The Massachusetts Library System is pleased to announce that we have contracted with ALA to provide our members with access to their live webinars.  These webinars are free to MLS members who register through our calendar.  Please do not register directly with ALA. Members who register directly with ALA are responsible for paying their registration fee. 

Please help us keep MLS sponsored training free for all members. If you are unable to attend the live webinar, please cancel your registration. A cancellation link can be found in your confirmation email, or you may contact Sarah Donnelly at sdonnelly@masslibsystem.org to cancel. 

Description

This webinar is an adaptation of a Core presentation at ALA Annual 2025, addressing emerging challenges for both academic and public libraries interested in collecting, preserving, and providing access to digitally distributed video games. As the video game industry rapidly moves toward exclusively digital distribution platforms, libraries will need to adapt their collection management practices. This webinar will present leading research into how libraries can work with game developers to advance these new strategies.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this webinar, attendees will be able to:

• Discuss issues and challenges from the perspective of diverse stakeholder groups that impact the ability of libraries to develop and manage digital game collections, including economic, social, technological, and legal factors;
• Describe possible paths forward for libraries to collaborate with diverse stakeholder groups to develop strategies, tools, and platforms for building digital game collections that address economic, social, technological, and legal factors; and
• Explain the benefits of building digital game collections for both public and academic libraries, highlighting the value digital games promise for the full range of library users.

Who Should Attend

The webinar will be of interest to all librarians involved in technical services, collection development, and preservation as the presentation touches on many aspects of collecting, preserving, and providing access to digital games.

Presenter

Dr. Colin Post is an Assistant Professor in the department of Information, Library, and Research Sciences at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. His work focuses on new approaches to preserving and providing access to digital culture.

Accessibility Information

If you have questions or requests regarding accessibility, contact ce@ala.org or at 312-280-5100.