What in the world are libraries doing in virtual worlds?
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Transcript of What in the world are libraries doing in virtual worlds?
The 3rd Web
Examples of virtual worlds Second Life Teen Second Life Whyville There.com QWAQ Club Penguin Forterra Many more
What is Second Life?
A 3-d virtual world Populated by over 14 million avatars Complete community with society,
culture/programs, economy, buildings, services, shops
Seen as the next distance learning platform
Over 250 higher education groups
Overview of Alliance Virtual Library project
Started in April 2006 to see if Second Life residents wanted library service
180,000 accounts at that time – now over 14 million
Started in a small rental plot Now almost 50 library and partner
islands Over 1000 self-identified librarians in SL Over 6000 reference questions per year Almost 2000 “Friends of the Library” in
world
Abbey Zenith/Rhonda Trueman and Lorelei Junot/Lori BellPartners in crime on Info Island
Puglet Dancer/Barbara GalikFirst academic library in sl, president of ALS board, director of Bradley library
Meet Maxito RicardoTom Peters in real life. Evaluates and coordinates grant projects in Second Life. Hosts book discussions
One of first libraries on Info Island
Now, no walls, ceilings, fly in!
Why are librarians in Second Life? Virtual worlds are the new 3d web Gartner group predicts by 2011, 80
percent of Internet users will be in virtual worlds
To investigate library services in virtual worlds
To meet some of our public who may or may not use the traditional library
To shape the future of library services
How it all started
April 2006 – rental of first plot of land and building
May 2006 – first island donated – Info Island August 2006 – second island donated – Info
Island II October 2006 – grand opening of Info Island
I October 2006 – Eye4You Alliance opens in
Teen Second Life December 2006 – Eduisland built for
educators who want to rent land and be near educators
More on how it started
December 2006 - Cybrary City provided by Talis for libraries to get a start
December 2006 – HealthInfo Island started with a grant from NLM/GMR
February 2007 – Imagination Island with Rachelville
200 8 – almost 50 library and partner islands; 1000 librarians in world; almost 200 friends of the library ; 5-8 events per week
Services offered:
Reference – 80 hours of in-avatar service per week
Programs and events – book discussions, genealogy programs, continuing education, speakers
Exhibits Collections grouped by topic Training – for librarians and Second
Life residents
Challenges to virtual world libraries Staffed by volunteers on their own
time – burnout Funding and sustainability What types of library services do
virtual world users want? Digital divide – hardware, software
and bandwidth needed Highly addictive Not everyone understands virtual
worlds
What we have learned
Virtual world residents do use the library
Collaboration is key Events and exhibits draw people SL is fun – the fun factor is important Networking is awesome! You meet
people from all over the world you would not otherwise meet
People still want books – many of our programs promote reading
ALA Island – pirate party, Banned Books Week 2007
Open air auditorium on Cybrary City, Info IslandFor continuing education events and programs
HealthInfo Island Medical LibraryALS has received 4 grants from the National Library of Medicine – 1) to build a consumer health library; 2) to create an accessibility center; 3) to create an orientation center for people with disabilities and chronic health; 4) to create an AIDS community resource center
Immersive education and historyALS built Renaissance Island in February 2007 – a Globe Theater, Elizabethan era housing and shops – second life residents can role play, participate or attend events like Renaissance fairs, jousting, and talks by Henry VIII
Land of LincolnTo celebrate the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth, ALS built a Land of Lincoln in Second Life and in Teen Second Life. The Second Life place includes a Lincoln-era White House, a typical plantation, a Lincoln Memorial, a 19th century village, and various displays.