The tumbelog teendrama picked this up - the writer's pal spied the multiplayer shenanigans in the New York Public Library. The guy above brought in a monitor, Xbox, wireless router, what looks like a Turtle Beach Ear Force gaming headset (I have one), and an external hard drive. His controller is concealed by yesterday's New York Post.

"He proceeded to play Quake/Halo/Call of Duty," says the photographer, "some nerd fighter game while yelling out instructions to his 'teammates.'"

Small wonder then, that it "took him 20 minutes to set it all up. Took him 2 minutes to get kicked out."

Awesome. Grellan Spies a Guy Who Snuck an Xbox [dpstyles.tumblr.com. Picture by dynatrite, at Flickr]

Libraries around the country, from the Library of Congress, to university and community libraries, are beginning to archive, collect and even check-out video games.

A 2007 study found that of the more than 400 libraries surveyed, a quarter of them said they had PC games available at their location to be checked out and nearly 20 percent said they checked out console games.

But why would a place of learning become a home to gaming?

Scott Nicholson, associate professor and library scientist at Syracuse University's School of Information Studies and the Library Game Lab of Syracuse, said there are three main goals libraries have for including video games in their collections.

They do so to provide a new service for those who aren't coming to the library, to help the library grow in its role as a community hub and to provide a service alongside existing library services like book clubs or story time.

Some libraries even have events where people can play the games inside the library, Nicholson added.

"Gaming in the library provides users with a chance to meet other people in their community who are not in their normal school or work life - people far outside their typical demographic boundaries," he said. "The library has become a place not just for taking materials home, but for engaging with others in the same physical community.

"Communities on the Web typically are from many different areas - communities in the library are people who all live and pay taxes in the same physical space."

And, Nicholson points out, games have been in libraries since the 1850s in one form or another.

"Video games are simply one current manifestation of an activity that has been in libraries for decades," he said. "Along with video games, some libraries support many other forms of gaming - board, card, (role-playing games), and big games."

The inclusion of games and video games aren't just limited to public, community libraries. Universities and research libraries have also started including them. Even the Library of Congress is in the midst of a video game archiving effort.

Recently the Universty of Colorado at Boulder announced they were considering adding playable video game consoles in their library as part of a commons area, which also houses a café.

CU outreach librarian Deborah Fink told the university paper that the center could provide a break to students.

"I think education is waking up to the fact that we are whole beings," she told the Colorado Daily. "We know it's important to take breaks and to refresh yourself."

Nicholson says the inclusion of a gaming area is no different than having a coffee shop in a university library.

"The cafe does not support the mission of the library, but draws people in and makes the library a more comfortable space for people to explore information and get to know each other," he said. "Gaming is a similar activity - if the goal of the library is to be a place for relaxation and socialization, then it fits into that goal."

The inclusion of video games in libraries isn't much different than earlier movements to include pieces of art, movies and music as items that could be checked out.

By opening the door to video games, libraries and communities nationwide are reflecting the growing importance of gaming not only as part of today's popular culture but as a medium that can confront serious issues and spur emotional and intellectual debate.

Well Played is a weekly news and opinion column about the big stories of the week in the gaming industry and its bigger impact on things to come. Feel free to join in the discussion.

Good thing, then, that the American Library Association is prepared with an answer for me and librarians nationwide.

This past November, nearly 600 libraries checked out more than 14,000 games on National Gaming Day. But why?

Adding games to the growing list of content that libraries check out helps establish the neighborhood library as a third place, a community gathering spot between home and work or school. That third place, according to the Librarian's Guide to Gaming, encourages play, socialization and cultural enrichment.

More interesting, though, is the association's take on the importance of gaming and play.

"Board games, card games, and videogames are, in essence, information, and the human act of telling stories, presented in new formats that involve the player. Games may fulfill a library's mission to provide cultural, recreational, and entertaining materials; to provide academic curriculum support; or to provide resources and support their industry or profession."

I would argue that gaming also helps children and teenagers prepare for life's challenges in a non-threatening way, allowing them to confront problems in a setting that allows for failure, and teaches through it.

