Alliance and Charlotte Libraries Get a Second Life: Library Services in a Virtual World
Second Life
5.5 million users now!
Lori Bell, director?, Alliance Library System
Tom Peters, TAP Info Svcs
Kelly Czarnecki, ImaginOn/PLCMC
Matt Gullett, PLCMC (Public Lib of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County) – was LJ Mover and Shaker
Lori:
What is this thing?
-not a game, it's a virtual world
-Sony coming out with one, etc.
-wanted to see where libraries would fit in
-3D virtual world
-download software you have to login to each time you go there.
-ALC and PLCMC ave 2 main projects: adult second life, teen second life (13-17)
-growing 20-30%/month! 5.5 million registered avatars
-complete online community - the community actually builds the world.
-cultural programs, businesses, recreation, buildings, property, services
-5000 visitors/day to the Alliance Archipelago
-2-3000 teen visitors a day to the eye4you alliance island
-used for meetings, workshops and education (e.g. ALA)
Avatars
-digital character that represents you in-world
-can walk, talk, fly, swim, teleport
-each participant creates an avatar - tall, short, male, female, buffed or not
Lori Bell: "I'm 46, why wouldn't I want to look 25 if I could?"
Commerce in Second Life
-has its own currency - lindens
-$1 = about 350 lindens
-can purchase clothing, hair, objects, houses, land
-growing
Since last year, gone from one to ten islands! Plus 10 partner islands.
Do about 40 hours of reference service via QuestionPoint, etc.
SciFi and Fantasy portal - books, podcasts, programs, sci-fi authors
Pantheon Performance Center - live piano performances, student productions. Can hear people in NYC from rural IL, etc.
Halloween and the Haunted Mausoleum
3 open are auditoriums
Got grant to get HealthInfo Island's Medical Library - includes groups - most notable, stroke victims group.
Imagination Island - created by couple who lost young child. Rachelville - place to celebrate the child in all of us.
Vendorville - place library vendors can show their products.
Just started Renaissance Island - lots of role play in SL. RenIsland - Henry VIII is the apartment manager.
Kelly:
Teen Grid - do background check to be working with kids in this area!
new E4Y Isle (for teens) - working with developer, working with teens to build the island.
Matt:
Ideal - build space in different environment that made kids think about what they want from group of ppl who identify as librarians.
Space for interactive programming.
Mentoring, maintaining relationships.
One of two public spaces - other is Global Kids (MacArthur Found) - for youth.
Create public space - maintain ideal of public space within these worlds.
Kelly:
Services We Provide
-reference
-programs
-exhibits (WWII posters, alzheimer's, 9/11 remembrance
-collections (web resources, second life formatted e-books and audio books)
-book and genre discussions
-training
Tom:
-first question was whether ppl would want library services inside second life? Answer is resounding yes.
-exhibits drawing people in and collections.
-unique professional outpouring of pro bono work in this space by librarians.
-reference has been a success in SL
-collections - "where are the books?" - but he doesn't see this as a long-term draw.
-ppl really want avatar-to-avatar interaction (hence popularity of ref)
Why are Librarians in SL?
-this is a new professional frontier
-where many of our users and non-users are
-attract new user to traditional library
-investigate lib services in virtual worlds
-provide lib services 24/7 - not doing yet, but getting there.
-meet and work w/librarians worldwide - language is barrier
-learn and use the 3D web, the emerging web interaction interface
After year, seeing architecture moving away from real world models.
Lori:
How It All Started
-april 2006 - first rented bldg, first small plot of land
-may 2006 - first island info island 1
-aug 2006 - info island ii donated
-oct - grand opening of info island I, eye4youalliance opens on Teen second Life
-dec - EduIsland and HealthInfo Island (NLM grant for latter), cybrary city for participating librarians donated by Talis
-Jan 2007 - Sirsi/Dynix helps support
-Feb -
Tom:
The weather is always great!
Challenges:
-funding and sustainability - they've gotten donations of space, but need monthly maintenance funds.
-volunteer burnout - "self-inflicted burnout"
-partnerships are key
-steep learning curve
-what library services do virtual users want?
-What? You're working in SL? Right...
-Robust hardware and Net connections are essential
-No integrated audio and web yet - Once people are in SL, they want all their resources to be in-world, not from out
-Highly addictive and time intensive - no feeling of "we have to abandon the real world"
-general: there are discontents, bad elements, etc. Keeping public peace is issue.
What Have We Learned?
-virtual residents DO want the library - coming in droves!
-collaboration is key and partnerships are essential
-exhibits: very popular; events attract crowds
-SL is fun - fun factor as catalyst for amazing growth
-speed with which this is unfolding is unbelievable!
-ppl still ask for books in a virtual world (!)
-ALS and PLCMC have received huge national and international attention - recognized as key innovators.
Lori: president of her board has been very involved. "In over 30 years of librarianship I've never had so much fun!"
Tom:
What's Next?
-permanent virtual ALS staff working out of ALS HQ. Likewise for PLCMC.
-more 'traditional' info resources available, e.g. audiobooks
-pioneer 'meeting technologies' to facilitate virutal meetings
-integrate Info Island and Eye4You into ALS & PLCMC daily operations so all staf are SL functional
-actively promote the Alliance INformation Archipelago
-improve transportation around the islands, e.g. people mover, better teleporting - teleport centers are great places for info kiosks
-create an Info Island for kids.
Lori:
Why is AIA/E4Y good for als and plcmc?
-continues traditionas of being leaders in the lib community
-provides nat'l profile and recognition as two of the most innovative lib systms in the country
-easier to recruit excellent board members and staff
-easier to land 'big' grants to provide better service for our members
-as requested by als members and plcmc customers - testing new technologies and services re: virtual library services
Matt: that "face to face" contact seems very important to people in this environment.
Also, importance of 3D - coolness of new space can go away, but 3D makes it more rich.
Info Island
www.infoisland.org
YouthTech -
eye4youalliance.youthtech.info
Lori: they chose Second Life because of great number of educators in that virtual world.
