Levine, J. (2009, July). Libraries, Videogames and Civic Engagement. American Library Association,

Retrieved from https://journals.ala.org/index.php/ltr/article/view/4334/5001.

Lipschultz, D. (2009). Gaming @ Your Library. American Libraries, 40(1&2), 40-44. Retrieved from

https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/0109.pdf.

Liurcă, V. (2023). Istoria unui premiu întâi - Vânătoarea de lectură în biblioteci/The story of a first

prize - Library Reading Hunt. Atelier Didactic, 23, 15-17. Retrieved from https://www.ccdbucuresti.

org/images/PDF/Revista/REVISTA_AUGUST_2023_Atelier_Didactic.pdf.

Madge, O.-L. & Coșerea, L. (2014). Provocarea Facebook pentru bibliotecile publice din România/The

Facebook challenge for public libraries in Romania. Studii de Biblioteconomie şi Ştiinţa Informării, 18,

-90/91-95.

Madge, O.-L. (2009). Strategic model for implementing knowledge management in libraries and

information services. Studii de Biblioteconomie şi Ştiinţa Informării,13, 89-105.

Madge, O.-L. (2010). Managementul cunoaşterii în biblioteci/Knowledge Management in Libraries.

Studii de Biblioteconomie şi Ştiinţa Informării, 14, 85-98.

Madge, O.-L. (2016). The Current Role of Librarians and Future Challenges for Academic Libraries in

Romania. Studii de Biblioteconomie și Știința Informării, 20, 61-68.

Madge, O.-L. (2017). Current Stage of Application of the Knowledge Management Process in

Romanian Academic Libraries. Proceedings of the 13th International Scientific Conference “eLearning

and software for education” - Could technology support learning efficiency?, Workshop Knowledge

Management from Digital Literacy to Data Scientist, Bucharest, Romania, April 27th-28th). Retrieved

from http://www.elseconference.eu/papers/view.

Madge, O.-L. (2018). Academic libraries in Romania: Cooperation and partnerships as seen through

the eyes of library directors. Library Management, 39(8/9), 625-634.

Neiburger, E. (2007). Gamers in the Library?: The Why, What, and How of Videogame Tournaments

for All Ages. Chicago: American Library Association.

Nicholson, S. (2008a). Finish your games so you can start your schoolwork: A look of gaming in school

libraries. Library Media Connection, 26(5), 52-55. Retrieved from

https://schoollibraryconnection.com/content/article/2148991.

Nicholson, S. (2008b). Modern board games: It’s not a Monopoly any more. Library Technology

Reports, 44(3), 8-10, 38-39. Retrieved from https://scottnicholson.com/pubs/modernboardgames.pdf.

Nicholson, S. (2008c). Games in Libraries: Myths and Realities. NYLA Bulletin, 56(4), 3. Retrieved

from https://scottnicholson.com/pubs/fivemyths.pdf.

Nicholson, S. (2009a). Why Gaming? Goals for Gaming Programs in Libraries. Digitale Bibliotheek,

(1), 17. Retrieved from https://scottnicholson.com/pubs/whygamingbiblio.pdf.

Nicholson, S. (2009b). Library Gaming Experiences on a tight budget. Digitale Bibliotheek, 1(7), 23.

Retrieved from https://scottnicholson.com/pubs/tightbudget.pdf.

Nicholson, S. (2010a). Everyone Plays at the Library: Creating Great Gaming Experiences for all

Ages. New Jersey: Information Today.

Nicholson, S. (2010b). Gaming and literacy: exploring the connections. Digitale Bibliothek, 2(4), 42. Retrieved

from https://scottnicholson.com/pubs/gamingliteracy.pdf.

Nicholson, S. (2010c). A Conceptual Model of the Library Gaming Experience. Everyone Plays at the

Library: Creating Great Gaming Experiences for All Ages, pp. 23-30. New Jersey: Information Today.

Retrieved from https://scottnicholson.com/pubs/conceptualmodel.pdf.

Nicholson, S. (2012). A User-Centered Theoretical Framework for Meaningful Gamification. Paper

presented at Games+Learning+Society 8.0, Madison, WI. Retrieved from

https://scottnicholson.com/pubs/meaningfulframework.pdf.