The site is a fantastic jumping off point for lots of fascinating discussion, including a look at the connection between literacy and gaming, the cathartic effect of gaming, the health aspects of gaming and the importance and nature of fun play.

Jim Rettig, president of the association, sums up the values of gaming in libraries best:

"Games of every type play an important role in developing fundamental competencies for life. They require players to learn and follow complex sets of rules, make strategic and tactical decisions, and, increasingly, collaborate with teammates and others: all things they will have to do in college and in the workforce."

I'm convinced, hopefully this more formal roll-out of gaming through libraries will help to convince others as well.

The Librarian's Guide to Gaming [ALA, via Joystiq]

"They may look at it and go 'Phhht, I get more out of a video,' " Fix said. "But board games can always change; video games like Halo or Guitar Hero always have the same result. ...We're not saying there's anything wrong with video games. They can be fun, but there are some great board games out there."

Interestingly, I had a similar experience with a board game gone virtual recently. I had grabbed Carcassone when it was free on XBLA a while back and while I was staying with a friend, I got him to play with me on occasion. We wanted to include some other friends who weren't apt to pick up a game controller, so I went to the local board game store (who coincidentally refuses to carry any video game related items like Eye of Judgment cards) and picked up a boxed copy the game. I brought it back to the house and the hold it had on the various roomates was astonishing. Everyone in the house became instantly addicted and I found myself much preferring sitting down at the table and playing than using the XBLA version. It was a much more engrossing experience and I found my strategy was much sharper when faced with flesh and blood opponents.

While I'm not prepared to make the bold statement that board games are greater than video games, they certainly have their charm and for a truly social gaming experience, they can't be beat. Sitting around a table with friends and the tactile nature of the game with its tiles is an something you just don't get with video games. And on a side note, if you ever want to really hate your friends, get The Tower expansion pack. Friendship to bitter enemies in thirty minutes guaranteed.

New games come aboard [Detroit Free Press]

Library Wii's [WRCB TV]

...it borders on irresponsibility for a public library to sponsor an activity for kids as young as 12 that the industry itself has said is for adults.

The Library: a bastion of books, silence, nerds, old people, the homeless and now, video games. A children's librarian once told me that the only reason kids come to the library after school anymore is to use the computers to play online games. He spends more time signing kids up for computers and making sure the kids aren't gambling than he actually helps people with books. So, I was interested to see this article on Bits, Bytes, Pixels and Sprites about how some libraries are using video games to lure people through their doors.

BBPS points to a story on The Shifted Librarian about a Louisiana Library Systems Administrator who is trying to get the Wii into his local branch.

The Lafayette Public Library System in Louisiana held a tournament using their Gamecube, but Systems Administrator Adam Melancon also brought in his own Wii to let folks play with. He's already started thinking about best practices (for example, put an "x" on the floor using tape so that people know where to stand or else they tend to move about and run into things!). Adam even has Friends of the Library money to buy two Wiis, four Wiimotes (controllers), and two copies of "Excite Truck" for the Library if he can just get his hands on them.

And so, the final downfall of the Public Library System begins. Soon they will be nothing more than a book museum where you go to play games and remember what it was like when you were still able to read something more lengthy than an instruction manual. Flynn De Marco

Wiibraries [The Shifted Librarian]

Video games add interactive dimension to local libraries [King County Journal]

The thriving video game library we've written about before still seems to be doing pretty well according to the Librarian himself, John Scalzo. In his look back at the library's first year of stocking video games, he's pretty pleased. They ended up with 77 games, just shy if his 100 game goal for the year. The ten most circulated games are after the jump.

It's the End of the Year As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) [Gaming Target]
Video Game Library Continues to Thrive

1. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
2 (tie). Spider-Man 2
2 (tie). Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4
2 (tie). Scaler
5. Men in Black II: Alien Escape
6 (tie). Viewtiful Joe
6 (tie). Tony Hawk's Underground 2
6 (tie). Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
9 (tie). Katamari Damacy
9 (tie). Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time