Alliance

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Alliance Charlotte Libraries
Get a Second Life Library Services in a Virtual
World Computers in Libraries Conference Arlingt
on, Virginia April 18, 2007 Lori Bell, Alliance
Library System Tom Peters, TAP Information Servi
ces Kelly Czarnecki, ImaginOn/PLCMC Matt Gullett
, PLCMC (Public Library of Charlotte
Mecklenburg County)
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The Launch Graphic in SL
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What is Second Life?

• 3D virtual world
• ALS and PLCMC were the first libraries to be
  established in this new virtual world.
  
• ALS and PLCMC have 2 main projects
• adult Second Life and
• Teen Second Life (for ages 13-17)
• 5.5 million registered avatars
• Complete online community with cultural programs,
  businesses, recreation, buildings, property, and
  services
  
• 5,000 visitors per day to the Alliance
  Information Archipelago
  
• 2-3,000 teen visitors a day to the Eye4You
  Alliance island
  
• Is used to facilitate meetings and education,
  e.g., ALA

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Avatars

• In Second Life, an avatar is a digital
  character that represents you in-world
  
• Avatars can walk, talk, fly, swim,
  teleport--anything you want your avatar to do
  
• Each participant creates an avatar - tall,
  short, male, female, buffed or not

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An avatar can have a belly piercing, look like a
movie star or celebrity, or be a nerd!
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The Birth of an Avatar
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The Transformation of Puglet Dancer
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Commerce in Second Life

• SL has its own currency lindens
• 1 USD about 350 lindens
• Can be used to purchase clothing, hair, houses,
  land, services, etc.
  
• Can run your own business
• Some people make a real life living in Second Life

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Lets take a tour! Alliance World HQ
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Info Island Main Library Welcome Center
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Science Fiction and Fantasy Portal books,
podcasts, programs, sci-fi authors
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Pantheon Performance Center live piano
concerts, student productions
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Halloween and the Haunted Mausoleum Giant,
Readable Horror Books on Display
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Cybrary Citys Open Air Auditorium programs
education for librarians
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HealthInfo IslandsMedical Library
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Imagination Island

• Rachelville A place to celebrate the child in
  all of us with a secret garden, maze, childrens
  literature and information on childrens
  literature
• Vendorville A place library vendors may display
  their products for the over 400 librarians in
  Second Life

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Rachelville
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The New E4Y Isle
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E4Y Isle Art Gallery
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New E4Y Isle Theatre
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New Park on E4Y Isle
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Services We Provide

• Reference
• Programs
• Exhibits (World War II posters, Alzheimers
  Disease, author Vachel Lindsay, Sept. 11
  Remembrance)
  
• Collections (web resources, Second Life formatted
  e-books and audio books)
  
• Book and genre discussions
• Training

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Why are Librarians in Second Life?

• This is the new professional frontier!
• This is where many of our users and non-users
  are!
  
• To attract new users to the traditional library
  through referral
  
• To investigate library services in virtual
  worlds
  
• To provide library services 24/7
• You meet and work with librarians worldwide
• 3D web, the emerging web interaction interface

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How It All Started

• April 2006 First rented building, first small
  plot of land
  
• ALS and PLCMC agree to collaborate on project
• 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 consumer health outreach grant
  
• December 2006 Cybrary City for participating
  librarians donated by Talis
  
• January 2007 Sirsi/Dynix Announces Sponsorship
  of Info Island I and Eye4YouAlliance Island in
  Teen Second Life
  
• February 2007 - Built Rachelville and
  Vendorville
  
• February 2007 Put up new ALS building
• February 2007 New opera building, ALA building,
  and machinima school

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The weather is always great!
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Challenges

• Funding and Sustainability
• Volunteer Burnout
• Partnerships are key
• Steep learning curve
• What library services do virtual world users
  want?
  
• What? Youre working in SL? Right
• Robust hardware Internet connection are essential
  
  
• No integrated audio and web yet
• Highly addictive and time intensive

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What Have We Learned?

• Virtual world residents do want a library we
  built it and they are coming in droves!
  
• Collaboration is the key and partnerships are
  essential
  
• Exhibits very popular events attract a crowds
• SL is fun fun factor as catalyst for amazing
  growth.
  
• The speed with which this is unfolding is
  unbelievable!
  
• People still ask for books in a virtual world
• ALS PLCMC have received huge national and
  international attention recognized as key
  innovators.

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Whats next?

• Permanent virtual ALS staff working out of the
  ALS world headquarters! Likewise for PLCMC.
  
• More traditional info resources available e.g.,
  audiobooks
  
• Pioneer meeting technologies to facilitate
  virtual meetings e.g., adding audio to meeting
  protocols
  
• Integrate Info Island Eye4You into ALS PLCMC
  daily operations so all staff are SL functional
  
• Actively promote the Alliance Information
  Archipelago
  
• Improve transportation around the islands e.g.,
  people mover, better teleporting
  
• Create an Info Island for kids

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Why is AIA/E4Y Good for ALS PLCMC?

• Continues ALS PLCMC traditions of being leaders
  in the library community
  
• Provides national profile and recognition as two
  of the most innovative library systems 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 PLCMC customers
  testing new technologies and services re
  virtual library services

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Second Life/Info Island blogs

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

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Get Involved in SL/TSL Contact Us

• Lori Bell (Lorelei Junot) Alliance Library System
  lbell_at_alliancelibrarysystem.com
  
• Tom Peters (Maxito Ricardo) TAP Information
  Services tpeters_at_tapinformation.com
  
• Kelly Czarnecki (BlueWings Hayek), PLCMC
  kczarnecki_at_plcmc.org
  
• Matt Gullett (Ray Lightworker), PLCMC
  mgullett_at_plcmc.org

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Thank You!

• SIRSIDYNIX, TALIS, OCLC For their support of
  Second Life Library and Teen Second Life
  Library.
  
• Thank you to the ALS Board of Directors and to
  PLCMC Leadership for their ongoing support.
  
• Thanks to all the volunteers, teens and
  librarians from around the world.