Saskatoon library powering down video game lending services

The Saskatoon Public Library is no longer going to be adding new video game titles to its collection and plans to stop lending video games out entirely later this year.

Amanda Lepage, director of collections and service infrastructure at the Saskatoon Public Library, said the move was an “unfortunate decision” that has been in discussion for a while.

Lepage called it a combination of reasons for the decision being made.

She said the library’s video game collection has become a target for theft. That, combined with the rising cost of items, makes it an expensive venture for the library.

“It’s a collection that’s really hard to maintain and serves a relatively small number of patrons who use our services,” Lepage said.

The library’s video game collection comprises about 2,000 titles. About 4,000 people borrow games yearly from the library, compared to the 140,000 people who generally use the library’s services each year.

By later this year, video game lending will be completely eliminated from the library’s services, Lepage said.

But that doesn’t mean gamers won’t be able to access games at all through the library. Lepage said the library is experimenting with video game access in different ways.

At two of the newest library branches to have undergone renovations, video game rooms have been installed for people to schedule time to play video games with friends. Consoles like PS4 and Wii can be booked to play games. The library will still buy some new games for use in these rooms, too, thanks to a small budget.

Some library programming also involves video games.

Lepage said that will offer access to video games for library patrons without the library experiencing loss.

“We’re always evaluating the best way to use the investment that the community places in us,” Lepage said, adding the library is also always striving to add value to the community.

She added the funds not going towards new video games will be reallocated to other areas of library services experiencing an increase in demand.

One such service is an exponential growth in demand for electronic resources like ebooks and subscription services to lend those resources out.

Lepage said that programming has a significant price tag, but has been increasingly popular with more than one million digital materials borrowed through the Saskatoon Public Library in 2021.