Do we remove all the walls? Second Life Librarianship

Do we remove all the walls?Second Life librarianship

Kathryn Greenhill http://librariansmatter.com

Kathryn Greenhill

Emerging Technologies SpecialistMurdoch University

February 2008

LibrariansMatter.com

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Let’s fly

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(embedded video)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aI5zQtRh9E

Kathryn Greenhill http://librariansmatter.com

Kathryn Greenhill http://librariansmatter.com

•Definition - MUVE•Limitations of Second Life•Possibilities for Second Life•Australian Libraries Building•Library objects•Advantages for librarians•What we learned

Outline

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Multi

User

Virtual

Environment

MUVE

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•Client/server•Real time•Multiple user•Each user’s own POV•3D rendering•Graphics, sound, networking•Aim = Immersion

MUVE elements

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•SL Teen Grid•There•Habbo Hotel•Kaneva•Activeworlds•Whyville•Webkinz•Club Penguin

Other MUVEs

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Limitations of Second Life

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OVERHYPED

Second Life is

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•80 Percent of Active Internet Users Will Have A ``Second Life'' in the Virtual World by the End of 2011 - Gartner

•Educause/NMC Horizon Report 2007

But…

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Growth is levelling off

Although…

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Source: Linden Labs. Second Life economy posts solid growth in Q4: http://blog.secondlife.com/2008/01/17/second-life-economy-posts-solid-growth-in-q4/

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Where our users are

NOT

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Library 2.0

…unless it matches your users’ needs

NOT

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•Broadband•Fast processor•High end graphics card

Access

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90%

Churn rate

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•Not really…•Fewer than 100 people per event per island

Scalable ?

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…a creepy post-apocalyptic wasteland

John Blyberg said it was like ….

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It’s evolving …Remember this ….

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(Audio of dialup modem connecting)

FreeFull of librariansHas critical massAvailable right now

It is …

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Worth investigating

Can only be understood by doing

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Possibilities of Second Life

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What can you do in Second Life?

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Avatars

Islands

Buildings

Objects

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Avatars• Talk • Modify • Move

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Objects• Build• Upload • Buy, sell and trade • Animate• Script

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Environment• Streamed media• Join groups and

network• Events

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2003 Second Life April 2006 Shopfront libraryOct 2006 Infoisland – 2 islandsNov 2006 Australian Libraries

buildingFeb 2007 9 islandsJuly 2007 40 islands

SL Library History

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What are libraries doing in Second Life?

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Reference

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Outreach programs

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Collections

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Classes and seminars

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Slideshare.netSearch: sirexkat

More on what librarians are doing ….

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Australian Libraries Building

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First – Social, met people

Australian Libraries Building

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Second– Did things with objects

Australian Libraries Building

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Scripted Objects

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Kathryn Greenhill http://librariansmatter.com

(embedded video)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOh5UF9-kmg

Kathryn Greenhill http://librariansmatter.com

Kathryn Greenhill http://librariansmatter.com

Advantages for librarians who experiment in

Second Life

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Learn new interface

Advantages

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Understand users who game

Advantages

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Break down professional isolation

Advantages

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Increase coding skills

Advantages

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Fun creative expression

Advantages

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Join collaborative learning community

Advantages

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Network about real life library topics

Advantages

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Find expert professional support

Advantages

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Nimble thinking and adapatable

Advantages

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What we learned about information in a MUVE

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Tom Peters, report into first year of SL library…

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If Second Life crashed tomorrow, or all users moved away…

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•…thus resulting in tremendous loss of person hours spent building and designing in Second Life, most librarians seem to agree that the experiential and theoretical knowledge gained during this first collective exploration of virtual worlds would be a sufficiently valuable thing to take away to make the project worthwhile “

Source: Peters, Tom 2007 A Report on the First Year of Operation of the Alliance Second Life Library 2.0 Project also known as the Alliance Information Archipelago: April 11, 2006 Through April 18, 2007 10 August 2007 TAP Information Service, Chicago.

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•People want to interact with people

•Not with things

It’s a social network

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•If you build it, they MAY come, but you’ll have to be there.

It’s a social network

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•Events•Reference desk•Casual get togethers•Outdoor settings•“Friending” and using network•Collaboration around subject matter, not geography•Dance meetings•Volunteers working on own interests.

What works

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•Static collections with no people•Closed off buildings•Clickable objects without “how to”•Solo exploration•Buildings without identity

What doesn’t work

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•Create “willing suspension of disbelief”

Challenge

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Immersion ….

Challenge

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Kathryn Greenhill http://librariansmatter.com

…vs. possibilities of the interface

Challenge

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Kathryn Greenhill http://librariansmatter.com

Kathryn Greenhill http://librariansmatter.com

Evolution of the building

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Kathryn Greenhill http://librariansmatter.com

Kathryn Greenhill http://librariansmatter.com

Kathryn Greenhill http://librariansmatter.com

Kathryn Greenhill http://librariansmatter.com

Kathryn Greenhill http://librariansmatter.com

Kathryn Greenhill http://librariansmatter.com

Kathryn Greenhill http://librariansmatter.com

Kathryn Greenhill http://librariansmatter.com

Kathryn Greenhill http://librariansmatter.com

Kathryn Greenhill http://librariansmatter.com

Kathryn Greenhill http://librariansmatter.com

Kathryn Greenhill http://librariansmatter.com

Kathryn Greenhill http://librariansmatter.com

Kathryn Greenhill http://librariansmatter.com

Kathryn Greenhill http://librariansmatter.com

Kathryn Greenhill http://librariansmatter.com

Spot the problem

Kathryn Greenhill http://librariansmatter.com

Kathryn Greenhill http://librariansmatter.com

Kathryn Greenhill http://librariansmatter.com

Kathryn Greenhill http://librariansmatter.com

Kathryn Greenhill http://librariansmatter.com

Questions ?Kathryn Greenhill http://librariansmatter.com