SecondLife Libraries

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Comment by Mike McQueen on April 2, 2009 at 11:18pm

Very interesting, thank you for taking the time to comment!

Comment by Jean Hewlett on April 2, 2009 at 8:43pm

Great answer, Mimsey :-) - My avatar, Riven Homewood, is the director of a library that exists only in SecondLife - I see this as an experiment in delivering library services to virtual patrons - I'm also fascinated by the fact that many virtual communities on SL feel they need a library, that their community is somehow incomplete without one. I think understanding why this happens is useful for libraries as a whole, since it involves understanding the other roles a library plays other than acting as a book dispensory.

Comment by Caryn Wesner-Early on March 31, 2009 at 12:29pm

Mike -

I think the benefits will be what we make them. "Of what use is a newborn baby?" It'll depend very much on what kind of library you're in, and the direction you and the library want to go. For public and school libraries, it might be just being accessible to part of your patron base. For university libraries, supporting the academic programs is the main mission, and as universities find ways to use SL for academic programs, the libraries will have to be there, too. You might go to some of the universities that have presences in SL and see what seems to be happening.

My own interest, at least right now, is that I'm a contractor for a government agency that is exploring options for employees to work at home, even in other states. Our library is right on top of what the agency offers, as far as remote access, but there will be more. Right now, our remote employees are required to come in to the office once a week (on average). If people start working from Washington State, though, that will be impractical. I can really see the government turning to SL (or something similar) to allow people to meet "in person" without having to fly for several hours to see each other. In that case, I'd like Mimsey (my avatar) to be a friendly library presence as well, ready to help them whenever they need it, wherever they are. (Reading this over, I'm reminded that there was a conference just last week on government use of virtual environments - held, oddly, in meatspace in DC, but it's a start!)

Anyone else?

Caryn Wesner-Early/MimseyBorogove Susanowa

Comment by Mike McQueen on March 20, 2009 at 11:13pm

I have not used Second Life yet. Can someone explain the benefits to librarians?