Nintendo Donates 21 Wiis to Encourage Use at Libraries

Norman Oder -- Library Journal, 1/25/2008

• ALA among six recipients
• New ALA gaming group formed
• Several libraries already using Wiis

Here comes the Wii: game-maker Nintendo has decided to donate 21 of the popular games (valued at $250 each) to encourage library gaming. The recipients are the Alpena County Library, MI; the Free Library of Philadelphia; the Pasco County Library, FL; Ann Arbor District Library, MI; the New York Public Library; and the American Library Association (ALA), which will use its Wii at various events to promote library gaming initiatives. 
Indeed, gaming has become a growing trend in libraries—at the recent ALA Midwinter Meeting, YALSA kicked off the show with a gaming night, with demos of Wii and games to play for the 100 or so librarians who attended. Also, Council  established a Games and Gaming Member Initiative Group(MIG). The LibSuccess wiki lists nearly 20 libraries known to have Wiis, which use infrared technology to capture the user’s movement and appeal to both teens and adults.