This article is from the first edition of The Video Game Librarian website I published between 2008 and 2010. It was originally written on March 18, 2009.

The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, NY has announced the establishment of the National Center for the History of Electronic Games (NCHEG). The NCHEG will be “dedicated to collecting, preserving, and interpreting electronic games and game forms for future generations.”

According to the announcement, the NCHEG is the home of “one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of electronic game platforms and games in the United States” numbering nearly nearly 15,000 items. In addition to games, it will also carry game-related stuff such as packaging, advertising, publications, electronic-game-inspired consumer products, literary and popular inspirations of electronic-games imagery, historical records, personal and business papers, and other associated artifacts.

Among the items the NCHEG has collected include every major home video game console released since 1972 (that’s the Magnavox Odyssey to the Nintendo Wii for those keeping track) and more than 10,000 individual games. There is also over 100 handheld systems, children’s educational games and a collection of electronic toys like Simon.

Researchers can view all of the items in the NCHEG’s collection while others will be on display in the museum itself. Some of these games will even be available for the public to play.

The NCHEG is looking for donations of games and other game-related materials. If you’re interested in donating materials, please contact Jon-Paul C. Dyson (jpdyson AT museumofplay DOT org) or Eric Wheeler (ewheeler AT museumofplay DOT org). More information can also be found at their website, NCHEG.org.