Are your patrons still crazy for Pokemon Go? If so, then you’ll want to check out “Pokemon! How Two Libraries Scored Major Points With A Game Craze,” a presentation for Programming Librarian recently hosted by Cari Rérat (the Director at Pryor Creek’s Thomas J. Harrison Pryor Public Library) and Darcie Smith (the Community Outreach Librarian at British Columbia’s Prince George Public Library).

During the presentation, they discuss how Pokemon Go has helped bring new patrons to their libraries:

Wondering how you can use your library’s status as a PokeStop or gym to your advantage? Two librarians share how they’re using the excitement around Pokemon Go to revitalize programming and introduce new patrons to the library.

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Pokemon Go is still incredibly popular with gamers the world over, but the intense furor surrounding the game has cooled considerably since its launch in July. However, Karen Jensen of School Library Journal’s Teen Librarian Toolbox has pulled together another batch of programming ideas to go along with the app, and they might just get your library patrons “Pokemon-ing” again:

Because Pokemon Go is played by people of all ages, we specifically chose to make this an all ages event, which proved to be a very wise move. We had a lot of families come that were obviously enjoying playing the game together. Our event lasted for 5 hours and we placed a lure (a lure draws Pokemon to your location) every half hour. A lot of people came and stayed the entire time and it was fun to see them sitting around talking and then get up to go somewhere and catch a Pokemon. At one point someone declared that Pikachu was nearby and there was an excited mass exodus. As far as I know no one caught Pikachu that night, but they sure did have a fun time trying.

In addition to some very creative Pokemon-themed decorations, Jensen’s programming ideas include “Pin the Tail On Pikachu,” “Pikachu Ears,” and Pokeball Coloring.” Continue reading →

Pokemon Go has become one of the most popular mobile apps of all time, so it’s not surprising that the American Library Association is making it a big part of this year’s International Games Day @ Your Library.

Over at the ALA’s International Games Day @ Your Library Blog, they’ve created a Pokemon Go Battle Map for Libraries, so librarians can report which of the game’s three teams (Mystic, Valor, or Instinct) currently control the Gym closest to their library:

As part of the fun activities of this year’s IGD, we are hosting a Library Pokemon Battle Map which shows team leadership at gyms at libraries all over the world. Librarians can report which Pokemon Team is in control of their library’s Pokemon Gym using the Pokemon battle form. Once you have entered your library’s information, you will have the option to edit the form to update the information as it changes each day or as often as you would like.

It’s a fun idea to add a little bit more competition to the game, especially on this year’s International Games Day @ Your Library, which will be held on Saturday, November 19. Continue reading →

It’s obvious that Pokemon Go has absolutely entranced a huge portion of the world, but can you turn all of those avid players into potential library patrons?

Melanie Lyttle and Shawn Walsh recently pondered this question for Public Libraries Online:

There is an elusive group of people sitting in their cars in your library’s parking lot making use of your library being a PokeStop or Gym. They could be teenagers but more than likely they are somewhere in their twenties, thirties, or forties. You haven’t seen them in the library for years, if ever. Can you get them into the building to see how awesome your library is?

Lyttle and Walsh offer up several interesting ideas, and most of them sound pretty simple to implement. But I think the best one is right there in the title of their post… “Strike While the Iron Is Hot!” Continue reading →

While many libraries are listed as PokeStops or Gyms in Pokemon Go, not every one is. However, if you want to add your library to the game, developer Niantic has set up a simple procedure to make the request…

1. Go to the Pokemon Go Support page on Niantic’s website.

2. Select “How do I create a new PokeStop or Gym” under the “Submit a Request” drop-down.

3. Fill out the rest of the form with your library’s information.

Due to the overwhelming number of requests that Niantic receives from this form, the option to add a PokeStop or Gym won’t always be available on the Pokemon Go Support page. But keep checking back and eventually you’ll get your chance.

If you want to remove your library as a PokeStop or Gym from the game, or there’s a problem with a PokeStop or Gym near your library, Niantic has set up a separate form on the Pokemon Go Support page. Continue reading →

Where were you when Pokemon-ia swept through your library? If you’re like Teen Librarian Alanna Graves, you put together a huge number of Pokemon Go Programming Ideas for School Library Journal’s Teen Librarian Toolbox:

Unless you live under a rock, you’ve probably heard of Pokemon Go, the newest app that inspires gamers to GO OUTSIDE! Many libraries have already utilized Pokemon Go as social media content, book display inspiration, and promotional material. Instead of focusing on what Pokemon Go is and how to play, this article is going to focus on doing Pokemon Go themed programs for teens.

There’s a lot of good ideas there including a “Pokemon Safari,” “Pokeball Target Practice,” “Pokemon Theme Song Lip Sync Battle,” and more. Gotta try ’em all! Continue reading →

Pokemon Go continues to fascinate gamers and librarians alike, and now School Library Journal has weighed in with another How-To Guide for the game.

If you’ve been anywhere near the Internet in the last week, you’ve probably heard of Niantic’s new game, Pokémon GO. Even by viral video game standards, its popularity has been impressive. According to SimilarWeb, within two days of its U.S. release, the game was installed on 5.16 percent of the country’s Android devices. This doesn’t even take into account iOS users, with whom the game has also been popular. Perhaps even more striking, the Wall Street Journal estimates that it has already added $9 billion to Nintendo’s market value.

Academic Librarian Carli Spina talks about how the app works (“Gotta Catch ‘Em All”), privacy and safety concerns some people may have, and how libraries are getting involved with Pokemon Go. Continue reading →