PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of available online library games and offer six suggestions for best practices based on the available games.Design/methodology/approachThe paper presents a thorough review of the literature on online games in libraries as well as an analysis of the games freely available online. Further information from some game designers was sought by e‐mail as needed to enhance the published literature.FindingsA total of 17 online library games have been mentioned in the literature, 11 of which are at least partially available online. They vary greatly in type of game, technical sophistication, cost of development, and visual appeal. Some have been successful (designers report being satisfied), some have been less successful, and some have been abandoned before completion. Suggestions for development of future games include keeping it simple; having a plan to use it in class or market to faculty; “gating” key concepts; making it fun; giving feedback; and play testing throughout the development process.Originality/valueWhile previous articles have mentioned three or four online games in libraries, no one has attempted to make a comprehensive overview or to suggest similarities among what has worked well in these projects. Analyzing the key traits of the more successful games will help librarians develop games in the future.

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Purpose This paper aims to demonstrate how commercially available tabletop games can be effective tools to teach information literacy and present a list of best practices to improve instructor’s chances of success with this pedagogical method. Design/methodology/approach Librarians from two separate institutions with complementary experiences analyze the theory of game-based learning with tabletop games, present an example of game-based information literacy instruction in practice and suggest four best practices for this method of instruction. Findings This paper demonstrates that educators by combining sound pedagogical practices to connect the educational content to what rules of games ask of students can effectively find a balance between enthusiastic engagement and higher-order information literacy learning outcomes. Practical implications This paper can be used to guide librarians looking for creative and sound methods to engage students using tabletop games to teach information literacy. Originality/value The authors have unique theoretical and practical knowledge with joining pedagogy and tabletop games in the information literacy classroom. While there is a lot of literature on games in academic libraries, there is only one other paper on using a commercially available tabletop game to teach information literacy.

This article describes how an annual Harry Potter Night program fits into a college library’s mission. The literature shows college and university libraries are already accustomed to supporting their campus communities’ academic and cocurricular needs. Harry Potter Night at Lycoming College is an engaging experience. For one Friday night a year, the college library transforms into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry through food, decorations, and music. The central events are variations of trivia games and two obstacle courses, one focusing on Voldemort’s horcruxes and the other focusing on the Sorcerer’s Stone. These games and simulations are critical to creating an emotionally immersive as well as a multisensory experience. The attendance for this program has ranged from 30 to 100 students (on a campus of approximately 1,400), and the enthusiasm has been immense. This program has led to positive attitudes toward the library and valuable publicity in campus publications and has strengthened the library’s relationship with the college Residential Life office.