So overt it’s covert: Learning via games in the library

Games, more than just fun pastimes, also serve as teaching tools and social bonding experiences. Because of their ubiquitous nature, games offer libraries a tremendous medium for engaging their patrons’ learning and engagement.<br><br>This chapter discusses some of the different ways gaming can be used in academic libraries to benefit students and librarians. Exploring the library as a physical space for games and providing tips for developing and incorporating games at an academic library, we use a case study approach by presenting practical examples used at Texas Tech University Libraries, including a mystery game, scavenger hunts, and trivia nights. It focuses on three key principles of library-hosted gaming: games as <i>camogogy</i> (camouflaged pedagogy), for facilitating students’ social connections with peers, and for promoting engagement with librarians and the library.<br> <br>Organizing library games is an effective form of <i>camogogy</i>, or camouflaged pedagogy, an apt po