Got a disagreement? A dance-off will settle it!
by Vladimir Cole 
{ Jan 21st 2007 at 10:02PM }
Forget for a moment that libraries are supposedly places where one can go for some quiet reading. Forget too that librarians are typically known for being shushers and squelchers of anything resembling fun. Finally, forget that there's an inverse relationship between time spent exercising and time spent sitting in a library.
Now you're ready to accept the wackiness of a situation in which a teenaged librarian uses DDR (Dance Dance Revolution) to settle disputes between patrons and to determine whether an overdue fine should be waived. Totally awesome, if completely inappropriate in a library environment.
[Via BoingBoing]
[Image via flickr user Librarian Avenger]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
IHateFrasierCrane @ Jan 21st 2007 10:07PM
I'm sorry, I didn't read the article.
I was distracted...
Xanto @ Jan 21st 2007 10:11PM
@1
TRUTH, end of story.
Sly @ Jan 21st 2007 10:13PM
Maybe traffics cops can do the same with drunks. That would be inappropriate.
refinedsugar @ Jan 21st 2007 10:22PM
@1, lol, thanks for saying the obvious.
Erik @ Jan 21st 2007 10:18PM
This is awesome
sheppy @ Jan 21st 2007 11:30PM
You know, first the story on Kotaku yesterday, now this. I know people who use the library as music downloads. All of this stuff just marches ever closer to the death of the literary world in favor of all those who think Final Fantasy's complex story is "deep."
Keep the games OUT of the fucking libraries.
Brad Mecoli @ Jan 21st 2007 10:44PM
mmm, boobies :>
raycosm @ Jan 21st 2007 11:15PM
lol #1
Catma @ Jan 21st 2007 11:15PM
dude why the hell can't I find a librarian like that? seriously though it seems like an interesting idea, and at the least get's the kid a little workout during his otherwise probably very boring job. Thumbs up to the kid and the most excellent picture
Papa @ Jan 21st 2007 11:26PM
The real question is: "Is this librarian hot?"
BrandynQ @ Jan 21st 2007 11:41PM
#9
She's a teen librarian with a DDR obsession. What do you think?
Borat @ Jan 21st 2007 11:49PM
That's right sheppy, I mean, how could it possibly be that an avid Shakespeare reader considers Final Fantasy "deep", right? Outrageous, even when you consider "deep" is such an ambiguous word... NOT!
Shibathedog @ Jan 21st 2007 11:53PM
@ #10, yeah i agree with you for the most part, but DDR has no storyline whatsoever, its more of a physical challenge to waive the fee than a play a game to wave the fee.
There ARE some games with deep storylines, as well as movies, and books, you cant just condemn a type of storytelling because typically games do have stupid storylines. The number of shitty books is FAR greater than the number of good ones (which will happen when there is that number of anything, not just books, this applies to movies, games, whatever) but you don't see me saying keep your damn books out of my arcade!!
IHateFrasierCrane @ Jan 22nd 2007 12:13AM
Ok, now that i've covered the picture (and not with paper...) for long enough to read the article, i've got to say it seems some people have taken this out of context.
It's not as if games are slowly taking over the books in said establishment, but merely a way (in this case) of settling unpaid fines. It seems fun, and good for a laugh. What if she used a game of snakes and ladders to settle fines? Or connect 4? I bet any critics wouldn't have issues.
Don't read too deep into this people.
mark @ Jan 22nd 2007 6:32PM
rofl @ #1. Well said! :D
Flash Gamer @ Jan 22nd 2007 1:04AM
This is absolutely absurd. I am all for solving disputes in a civil manner but a DDR deathmatch isn’t going to solve anything.
OrangeFurious @ Jan 22nd 2007 3:32AM
Oh dear Joystiq writer, are you even remotely familiar with the modern library? My wife is a Librarian in Los Angeles. Some notes:
1 - No, they are not places for quiet reading. Libraries have tons of civic events, book groups, DVD groups, internet access, game time, etc.
2 - I have never seen a librarian shush anyone. Technically, it would be illegal for them to tell anyone to stop talking. At most they will ask someone being very loud or abusive to quiet down.
3 - This almost has to be from a school library. Full fledged librarians at public or private libraries are required to have a Masters of Library Science. I doubt many teenagers make it through grad school.
4 - Games are not inappropriate for a library environment. Many lend games (and DVDs, CDs, books, magazines, etc) and host gaming events.
All those corrections aside, cool concept if woefully misreported.
Jerk Face @ Jan 22nd 2007 9:10AM
DDR sucks anyway. Who cares?
maire @ Jan 22nd 2007 10:21AM
fyi, we do this in our library every other saturday:
GameBlog
GameBoard
sheppy @ Jan 22nd 2007 10:25AM
You know, I have no problems with video games and their storylines. I have every problem with people telling me of the depth in FFVII, Neo Genesis Evangelion, and Halo. I have problems with places trying to be places they simply are not just for the sake of getting more people in the door.
Okay, seriously, let's put it this way. Majority of the time when such methods and events are held, it's usually to increase attendance. We have all seen this, but regardless. Let's picture, if you will, someone attempting to use a Library for it's purpose...
A young student, already weery from a full night of research only to discover many of his sources lack an unbiased opinion to use in his report. He begrudgingly grabs a quick shower, contemplates the usefullness of an entirely new outfit before searching his dresser for a complete change of clothing, snags some coffee/doubleshot/mountain dew and makes his way, groggily, towards the library.
