Gaming at EPL isn’t new, but we’ve leveled up our offerings at the Milner Library.
On the second floor of the revitalized Stanley A. Milner Library lives the Gamerspace; a room dedicated to publicly accessible video gaming. Inside, it’s a gamer’s dream come true:
- Ten Alienware Area 51 Gaming PC stations with curved monitors, gaming keyboards and mice, ergonomic chairs, and height-adjustable desks.
- Three gaming console stations with an Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch.
- Two arcade cabinets, each with thousands of games, let gamers travel back in time to play their favourite classics.
- 15 screens in total, including the feature 98” display, which can display console or PC gaming content.
Great Games
We’re excited about the games available in the Gamerspace, and we hope you are too! Featured games include:
- FIFA 20 on Xbox
- Horizon: Zero Dawn on PS4
- A multitude of games on PC, including League of Legends, Fortnite and over a dozen more on Steam.
If there’s a game you’re hoping to play, let a staff member know, and we’ll add it to the request list.
Remember, we also have games in our collection you can borrow. If you have a system at home, we have an abundant collection of games for PlayStation, Xbox and, new to EPL, the Nintendo Switch!
Safe Access
We’re thrilled to offer a safe and clean gaming experience, even amidst a global health pandemic. In our current Covid-19 world, we’ve increased sanitization, limited branch capacity and time limits in the space to offer as clean gaming fun as possible. We can’t wait to have all 15 screens blazing with gaming mayhem (or is it bliss?), but until then, we’ll be as safe as we can!
To book your time in the Gamerspace, visit or call the Stanley A. Milner Library and speak to staff. We’re currently offering 55-minute bookings and a maximum of three customers in the space at any time. After you’ve built up your thumb calluses for the day, we hope you’ll book another timeslot for a future visit; we love seeing our repeat gamers!
Why Do We Game in Libraries?
After reading this, you might be thinking, “That sounds amazing, I have to go check it out!”, and yes, it is amazing. We can’t wait to see you! You might also ask, “Why do they even have a video gaming room at the library? Aren’t libraries for books and literature?”. 
Yes, libraries are for books and literature, but they’re also for so many other activities, such as:
- Learning
- Socializing
- Being entertained
- Accessing the Internet
- And so much more!
Gaming can fulfill all these reasons for visiting the library!
Obviously, video games are entertaining, but did you know they provide educational, social, and even career benefits? Having video games in the Library improves access to literacy, socialization, peer learning, digital citizenship and more. Read this article by the American Library Association on Games in Libraries to learn more.
There are also careers in gaming right here in Edmonton! The Entertainment Software Association of Canada has some great resources about the gaming industry in Canada. There are over 600 video game companies in Canada, employing over 27,700 Full-Time Equivalent positions in the nation.
Will You Come Over to Game?
Maybe, just maybe, putting in an hour in the Gamerspace will inspire some of you to pursue a career in gaming. Maybe you’ll be the next big game designer, graphic artist, writer or developer. Or maybe you’ll just be in a safe space, socializing with your peers or making new friends, enjoying running, racing, fighting, flying, problem-solving games at your favourite library. Either way, we can’t wait to see you in our Gamerspace!
Add a comment to: Achievement Unlocked: Gamerspace Opens at Milner Library