So You’re Thinking About Minecraft at Your

Library.WILSworld Conference Presentation

Janice Scurio Teen Services Librarian Madison Public Library

About Me

Teen Services Librarian at Madison Public Library

Head Minecraftian

former Library Intern at Austin Public Library

MPL’s Minecraft initiative is modeled very closely after Austin’s

Extensive off-the clock training

So you want to run a Minecraft program at your library, huh?

Here are things to consider.Consoles vs. PC/Mac

Funding…?

Projected attendance/interest

Implementation

Beta testing

Support/Maintenance

Funding

Step 1: Find potential grants

Step 2: Ask for money

Step 3: ????

Step 4: Profit

Consoles vs. PC/Mac

Consoles like the Playstation 3/4 or Xbox require less maintenance and are easier to set up

Multiplayer is limited (up to 4 players at once)

Texture packs are considered DLC and may be costly

PCs/Macs require regular maintenance, technological literacy, and care taking

PC/Mac Minecraft gives gamers the more “traditional” experience

Virtually unlimited multiplayer

Projected Interest/Attendance

This may effect the amount of computers you eventually choose to buy.

Space. Where will you hold the program? How many kids/parents can that space accommodate?

Ask kids and parents - do you play Minecraft at home? Have you ever played Minecraft? Would you like to learn how?

Minecraft Pocket Edition for iOS/Android

Marketing - Word of mouth is best

Ask staff members if patrons ask about the program

Implementation

Computer Setup and imaging

Backup Solutions

Security Solutions

Training

Reference and Documentation

Beta Test All The Things!

What you think will work well may not work at all!

Beta testing allows early discovery of tech problems

Experiment with spaces. Out in the open vs. programming rooms

Ask kids what they liked best. Ask what they didn’t like. Use that feedback

Handling large crowds - Time limits, turns, etc.

Teen interns/volunteers

Support and Maintenance

Have a regular schedule for maintenance

Clean them, too

Know your warranties

Don’t be afraid to ask for help

(Ahem…you can ask me)

jscurio@madisonpubliclibrary.org