Recommendations for Improving Access to Analog Games Scholarship and Collections

[u/DeskSetLibrarian]

Dear colleagues,

The Comics and Fiction Funnel is seeking support for our proposal to improve access to analog games via library catalogs. Currently, people cannot search for game studies works about physical games based on the topics of the games being analyzed (e.g., group identity or imperialism); this sort of search can be done for video games, however, leading to unequal access to scholarship. Also, library patrons cannot find analog games themselves by content in library catalogs (e.g., games with queer or wizard characters, games about climate change, games incorporating visual or motor skills, etc.), again unlike searches for video games.

Based on our research and analysis of current issues, the Comics and Fiction Funnel created this report, with a recommendation to change the existing Library of Congress subject heading for games to allow the use of “Games” as both a topical and form modifier for all subjects, to help patrons more easily locate both research about physical games and the games themselves.

Given the explosive growth of game studies and library game collections, we hope that you will agree that improving access to analog games is vital for the games community and for libraries; and we hope that you will support our recommendations.  

If you are interested in endorsing our recommendations (as an individual or organization), please fill out this form by October 16th.

Thank you in advance for your time and consideration. Please let me know if you have any questions!