WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE LIBRARIES DOING IN VIRTUAL WORLDS? The 3 rd Web
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WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE LIBRARIES DOING IN VIRTUAL WORLDS?
The 3rd Web
What are virtual worlds?
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
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
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
Stepping Into History conference – June 2008ALS and Learning Times began offering Stepping Into Virtual World conferences beginning in June 2008 to help educators realize the potential of virtual worlds.
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 19 th century village, and various displays.
Only YesterdayALS has a 1930s era sim called “Only Yesterday.” Period shops, photography, homes, and other displays give visitors a feel for life in that period.
Library educationSan Jose State University Graduate School of Library and Information Science built the first library school campus in Second Life with credit classes. University of Illinois Graduate School of Library and Information Science offers non-credit classes in virtual world librarianship.
BradburyvilleThe Illinois State Library received a BIG READ grant from NEH. Funds were used to build Bradburyville, an island with a walk-in book of Fahrenheit 451, a carnival from “Something Wicked this Way Comes,” a theater, and a multimedia museum.
EduislandsThere are now 6 Eduislands for universities, non-profits, educators and libraries to rent space near other educators. This is Literature Alive headquarters on Eduisland 2.
Commonwealth 1,2,3,4Commonwealth Islands provide spaces for non-profits in Second Life.
Stanford University Libraries
Cleveland Public Library
Cybrary City, Cybrary City 2, Talis Cybrary IslandThese islands provide space for libraries getting started in Second Life. They can create their own presence and work with other libraries.
Museum Isles
Click icon to add picture
Learning Times has 5 museum isles to help museums get started in Second Life
American Library AssociationIn 2007, graduate students from the SJSU Library School worked with Jeremy Kemp to build ALA Island.