Pokémon: gotta catch them all, even in the library

The Poki(C)mon Go craze has brought the unlikeliest of visitors to local libraries - and one London library is making the most of it

With the Poki(C)mon Go app taking the world by storm, public buildings such as ours have found themselves inundated by visitors staring intently at their smartphones. Like many libraries, Redbridge central library in Ilford, north-east London, happens to be a designated Poki(C)Stop where participants can revive their Poki(C)mon, collect more balls (used to catch Poki(C)mon), and collect eggs that the characters hatch from.

We have acted fast to make the most of our new-found popularity to attract new clientele. We not only advertise our Poki(C)Stop status and the number of Poki(C)mon on site, but also run a series of events for families to learn about technology, while playing the game.