Teaching and Learning Librarian University of Nevada, Las Vegas
This poster will share with participants how the author created, planned, and implemented a game design competition for students at their R1 academic library in partnership with the library’s Makerspace. While game jams are fairly popular in school and public libraries, game design competitions are less frequently held in academic libraries. Given the resources academic libraries have access to, and the author’s enthusiasm for games as a way to create community and belonging among students, the author held the library’s first game design competition as part of programming for International Games Month in November 2022. She saw the Makerspace as a vital partner in this endeavor, and used the event to promote awareness and the use of its services to students. This poster will share the planning process (including pitching the event to various stakeholders and negotiating funding the event and award) and timeline, as well as challenges encountered during implementation. Pictures of games created by the student teams will be shared, as well as strategies used to involve the campus community in voting for the best game design. Most important for other academic libraries looking to implement their own game design competition, the author will share lessons learned and adaptations she plans to make to the next game design competition, including some enthusiastic responses from student participants to expand the competition to even more campus and community stakeholders! A list of suggestions for starting your own game design competition will be shared.