The Toronto Public Library is seeking $300,000 to build a video game collection to lend out to patrons. What would happen with that 300k? Hopefully 150 titles across 38 locations in the Toronto area.

Library administration says such a collection would help with literacy and problem-solving skills and reach younger patrons in ways the traditional library offerings do not. However, they are not the first to offer similar options. Typically, smaller libraries in the U.S. have offered games for lending and reported upticks in young reader visits and use of the library.

Of course, this begs the question: "What kind of titles should the library have?" Should violent titles be offered? Or more family-oriented games? Should older titles have a place in the library, or PC titles?

At my local library, games are offered there. I remember checking out games when I was younger for our trusty Macintosh computer, games like: Lode Runner, Breakthrough!, and others. A few weeks ago, I saw Modern Warfare 2 for the 360 on the shelf, it made me curious as to what other games they had. I spotted Metal Gear Solid 4, MadWorld, Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles, and a many others. I ended up walking out with Call of Duty: World at War, I mean, killing Japanese soldiers in the Pacific campaign of World War II is almost as good as reading, right?