Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Playstation Lures Kids Into Libraries

Posted by simoniker on from the bait-and-switch dept.

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to an ICWales article reporting the latest consoles are being used to attract children into libraries, apparently "..to dispel their image as scary, boring places." This measure, being tried in some libraries in Wales, may "..make the youngsters recognize that libraries are places for enjoyment, leisure and information", according to a local librarian. However, Welsh politician Valdo Funning was more dismissive, saying: "I was brought up with Treasure Island and Wordsworth and all the great poets, and it gave me a love of those which I still have today at 67. Literature gives you a lifetime of pleasure. I wouldn't have that if I had been playing on a PlayStation."

2 of 44 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Demographics by GeorgeH · · Score: 2, Informative
    Anyways, BACK TO DEMOGRAPHICS, they should really reconsider their choice, since the Cube has Animal Crossing, Pikin, Super Mario Sunshine, Mario Party 4 and nearly every other good wholesome game devoid of violence, blood, cuss words(THPS), and sex appeal.(I play games with that, but there's no place for it in a library)
    You're right about there being no place for that stuff in a library. Libraries should only stock books from family friendly publishers, and get rid of that awful Robert A. Heinlein (he encourages bloody revolutions and polygamy!) and J.D. Salinger (Catcher in the Rye? More like Catcher in the Sin) and William Shakespeare (Sex, murder, psychopaths). I'll let all the violence, blood, cuss words and sex appeal of the Bible through because it's holy, but not the Quran or the Torah because they're only for the heathens.

    Librarians tend to be pretty anti-censorship when it comes to books, aside from media bias (the old video games don't tell stories fallacy) I can't see why they would refuse to stock a game simply for its content.

    (For what it's worth, since the Dreamcast went to the great Funcoland in the sky the Nintendo has consistently put out some of the most innovative games on the market. I still can't put down Warioware)
    --
    Why can't I moderate something "Wrong" or at least "Grossly Misinformed"?
  2. My local library did this too. by shippo · · Score: 2, Informative

    A couple of years ago, my local library in Ripon, North Yorkshire, moved to new and very much larger premises, and had a Playstation installed as one of the facilities, fitted with headphones.

    Unfortunately the children using it made so much noise that it was withdrawn after only a few months of service.