Sponsored by the Environment, Sustainability and Libraries Section (ENSULIB), this webinar – Green games for green libraries: video games as tools for environmental education –  aims  to explore how libraries can innovate and adapt to new times through video games, with a particular focus on environmental education. While maintaining their traditional role as spaces for silent-reading and study, libraries must increasingly incorporate new practices to engage with their communities.  The webinar will present the most common video game consoles and genres to provide a general context for library staff who may be less familiar with this medium. Within this framework, the session will focus on Nintendo and major Nintendo Switch titles, starting with well-known franchises such as Legend of Zelda. It will then focus on cozy games, which encourage calm, reflection, and non-violent game play. These games are particularly suitable for libraries committed to sustainability, as they have a strong potential to address themes related to nature and environment. There are two main goals. On the one hand, it aims to encourage libraries to acquire video game consoles and video games as lendable materials, providing a curated list of recommended titles for their collections. On the other hand, it offers practical, ready-to-use activity ideas that libraries can directly adopt, connecting these video games with off-screen activities.

SpeakerDavid Mercadal-Cuesta

David Mercadal-Cuesta holds a degree in Information and Documentation from the University of Zaragoza. He is currently finishing a PhD on data reuse for environmental planning and works as an interim lecturer at the same institution. He has professional experience in several libraries and archives, with a strong focus on environmental information units. He is a member of the Spanish Network of Environmental Information and Documentation Centres (RECIDA).