How do institutions approach the use and preservation of videogames in their collections?
Creators: name: Spring, Timothy
Publisher: name: unknown
Year: 2020
Subjects: subject: Information science
subject: Information behavior
subject: Copyright
subject: Academic libraries
subject: Museums
subject: Library science
subject: Video games

description: Videogames are one of the most popular forms of entertainment both internationally and in the UK today. In recognition of this popularity, museums are treating videogames as culturally, socially and technologically significant objects that visitors can learn about and enjoy. Similarly, many universities are now offering courses in subjects such as game design and videogame studies and as part of this, offer videogame collections to use and borrow from their institutional libraries. In the US and Canada, many academic libraries already have more established videogame collections built over the past decade, but in the UK, there are very limited examples of university libraries offering similar services. Videogames also provide a challenge for conservators and others interested in preservation, with issues such as physical decay, bit rot and the complex copyright nature of videogames needing constant solutions.

This project outlines a brief history of videogames and the current state of the videogame industry before going on to investigate how six different international institutions are approaching the use and preservation of their videogame collections. The institutions involved are The Centre for Computing History (UK), Living Computers: Museums + Labs, Videogames: Design/Play/Disrupt Exhibition (The Victoria & Albert Museum, UK), Fraser Library (Simon Fraser University, Canada), The Computer & Video Game Archive (University of Michigan Library, US) and Goldsmiths Library (Goldsmiths, University of London, UK). Interviews were completed with staff at these institutions and using coding, differences and similarities were identified in their approaches and discussed in detail, along with recommendations for areas of further research on this topic.
description: Videogames are one of the most popular forms of entertainment both internationally and in the UK today. In recognition of this popularity, museums are treating videogames as culturally, socially and technologically significant objects that visitors can learn about and enjoy. Similarly, many universities are now offering courses in subjects such as game design and videogame studies and as part of this, offer videogame collections to use and borrow from their institutional libraries. In the US and Canada, many academic libraries already have more established videogame collections built over the past decade, but in the UK, there are very limited examples of university libraries offering similar services. Videogames also provide a challenge for conservators and others interested in preservation, with issues such as physical decay, bit rot and the complex copyright nature of videogames needing constant solutions. This project outlines a brief history of videogames and the current state of the videogame industry before going on to investigate how six different international institutions are approaching the use and preservation of their videogame collections. The institutions involved are The Centre for Computing History (UK), Living Computers: Museums + Labs, Videogames: Design/Play/Disrupt Exhibition (The Victoria & Albert Museum, UK), Fraser Library (Simon Fraser University, Canada), The Computer & Video Game Archive (University of Michigan Library, US) and Goldsmiths Library (Goldsmiths, University of London, UK). Interviews were completed with staff at these institutions and using coding, differences and similarities were identified in their approaches and discussed in detail, along with recommendations for areas of further research on this topic.