Borrow a video game from the Free Library of Philadelphia

The last of us, It takes twoand even that Bluish Video games have arrived in Philadelphia's libraries, along with a catalog of more than 100 games for PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and X, and Nintendo Switch.

The Free Library of Philadelphia has added video games to its list of borrowable extras. Children, young people and adults can rent up to three games for three weeks.

For Kelly Richards, president and director of the library, video games “provide a unique opportunity for learning and social interaction by encouraging creativity, critical thinking and collaboration.”

According to the Pew Research Center, gaming is particularly popular among teenagers: eight in ten say they have or have access to a console at home.

“Young people who play video games are likely to read material related to the games they enjoy,” said Kris Langlais, director of selection for the Philadelphia Libraries' video game collection. “We hope that by lending video games to the community, people will find interest in relevant books and become regular library patrons.”

Gamers and enthusiasts can now reserve copies of games at freelibrary.org/videogames, but require a library card to do so. (Applying for a library card is free and can be done online or in person.)

The games catalog on the library's website shows the availability and location of each game, as well as language options and console compatibility.