Identifying the Applications of Gamification for Audience Attraction in Public Libraries

Abstract

Gamification has emerged as an engaging approach to motivate participation and enhance experiences in diverse contexts. This study aimed to identify potential applications of gamification for attracting audiences to public libraries. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with gamification experts, using purposive and snowball sampling, with thematic analysis revealing 16 main themes and 56 sub-themes. Our results show the potential of gamification to increase reading rates, help organize interesting events/challenges, and improve interactivity, the book lending process, library appeals, program awareness, user experience, educational activities, brand loyalty, participatory/volunteer activities, patron guidance, book searching, resource returns, marketing, and scientific/economic outputs in public libraries. This study highlights the fundamental and influential role of gamification in advancing public libraries and improving services in libraries. A dedicated gamification platform and system could enable libraries to engage librarian visitors, with further research needed to continue building knowledge in this emerging area.

Keywords

• gamification
• public libraries
• iran
• game design
• library services