University of Calgary to Open Video Game Research Library

The University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada, announced that it will open a research-oriented video games library next year, offering what it claims to be "the largest collection of video games for academic studies in the nation." Calgary's Interactive Digital Media Collection will give students the ability to borrow and research gaming material ranging from hardware originating the late 1970s to modern PC and console games. A wide variety of software will be available, including games from popular franchises, educational titles, and games created by independent developers. Library materials will support existing educational research classes at the University of Calgary. Organizers hope that the collection will inspire the creation of new courses focused on gaming technology research. "Gaming as a focus of research is now expanding quickly and the capacities of the new Taylor Family Digital Library are well designed to support this growth," said University of Calgary librarian Thomas Hickerson. The Interactive Digital Media Collection is scheduled to open in March 2011. [Photo credit: University of Calgary / Riley Brandt]