As a SPLAT member, I believe in eating my own dog food. Thus, after listing why libraries should make rooms for Wiis, I lobbied hard for my library to get a Wii of its own.

Fortunately, I was able to bank on the success of my other successful weekly school-age program and my request was approved. I designed a new school-age program (ages 6-12) that would incorporate our new Wii and dubbed it Elementary Challenge.

Here's what I've learned while waving wiimotes:

• Show Me The Wiis
  Even after being on the market for nearly six months, Wiis are still tough to find. Back in January, it took me a few weeks of looking before I finally found a store with some in stock. Your best bet might be to have your staff keep a keen eye out for one while they're shopping.
• Wii Sports is Where It's At
  Every Wii includes a copy of Wii Sports, a game which will work for nearly any library program you have in mind. Before you pick up more games, you might want to use those leftover funds to buy more controllers instead. (To purchase controllers and accessories, I recommend Nintendo's online store.)
• Pick Up and Play for Everyone
  No previous video game experience is required! Waving the the wireless remote-like controllers around is intuitive and easy for everyone, from six-year-old child to sixty-year-old librarian. (You've heard about the Wii that was a hit at the retirement home, right?)
• Can We Bottle This Excitement?
  As predicted, our jaded school-age kids were totally impressed that the library had a Wii. Kids that we hadn't seen in programs in ages started showing up regularly for their weekly time with the Wii. And once you've got them in the door, there's an excellent chance they'll be checking stuff out (including books!).

I'm sure our Wii will get its first real test during the crazy days of Summer Reading. But even with only two months of use so far, it's proved to be an fantastic investment. There's no reason your library can't experience the same with a Wii of its own.