Nicholson, S. (2013). Playing in the past: A history of games, toys, and puzzles in North American

libraries. The Library Quarterly: Information, Community, Policy, 83(4), 341-361. Retrieved from

https://scottnicholson.com/pubs/playinginthepast.pdf.

Nicholson, S. (2014). Exploring the endgame of gamification. Rethinking Gamification, pp. 289-303.

Meson Press. Retrieved from https://meson.press/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/9783957960016-

rethinking-gamification.pdf.

Ordas, A. (2015). Engaging Library Visitors Through Gamification. Princh Library Blog. Retrieved

from https://princh.com/blog-engaging-library-visitors-through-gamification-interview-ana-ordas/,

date: 11.09.2024.

Phetteplace, E. & Felker, K. (2014). Gamification in Libraries. Reference & User Services Quarterly,

(2), 19-23.

Porumbeanu, O.-L. (2003). Utilizatorii și intermediarii de informații și documente în epoca

contemporană/Users and intermediaries of information and documents in contemporary times.

București: Editura Universității din București.

Porumbeanu, O.-L. (2009). Is electronic always the right choice? Proceedings of ICML (The

International Congress on Medical Librarianship) “Positioning the Proffession”, Brisbane, Australia,

August 31st - September 4th, 5-14.

Pun, R. (2016). Winning Ways to Gamify. Computers in libraries, 36(9), 12-15. Retrieved from

https://www.proquest.com/docview/1843061008.

Ralli, J. & Payne, R. G. (2016). Let’s Play at the Library: Creating Innovative Play Experiences for

Babies and Toddlers. Library Trends, 65(1), 41-63.

Rudeanu, L. & Huiu, M. (2023). Lectura în era digitală. Vânătoarea de lectură în biblioteci-Proiect de

succes al CCD București/Reading in the digital age. Reading Hunt in Libraries-Successful project of

CCD Bucharest. Atelier Didactic, 23, 13-14. Retrieved from https://www.ccdbucuresti.

org/images/PDF/Revista/REVISTA_AUGUST_2023_Atelier_Didactic.pdf.

Rumsey, D. J. (2013). Statistics for dummies. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons.

Schiesel, S. (2008). Taking Play Seriously at the Public Library With Young Video Gamers. The New York

Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/22/books/22games.html, date: 11.09.2024.

Schwarzwalder, J. (2014, July 2). Gamification of Summer Reading. Yalsa. Retrieved from

http://yalsa.ala.org/blog/2014/07/02/gamification-of-summer-reading/, date: 11.09.2024.

Scott, R. (2011). The Role of Public Libraries in Community Building. Public Library Quarterly, 30(3),

-227.

Seay, J. A. (2018). Considering Games and Gamification in Libraries & Associated Entities -The “G”

Word. Against the Grain, 30(4), 68-69.

Snape, R. (1992). Betting, billiards and smoking: Leisure in public libraries. Leisure Studies, 11(3), 187-199.

Tang, Y. (2021). Help first-year college students to learn their library through an augmented reality

game. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 47(1).

Walsh, A. (2014). The Potential for Using Gamification in Academic Libraries in Order to Increase

Student Engagement and Achievement. Nordic Journal of Information Literacy in Higher Education,

(1), 39-51.

Werner, K. (2013). Bringing Them In: Developing a Gaming Program for the Library. Library Trends,

(4), 790-801.

Willett, R. (2018). Learning through Making in Public Libraries: Theories, Practices, and Tensions.

Learning, Media, and Technology, 43(250), 62.

Zichermann, G. & Cunningham, C. (2011). Gamification by design: Implementing game mechanics in

web and mobile apps, 1st ed. Sebastopol: O’Reilly Media.

Downloads

Published

2024-12-20

How to Cite

Cernamoriț, P.-G. (2024). Games, Play and Gamification in the Bucharest Metropolitan Library as Seen through Facebook Posts. Acta Universitatis Danubius. Communicatio, 18(1), 76–119. Retrieved from https://dj.univ-danubius.ro/index.php/AUDC/article/view/2988

Issue

Section

Communication and Artificial Intelligence