The bad news: our main campus library just announced it's cutting hours because of budget cuts and reduced student demand.
The good news! Our brand new 3,000 square foot E-sports center with 55 new MSI Trident gaming computers, 3 65" and 3 86" screens for livecasting games is now open!
@djvanness@academicchatter when admin says libraries have reduced demand, they are always either lying, using inaccurate metrics, or have refused to adapt their library (ies) to people's actual needs. This contrast is jarring but usefully revealing.
@mviktoro@djvanness@academicchatter Yes, library news is sad, but I'd appreciate the new facilities at the same time. Imo, videogames seem still underestimated as a medium and are usually far from just "entertainment". Maybe different budgets/years, it seems the new facility is already built, thus financed earlier? Lower student demand in a library can be due to increasing ease of digital availability? I wouldn't construct a conflict here (although there may be one - no judgement made).
@rglueckler@mviktoro@academicchatter you're missing a lot of context here about a new budget model at the university and the decimation of our neighbor flagship state University to the south (#WVU) over similar policies prioritizing buildings over people.
@academicchatter@nelso477@djvanness@rglueckler I’m not sure if the relation is there or not to Joe Paterno but good catch. Tbh the naming of buildings is often contractual if someone has been a donor so there may not be anything the university can do about it until terms expire/if they do
video games aren’t something everyone enjoys or indulges in, so much like overspending on sports facilities, allocating scarce budget like this benefits some at the expense of many. Unlike video game centres, libraries are essential. The number of students who don’t either directly or indirectly use library services is nil- either you study there OR you need access to the collections, 1/
but one way or another you need to use the liberty. That’s not even counting faculty and other researchers who rely on library staff to procure hard-to-get direct sources for research. Without those services faculty, scholarship and students who want to learn from knowledge producers suffer. 2/
video game creator courses may or may not be part of the curriculum of this college (im not sure) - if they are, my question would be whether a gaming Center directly enables learning and produces better learning outcomes. If they aren’t, see point 1
resources are always scarce. The conflict is there whether you want it or not. And learning institutions are under attack currently. It’s vital we protect them
(Genuinely) not to be pedantic but it's helpful to explicitly distinguish between various interpretations of "gaming center."
The original article refers to E-Sports. I would place E-Sports in the same general category as tennis courts (i.e. student recreation).
However, it's important to not inadvertently lump those in with various university game labs / centers focusing on non-entertainment games (e.g. games for physical rehabilitation or public health).
Advancing our knowledge and use of digital games for prosocial purposes is, among other things, intended to encourage future generations to value media literacy and critical thinking.
⭐ Some design decisions we've made around our prosocial games are intended to make it easier for students to access them in libraries.
@djvanness@crecente@academicchatter@rglueckler Thanks Drew -indeed, tried to cover this in point 2. If there is any argument for it having any use for improving learning outcomes or providing experiential learning for game dev or other courses that would indeed be something worth considering (and once again balancing again other critical needs, imho the library still ranks higher based on per capita use). But it looks like that’s not the case
@mviktoro@djvanness@academicchatter Thanks for your responses! You raise good points that I agree with. But regarding 1) and 2) I feel that this new facility can be used for many more purposes than "just" videogame-focused studies, and this is a part of my point reg. underestimation. Since it is a digital medium we talk about it can be used in many ways, including giving hands-on examples in e.g. history or physics that would be impossible in a lecture hall. I totally agree with 3).
@djvanness@academicchatter Another university, maybe In Vermont, announced last year they were shutting down the library building and repurposing it. IIRC, the plan was eventually overturned after a campus outcry.
@djvanness@academicchatter This post makes me a bit sad. Triggers flashbacks to all the lazy rivers and climbing walls we were subjected to on college tours with my kids. Mostly at the largest public universities.
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