When he arrives, he's in the midst of a local schools trip to the library. No problem, he's headed towards a section the children shouldn't even remotely be interested in. He finds a couple books and takes them to a table along with a notebook to begin the long and boring task ahead. He makes notes, cites sources, fills the two books with post it note placeholders all cross referenced with their place in the notes, and all of this is going on while a few children play Tag al around him. He notices in the books, several mentions of a case famous to his area from 40 years ago. Curiously, he heads towards the microfilms of newspapers from that time.
After searching for several minutes to find the related newspaper articles, he begins to scribble down notes as the consistant bleeps and bloops of a DS begin to wear on his nerves. Suddenly, the elderly woman slightly down the table from him begins to blurt out "Blue Blue Red Yellow Black." He just channels the annoyance away and sighs to himself.
Making his way towards the exit with his books and notes, he has to pass by the music section, where two particular unkempt individuals are having a heated discussion on whether or not Creed is totally a Pearl Jam rip off. His age targets him for this debate as they rely upon the young student to settle it. In the end, he throws out four made up band names just to confuse the music fans while they try and find the CDs he mentioned in the libraries catalog. He makes his way towards the front desk to check out and discovers a line. No worries, he'll wait.
When he becomes the second in line, suddenly the teenager, voice cracked with the onset of "manhood" begins to argue over the late fees. $1.40. The librarian points him towards a small TV with two hard metal panels in front of it as she boots up the PS2 under the desk. She removes her shoes and makes her way towards the machine as our young student begins to get annoyed. He's tired and trying to finish a term paper on time. Despite this, suddenly the air about his is filled with generically happy technobeats overloaded with the sound of ultimate lameness, orchaestra hits. After enduring two minutes of this hell, the teenager cries foul and they go again, this time on a song so sugary sweet and lyrically devoid of intelligence, even the librarian finds it annoying. Having lost again, the teenager begrudgingly pays the $1.40 for returning A Series Of Unfortunate Events 32 and Goosebumps 65 five days late. Our young student tries to understand the librarian between rapid pants of exhaustion before he finally obtains his books and tries to leave. Another librarian waits by the door to hand him out a pamplet on a Halo 2 tournament being held this Saturday.
This is my problem with the modern library. It has gone from a place of serious research and the occassional distraction to becoming a three ring circus pandering to all the people who "don't like libraries" in an egotistical way of showing "libraries are fun too." You can hate my stance all you want but to me, a library is a place of books, possibly music and movies that have value to society instead of "Dude, Where's My Car."
I don't go to the library to play Nintendo and I'd really like it if my local library would realize that.
Kelly @ Jan 22nd 2007 12:50PM
Hi, sheppy? Are you a patron or an actual Library professional? I'm currently working on my MLS and use and users is one of our frequent study topics. Currently the trend is for public libraries to meet the desired needs of the community. Often this need turns out to be for entertainment and community building purposes. This is a distinct turn away from the thinking of the past where libraries were seen as purely a place for knowledge, and "pleasure reading" was frowned on. Today, Librarians are supposed to help you find the information you need and not attempt to steer your pleasure reading towards "proper" pursuits. Whether you want to read Shelly, a cheesy romance novel, or even, god forbid, play Final Fantasy; it's really none of my god damned business. It's your leisure time, do what ever makes you happy.
So, a library has game nights and free net access? Great! If it's bringing in the crowds, it must be meeting community needs! Aside from the legit argument of community needs, I will admit that there are some other reasons to "pander" to the youth market. Public libraries get their funding through taxes from the community. If the public doesn't give a shit about the library, the tax increase won't get approved. "Pandering" to the youth market is a good way to increase interest in the library and to get visitor numbers to justify the much needed budget.
Frankly, sheppy, if the noise in the public library disturbs your study I'd complain to the staff, which can quiet the other patrons down. Really, that kid should be using headphones on his DS anyway. And if you really need to work on academic stuff, may I suggest an academic library. Most colleges often cater to outside users, and the books will go into the topics in greater depth than at the public library. And honestly, who made you the king of what is "worthy culture"?
sheppy @ Jan 22nd 2007 5:04PM
Kelly,
Allow me to start out by answering your question on whether I am a patron or professional. I am neither. I quit going to my local library the moment they have a Final Fantasy X release party many years ago. That was my final straw. For my library style experience, I'm saddened to say I have to go to Borders.
Second, I never stated what a "worthy culture" is but I can tell you one thing, a library filled with playstations certainly isn't one. Personally, I have no problems providing these kinds of services as part of a public service. But let's place it where it belongs. Youth centers, YMCA's, even park style settings would be preferred to a library. Fact of the matter is, when Libraries have to sell out their traditional role just to ensure they continue to remain open, that just speaks volumes on American Society, doesn't it? Education is going in the shitter and libraries are turning into arcades. 30 years from now, when America is all but left behind on cutting edge fields and most of our innovation suddenly comes from hiring outside the country, I'll remember the first steps to that path quite well.
I'm not saying pleasure reading is a bad thing, actually, I do a large amount of it myself (thanks to my upbringing, I physically cannot fall asleep until after I've read for about an hour... or ten minutes of Trace Memory on Nintendo DS) and thanks to the bad idea of "hey, a creative writing class might be fun," I've even created some fairly bad fiction myself. Books are not my point.
My point is, there is a time and place for everything and games in a Library is, in fact, inappropriate. It's pandering to a generation that is slowly killing their imagination in exchange to say "see? We serve a purpose" to snag tax money, something that should be assured. But hey, while we are on this path, I see no reason why a rolling skating rink shouldn't be in a school, video game arcade in every YMCA, and of course discos in police stations.