21!

(from http://alchemist.excessivelydangerousthing.com)

When I think about online gaming and libraries, teen patrons are the first to come to mind. My teenage son played the MMORPG World of Warcraft for awhile, but he quit because it was taking up too much of his time. Once he started a session, it was difficult to stop playing because he had to keep going until he got to the next level...and the next level. It was really addictive. But I think occasional game nights are a great way to attract teens to the library.

It was fun to explore the online games for younger children. I found several PBS games featuring some of my favorite children's book characters -- Curious George, Clifford the Big Red Dog and Martha (of Speak, Martha! fame). Online games can promote reading, develop skills in following directions and build manual dexterity (have you tried Chef Academy?). They do, however, pose a challenge in the library. I'm a volunteer reader at my local public library and have often found it difficult to interest kids in reading or listening to a book once their eyeballs are glued to a computer screen.