- Pronouns
- he/him
Dim, dusty book stacks. A disapproving librarian shushing anyone above a few decibels. Some libraries are still cut from that antiquated cloth, of course. Many have transcended that definition and become something else entirely! At my local library, for example, you can use a bank of 3D printers for free. You can take out passes to go to a local museum or provincial campground. You can book time in a snazzy recording studio. You can rent a pair of ice skates. Nobody will shush you (within reason).
And…you can get video games there!
Of course, when using a public service used by many others, you may not be able to grab a popular game any time soon. My library still has 30 holds on their copy of Breath of the Wild for Switch, for example. Luigi’s Mansion 3 had 70! More niche titles like 13 Sentinels or Danganronpa weren’t in the system at all. But Astral Chain, a game I have always been interested in but on the fence about, was ready to take out right away — and it was pretty good! Out of curiousity I searched a few big/AAA titles that came to mind and games like Cyberpunk 2077, The Last of Us Part II, The Quarry, and Ghostwire: Tokyo were all in stock. Others, like Elden Ring, had just 5 holds between multiple copies.
If your library doesn’t have a game collection yet, they likely have a suggestion form. Those suggestions are taken into consideration — usually there is a bit of budget allocated precisely for that! If you ask for a game — or book, or magazine, or whatever else — chances are pretty good they’ll get it for you.
So! Do you make use of this public service? What’s your town’s library like?
And…you can get video games there!
Of course, when using a public service used by many others, you may not be able to grab a popular game any time soon. My library still has 30 holds on their copy of Breath of the Wild for Switch, for example. Luigi’s Mansion 3 had 70! More niche titles like 13 Sentinels or Danganronpa weren’t in the system at all. But Astral Chain, a game I have always been interested in but on the fence about, was ready to take out right away — and it was pretty good! Out of curiousity I searched a few big/AAA titles that came to mind and games like Cyberpunk 2077, The Last of Us Part II, The Quarry, and Ghostwire: Tokyo were all in stock. Others, like Elden Ring, had just 5 holds between multiple copies.
If your library doesn’t have a game collection yet, they likely have a suggestion form. Those suggestions are taken into consideration — usually there is a bit of budget allocated precisely for that! If you ask for a game — or book, or magazine, or whatever else — chances are pretty good they’ll get it for you.
So! Do you make use of this public service? What’s your town’s library like?
Last edited: