Retro games
How to structure a mentorship program pairing librarians with retro game specialists to build institutional knowledge.
A practical, evergreen blueprint for librarians and retro game specialists to collaborate, transfer tacit expertise, document longstanding practices, and cultivate a living archive that enhances access, curation, and interpretation of classic games.
Published by
Nathan Cooper
July 18, 2025 - 3 min Read
Librarians and retro game specialists share a common mission: to preserve cultural memory, enable discovery, and empower future researchers. Yet their approaches often diverge, with librarians rooted in cataloging and patrons’ access, while game specialists emphasize preservation, emulation, and technical nuance. A mentorship program can bridge these gaps by pairing individuals who admire both careful curation and hands-on restoration. Begin by outlining shared goals, then design a structured exchange that honors each expert’s strengths. A careful kickoff creates trust, aligns expectations, and sets the tone for a collaborative culture. This foundation matters because sustainable institutional knowledge grows from consistent, respectful dialogue.
The program should establish clear roles, responsibilities, and milestones. Mentors model best practices for metadata, provenance, and resource prioritization, while mentees contribute fresh perspectives on user needs and digital accessibility. Create a rotating schedule of shadowing, joint inventory sessions, and co-authored documentation. Document every session in a living guide that captures decisions, rationales, and evolving standards. Ensure accessibility by recording key discussions and providing summaries for staff who cannot attend. A transparent framework reduces knowledge silos, strengthens continuity during staff changes, and demonstrates a collective commitment to stewarding retro gaming heritage for diverse communities.
Aligning preservation methods with user access needs and ethics.
The first pillar is establishing a shared vocabulary. Librarians and game specialists should create a glossary that covers cataloging terms, hardware nuances, and software preservation concepts. Regular vocabulary checks help prevent misinterpretations that can derail projects. Incorporate practical examples drawn from actual collections to illustrate how a cartridge’s provenance affects catalog records, or how a CRT display might alter perceived game state. This collaborative glossary becomes a living resource, accessible to onboarding staff, student workers, and volunteers. It also serves as a touchstone during audits, ensuring everyone speaks a common language when describing preservation priorities and discovery pathways.
The second pillar centers on documentation and provenance. Each item in the collection deserves a documented lineage: source, condition, restoration steps, and any alterations. Mentors can demonstrate how to photograph hardware in high fidelity, record software versions, and note emulation choices. Mentees contribute by proposing metadata fields that improve searchability and user comprehension. Together, they craft concise, durable records that future curators can follow. A robust chain of custody reinforces public trust and clarifies responsibilities. Over time, these records form a searchable archive of how and why decisions were made, enabling informed reuse and scholarly study.
Creating scalable, repeatable pathways for ongoing collaboration.
The third pillar focuses on preservation ethics and community engagement. Mentors model respectful remediation practices that honor creators, rights holders, and collectors. They guide mentees through debates about emulation versus original hardware, archival quality, and licensing considerations. Outreach sessions encourage librarians to invite the public into conversations about why certain titles matter, how preservation sustains learning, and what barriers exist to access. Mentees learn to translate technical choices into plain language that non-experts can grasp. When communities perceive thoughtful stewardship, they are more likely to participate, donate materials, and support ongoing preservation funding.
The fourth pillar emphasizes workflow integration and project management. Pairings should map onto existing library processes, from acquisitions to cataloging to public programming. Assign a project lead for each pairing, set deadlines, and implement routine check-ins that keep momentum. Documented workflows help staff consult past decisions without retracing steps. Also, embed risk assessment into planning: anticipate hardware failure, software obsolescence, and accessibility barriers. A well-defined process reduces surprises, enhances accountability, and creates a predictable path from initial assessment to final archival readiness, ensuring that the partnership yields tangible institutional benefits.
Measuring success through impact, access, and learning outcomes.
The mentorship program benefits from a deliberate onboarding protocol. Start with a mentor-mentee pairing based on complementary strengths, then rotate responsibilities to expose participants to varying perspectives. Provide an orientation that covers institutional policies, safety guidelines for handling vintage equipment, and copyright considerations. Establish expectations around communication style, feedback cadence, and confidentiality. A structured start reduces anxiety and accelerates trust-building. Early success stories—such as a well-documented case study of a difficult restore—fuel confidence in the program and encourage broader participation across departments, committees, and volunteer groups.
Continuous learning is essential for long-term impact. Schedule quarterly reviews to assess progress, celebrate achievements, and recalibrate goals as needed. Encourage mentors to share recent case studies and mentees to propose new research questions or access projects. Build a repository of learning artifacts: annotated image galleries, step-by-step restoration guides, and evaluation rubrics for access requests. In addition, cultivate a culture of curiosity by inviting guest speakers, hosting public demonstrations, and inviting feedback from patrons who interact with preserved titles. This cycle keeps the program dynamic and relevant to evolving community needs.
Sustaining momentum, funding, and community relevance over time.
Defining success metrics early helps demonstrate value and secure ongoing support. Track quantitative data such as the number of items documented, restoration hours saved, and new access paths created for researchers. Qualitative indicators matter too: staff confidence, collaboration quality, and satisfaction levels among patrons. Regularly solicit input from both librarians and game specialists to identify friction points and opportunities for process improvement. Publish annual summaries that translate technical achievements into user-centered narratives. Transparent reporting reinforces accountability, invites constructive critique, and signals that the program contributes meaningfully to the library’s mission.
The program should also foster cross-functional partnerships. Librarians benefit from collaborating with digital humanities, IT, and educational services, while game specialists gain access to broader audiences and archival infrastructure. Joint events, such as exhibit launches or classroom demonstrations, showcase the program’s outcomes and raise visibility for the collections. Cross-department participation encourages resource sharing, from scanning equipment to storage facilities, and helps embed retro gaming expertise as a core organizational capability. These partnerships strengthen institutional resilience, enabling institutions to adapt to changing technologies without sacrificing core preservation goals.
Long-term sustainability requires deliberate succession planning and resource allocation. Identify potential future mentors early, including rising staff, graduate students, and seasoned volunteers who embody the program’s ethos. Develop a mentorship ladder that offers advancing responsibilities and recognition for sustained contributions. Align budget requests with demonstrable outcomes, such as increased access, improved metadata quality, or expanded training offerings. Showcasing tangible benefits makes a compelling case for continued funding, whether through grants, endowments, or library operating budgets. Regularly refresh the program’s scope to reflect new technologies, evolving user needs, and shifting cultural conversations around retro gaming.
Finally, cultivate a living culture of knowledge sharing. Encourage mentors and mentees to publish their learnings as open-access case studies, internal manuals, or brief tutorials for staff and volunteers. Build a community of practice that extends beyond the library walls, inviting partnerships with museums, universities, and gaming communities. By valuing curiosity, rigorous documentation, and inclusive access, the mentorship program becomes a durable asset. It not only preserves hardware and software but also nurtures the people who keep institutional knowledge vibrant, relevant, and welcoming for future generations.
