Library Services in a Virtual World

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Library Services in a Virtual World April
19, 2007 Kitty Pope, Executive Director Alliance
Library System 600 High Point Lane East Peoria,
Illinois 61611
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The Launch Graphic in SL
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What is Second Life?

• A 3-D, interactive virtual world
• SL is a complete community with culture/programs,
  businesses, recreation, buildings, and services
• Not a game no score, no conclusion
• SL is being used to facilitate meetings, dialogue
  and distance education, i.e. ALA Washington
  office, Alzheimers Association
• SL is populated by over 5.5 million avatars
• ALS has 2 virtual projects adult Second Life and
  Teen Second Life (for ages 13-17) which provide a
  full array of services
• Over 5,000 avatars visit Info-island per day
• Over 50 libraries in the ALS Info-island
  Archipelago

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Avatars

• An avatar is a digital character that
  represents you
• Avatars can walk, talk, fly, swim, anything you
  can do
• Each participant gets to create their own avatar
  tall, short, male, female, buffed or not!

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An avatar can be an elf, look like a movie star,
or be a nerd!
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The Birth of an Avatar
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The Transformation of Puglet Dancer
basic skin
all blinged out
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Commerce in Second Life

• Second Life has its own currency lindens
• 1 USD 350 lindens
• Can be used to purchase clothing, hair, houses,
  land
• Can run your own business

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Lets take a tour!
Alliance World Headquarters
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The Main Library on Info Island I
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Science Fiction and Fantasy Portal
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The Pantheon Performance Center
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Open Air Auditorium in Cybrary City
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Medical Library on HealthInfo Island
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Rachelville
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Vendorville
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Renaissance Island
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Teaching Learning Space
Teen Island Teaching and Learning Space
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Buildings are not always necessary the weather
is always nice in SL
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What types of services are we providing?

• Reference in avatar, virtual, and by email
• Collections grouped by topic web resources and
  Second Life formatted books
• Book discussions and author visits
• Training how to use library resources and how
  to do things in Second Life
• Programs weekly programs on an array of topics
  i.e. meeting author Vachel Lindsay
• Exhibits where the library and museum
  intersect i.e. Marie Antoinette, Alzheimers
  Disease,

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How It All Started

• April 2006 First rented building, first small
  plot of land
• Alliance Library System and Charlotte-Mecklenburg
  County Library partner
• May 2006 First island Info Island I
• August 2006 Info Island II donated
• October 2006 Grand opening of Info Island I
• October 2006 Eye4YouAlliance opens on Teen
  Second Life
• December 2006 Eduisland built as rental for
  educators who wanted to work together and to be
  close to library
• December 2006 HealthInfo Island built with NLM
  GMR grant
• December 2006 Cybrary City built for
  participating librarians donated by Talis
• January 2007 Sirsi/Dynix sponsors Info Island I
  and Eye4YouAlliance Island February 2007 - Built
  Rachelville and Vendorville
• February 2007 Commissioned ALS World
  Headquarters
• February 2007 Put up new opera building, ALA
  building, and machinima school
• March 2007 Built Renaissance Island
• April 2007 Received ALA/Info Today, Inc. 2007
  Library of the Future Award

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Why are Librarians in Second Life?

• This is the new frontier!
• Its where many of our users and non-users are!
• To attract new users and investigate library
  services in virtual worlds
• To provide library services 24/7
• To meet librarians from around the world

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What Have We Learned

• The speed with which this is unfolding is
  unbelievable!
• Virtual world residents do want a library we
  built it and they are coming in droves!
• People still ask for books in a virtual world
• Collaboration is the key and partnerships are
  essential
• Exhibits and author readings are very popular
• SL is fun its this fun factor that is
  encouraging such amazing growth.
• To work in the virtual world requires a whole new
  set of learning skills

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Challenges

• Funding and Sustainability are key issues
• Supporting a large project using volunteer
  staffing is always challenging
• Its a steep learning curve unless youre 9 years
  old!
• Not everyone understands when you are in SL you
  are working you might be having fun too
  sometimes convincing bosses of this is
  challenging
• Requires a high-end computer with broadband
  connection
• No integrated audio or internet in SL yet!
• It is highly addictive and takes a lot of time

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Whats next?

• Secure funding to hire virtual staff working out
  of the ALS World Headquarters!
• Make more traditional info resources available
  ie audiobooks
• Pioneer meeting technologies to facilitate
  virtual meetings i.e. adding audio to meeting
  protocols
• Integrate Info Island into ALS daily operations
  so all staff are SL functional
• Explore the skills necessary to work in the
  virtual world
• Improve transportation/search functions around
  the islands re people mover, better teleporting
  and finding locations
• Create an Info Island for kids

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How can you get involved?

• Kitty Pope, Kitty Phillip at ALS-
  kpope_at_alliancelibrarysystem.com
• Barbara Galik, Puglet Dancer, Bradley University
  barbara_at_bradley.edu
• Lori Bell, Lorelei Junot at ALS
  lbell_at_alliancelibrarysystem.com
• Abbey Zenith, Director of Island I at
  abbeyzen_at_gmail.com
• Tom Peters, Maxito Ricardo at tapinformation_at_yahoo
  .com

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Second Life/Info Island blogs

• Info Island http//www.infoisland.org
• YouthTech Eye4YouAlliance blog
  http//eye4youalliance.youthtech.info/