Back when I was growing up, it was a big deal when libraries introduced VHS movies to their collection of books. Now libraries are introducing the first-ever National Gaming Day on November 15 (www.ala.org/ngd08). On Saturday, hundreds of libraries across the country will join the American Library Association (ALA) to celebrate the popularity, as well as the recreational and educational value of traditional board games and videogames.

During National Gaming Day, public, school, and academic libraries will participate in two national events. The first is an attempt to establish a record for the most number of people playing the board game "Pictureka!" on the same day at the library. Hasbro donated the new board game to 16,000 public libraries in the U.S. The game is basically a frenzied version of finder's keeper's. That game is also available from Electronic Arts in videogame form.

Library gamers will also participate in a national videogame tournament via the Web. Players of all ages and experience levels will be able to see how they rank on local, regional and national leaderboards. The video game tournament is made possible by free Web-based tools provided by Ann Arbor (MI) District Library. For the more traditional gamers, libraries will offer a variety of role-playing games from Wizards of the Coast like the pen-and-paper Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering Trading Card Game.

According to ALA President Jim Rettig, not only have videogames increased library usage from hard-to-reach-teens, research found that videogames attract a variety of users and are a great vehicle to teach basic technology skills.

A study of adult gaming at the Public Library of Charlotte Mecklenburg County (NC) found that patrons who attended gaming events at the library were more open to using other services. Also, libraries around the country report young users who have come to the library for free access to games often visit the library again to take advantage of other free resources such as homework help programs.

In June 2008, the ALA received a $1 million grant from the Verizon Foundation to study how library gaming activities improve children's problem-solving and literacy skills. During the two-year project, the ALA will work directly with public, school, and academic libraries to document the use of gaming as a learning and literacy tool.

Libraries sure have come a long way. What better way to fight recession than checking out games for free at your local library