Digital Libraries and Second Life

1
Digital Libraries and Second Life

• A Literature Review
• Wes Umstead
• LIS 7850

2
Introduction

• Defining SL
• Libraries in SL
• Collections
• Reference Services
• Programming/Events
• Disadvantages
• Advantages
• Future Developments

http//blogs.princeton.edu/itsacademic/2007/11/tiv
o_for_the_internet_rss_feeds_for_research_and_leis
ure.html
3
Defining Second Life

• MUVE.
• Avatars.
• Built and owned by residents.
• There are malls, restaurants, dance clubs,
  casinos, libraries, exhibits, and private homes.
  (Hurst-Wahl, 2007, p. 45)
• Walking, running, flying, and telep0rting.

http//celticmythpodshow.com/blog/celtic-myth-folk
lore-lectures-in-second-life/
4
Libraries in Second Life

• Over 260.
• Second Life Library 2.0 created in 2006.
• The Second Life Library 2.0 eventually expanded
  to include many partners, now known as the Info
  Archipelago (IA), which forms an alliance known
  as the Alliance Virtual Library (AVL) and offers
  not only reference service but also instruction,
  specialized collections, and events (Ralph and
  Stahr, p. 918).

5
Collections

• Notecards.
• Bitmaps.
• Pathfinders.
• In a virtual world, our skills and our tools
  function as a collection, a resource from which
  others can learn (Trueman, 2008, p. 73).

http//librariandreamer.wordpress.com/2008/02/29/a
nother-look-at-the-informed-consent-notecard/
6
References Services

• Merges the best of virtual and real-life
  reference.
• the reference avatar is poised and ready to
  answer questions (Condic, 2009, p. 343).
• The quality of reference service in SL can be
  equivalent to or even exceed the real life
  reference environment (Ralph and Stahr, 2010, p.
  917).

7
Programming/Events

• Classes.
• Seminars.
• Conferences.
• Examples We've also presented teen tech week, a
  reenactment of Henry VIII, live piano
  performances, art shows, Jeff Bezos from Amazon,
  and a giant ant talking about his culture. We are
  offering continuing education for librarians
  (Bell, Pope, and Peters, 2007, p. 17)

8
Disadvantages

• Learning curve.
• Digital divide.
• Cost (training and staff time).
• Funding.

9
Advantages

• 80 of online users will have an avatar by
  2010 (Buckland Godfrey, 2010, p. 27).
• 5,000 avatars visiting the Information
  Archipelago each day (Bell, Pope, and Peters,
  2007, p. 17).
• Driving traffic to brick-and-mortar libraries.
• Raph and Stahr networking, best practices,
  and collaboration (p. 917).

10
Future Development

• Velasco-Martin (2010) Metadata, text display,
  community building, audience attraction.
• Hill and Lee (2009) needs of patrons,
  information seeking behaviors, accessibility,
  security, sustainability.
• Hedreen et. al. (2008) collections,
  communication, outreach, funding.

11
Conclusion

• The advantages of SL definitely outweigh the
  disadvantages.

http//hayleybell08.wordpress.com/page/3/