The Muskingum County Library System (MCLS) has been hosting video gaming programs for a while, but over the past year has adapted the programs because of COVID-19 so they could be held virtually.
On Tuesday, May 4th, MCLS invited players of the popular Nintendo Switch game, Animal Crossing New Horizons, to meet up on the MCLS island.
“When Animal Crossing was released, I saw an article online that a library in California had dedicated their Island to being a virtual library hangout space, so I thought it would be a great way for us to interact with our community as well!” said Teen Assistant Librarian, Alyssa.
New Horizons was released in April of 2020, close to the beginning of the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders. The game currently ranks number two on the list of best-selling Nintendo games with 31.8 million units sold.
Animal Crossing New Horizons is a relaxing game where you can have your very own island, or share one with friends or family. You also get to build and expand your island village in the game and meet interesting characters. You earn in-game currency known as bells, by selling things like insects and fish that you catch, seashells found on the beach, fossils that you dig up and many other things. You can spend your bells on items to put in your house, clothing, decorations and improvements for the island, or you can pay loans to expand your house. You can even design your own clothing and customize a variety of things! The game is fun for all ages and is easy to play.
In Animal Crossing everyone’s island is unique. The MCLS island has custom-drawn signs at the entrance, and free items arranged in neat rows on the grass to be collected. In-game currency provided by the library was available so participants could purchase things from the island shops. Participants were able to interact with others and freely explore the island.
The meet-ups are run by Alyssa, the MCLS’s Teen Assistant Librarian with the help of Jazmyn, their Emerging Technologies Assistant.
“We enjoy seeing patrons come to the island and are often pleasantly surprised by the generosity of people who donate items for others to come and get for free at our meet-ups. We’ve had several people come back repeatedly each month and it’s so exciting that they like coming to meet up with us!” said Alyssa.
Currently, the Library is focused on Animal Crossing meet-ups, but they plan to incorporate additional multiplayer games as well. In the future, games like Mario Party could work especially as Nintendo continues to update their software to make it more accessible for online play.
Although the library is looking forward to returning to in-person events in the future, they expect to continue to incorporate virtual programs too.
“This past year has been a lesson in pivoting and learning. Our programmers have done a beautiful job of finding new and innovative ways to reach and enrich our community during the pandemic. Our leadership team has worked closely with local health experts and local leaders to make the best decisions for the library and our community,” said Marketing and Community Relations Director, Sean Fennell.
MCLS provides a fun place to meet in Animal Crossing New Horizons. If you’re interested, you can visit the MCLS island next month and check it out. Visit muskingumlibrary.org to learn more about the Animal Crossing meet-ups.