The Michigan State University Libraries (MSUL) acquired the Rovi Media Collection in March 2015. This collection includes over 700,000 music CDs, 170,000 DVDs, and over 17,000 video game titles. Such an enormous collection has had a transformative impact on a traditional research library. This presentation gives an overview of the acquisition, housing and administration of this amazing collection, with a particular emphasis on a consideration of the Gaming collection.
With almost no prior institutional experience with video games, the acquisition of the Rovi gaming collection meant that MSUL suddenly became one of the largest of such collections in the country. What considerations were made when we evaluated this collection? How did we involve faculty in the process? Why should libraries collect and preserve video games? And what makes a gaming collection a particular challenge for both librarians and users? As dedicated gaming programs become more prevalent on our campuses, many libraries may become involved in similar considerations and face multiple challenges with preservation, maintenance and use.
Attendees with established gaming collections, and those hoping to establish ones, should come prepared to discuss why this newer media should be a part of library collections, and the challenges that come along with it.
