Call for Papers: Play On! Research Colloquium

June 10, 2019

“When we play, we explore the limits of the possible” –Thomas Hendricks.

This perspective on play is a useful one for libraries. The changing needs and services of 21st-century libraries, users, and education demand that we consider new ways of promoting engagement, interaction, and creativity.

Play is a way of exploring those options, of learning, and of exchanging ideas with others. The benefits of play and games for children are now well-established; the question of where play and games fit in the serious, product and goal-oriented adult world is less well developed. Libraries are excellent at organizing information but have, historically, been less open to free exploration and playful interaction in a library environment.

Public libraries and the world of games have paved the way for new ideas on user interaction and engagement. Where can the element of fun enter into the research experience? How can games and play change the way users/players engage with their library environment?

ROAAr invites papers and workshop proposals on the topic of play, games, and creative engagement in education and libraries for “Play On!,” a research colloquium on play in libraries. The presentations should encourage engagement and discussion. Interactive and alternative projects are encouraged. The colloquium will take place on May 15, 2020.

Possible topics include:

• Play and creativity
• Gamification in higher education
• User/player centred design in libraries and beyond
• HCI – human-computer interaction
• Sports and social games
• History of play
• Wordplay, riddles, jokes
• Social and cultural uses of/for Play
• Immersiveness and engagement
• Playful architecture and design
• Play in collecting

Deadline for submissions: August 1, 2019

Please send abstracts (no longer than 300 words) along with a short biography/ludography (Maximum 50 words) to roaar.library@mcgill.ca

Notifications of acceptance/rejection will be sent by the end of August. In special cases depending on available funding, we will be able to cover for travel and accommodation costs.

ROAAr – Rare Books, Osler, Art and Archives
Hosted by ROAAr (Rare Books, Osler, Art and Archives), McGill Library. At the heart of the downtown campus in Montreal Quebec, the McGill Library is a hub for research, discovery, and engagement. The rare and special collections house over 250 000 items unique in the world, making this a destination for historians, cultural scholars, and the playfully curious. This cultural heritage belongs to the community, and we invite all to come, explore, and animate the collections for a 21st-century audience.