While toy libraries target younger children, libraries that offer video games draw teens. A librarian at the Houston Public Library tells NPR that offering game consoles and iPads “results in a 15% to 20% increase in the circulation of books.” The games themselves also seem to help struggling readers, with some reading text in video game format “that was up to eight grades above their reading level,” says Constance Steinkuehler, an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin.
Having gaming available at libraries has other advantages as well. It gives lower-income youth the chance to play games they may not be able to afford; offers teenagers a safe place; and helps teens understand that the library is a place where they can belong.

The case for making libraries full of toys and games – Quartz (via infoneer-pulse)