The San Mateo County Libraries is launching a video game collection on Sept. 26 as a new addition to the Library of Things, a collection of items beyond books and media that are available to check out at all locations.
The launch of the collection was inspired by the growing popularity of video games and their educational value. More than 500 Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X games will be available for community members to check out. The collection will also include more than 40 Nintendo Switch Lite consoles.
“They are such a wonderful opportunity to explore stories and build connections with people and practice critical thinking skills,” said Carine Risley, deputy director of San Mateo County Libraries.
Prior to launching the collection, library staff did extensive research on the benefits of video games and how they can support the community. Risley said that the most persuasive arguments for playing video games, aside from their entertainment value, is that they help build literacy, problem solving and social skills.
The collection will include games such as Super Smash Bros Ultimate, Pokemon, Animal Crossing, Hogwarts Legacy, Minecraft and more. The library will continue to add popular games to the collection as they monitor new releases and recommendations by professional game reviewers, said Risley.
All video games and consoles will be new and purchased through the SMCL collections budget which covers the cost of all items that the libraries circulate in the community.
“I am very excited. This is something that we’ve been taking a careful look at and, based on trends, we’re pretty confident that the collection will circulate in a very healthy fashion,” Risley said.
Games and consoles can be checked out for three weeks at a time. The collection will include a mix of different games for all ages.
The Library of Things also offers GoPro cameras, laptops, karaoke machines, museum and park passes, bicycles, sewing machines and more. Find the full list of equipment on smcl.org/libraryofthings.
SMCL has locations in Atherton, East Palo Alto, North Fair Oaks, Portola Valley and Woodside.
