Nathan,
Hello! Our library does not offer esports access specifically but it is happening all around us. The college has an esports team and it is big part of student culture https://www.rit.edu/news/esports https://rochesterbeacon.com/2022/04/07/the-emergence-of-esports/
Nearby at St. John Fisher they have a Gaming Lab for students aimed at relaxation vs academic programs. https://sjfc.presence.io/organization/fisher-gaming-club At RIT we have academic programs and dedicated labs for students studying game design and participating on esports teams but not for leisure. This is partly because so many students have laptops for gaming already. But I am thinking the St. John Fisher gaming lab might be a nice academic analog for you.
Plus the Rochester NY area has had esports cafes come and go. Right now Great Lakes Gaming Lounge https://www.glgaminglounges.com/gaming-lounge seems to be still open. Another local café called Nerdvana offer video games and board games though from the website hard to tell the scope of the video games https://nerdvanaroc.com/ I suggest maybe also contacting some esports, LAN and video game cafes like these to ask your questions in addition to any libraries that offer these services. Though the financing and profit motive are different it is possible the logistics issues and maybe assessment are similar or can offer a jumping off point for your planning. Ignore if you've already gone down this route.
Best of luck with this!
Jennifer
Jennifer Freer
Reference Librarian
Research and Instruction Services
Rochester Institute of Technology
https://infoguides.rit.edu/businesslibrarian
W: 585-475-7731
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-----Original Message-----
From: Code for Libraries <[log in to unmask]> On Behalf Of Sonnenschein, Nathan
Sent: Wednesday, July 26, 2023 1:56 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [CODE4LIB] Esports/Gaming PCs in Academic Libraries
Hello all,
Does anyone have experience with esports/gaming PCs in academic libraries? If so, I would love to hear from you!
At my library, we are considering creating a small esports area with 4 dedicated computers (to start, at least). Surprisingly, the university has never delved into esports before, so I am hoping to potentially use these computers to seed a student club, library events centered around competitive gaming, or (eventually) collegiate/level leagues. We have strong collaborators in our campus IT department, and we have potential to involve other campus partners such as campus rec, athletics, student engagement, etc.
As I start preparing a proposal, I would love to hear some perspectives from libraries that have pursued this trajectory.
* What challenges have you faced?
* Were the computers built in-house or purchased from a manufacturer (e.g., Alienware)?
* What outreach/programming have been most successful?
* What promotion methods have been most successful?
* Do you offer headphones or other accessories for checkout?
* How have you approached assessment/evaluation?
Thank you!
Nathan Sonnenschein (he/him)
User Services & Experience Librarian
Montana State University Billings Library
LI 219 | 406.657.1665 | Meet with me!<[log in to unmask]" target="_blank">https:[log in to unmask]>
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