Having only vaguely heard of Second Life, I was intrigued by the prospect of using it in a library context. As libraries become increasingly digitised, taking our work to virtual worlds seems like something of a natural progression. Upon my first arrival to the world, I was quite overwhelmed and truthfully a little frightened, but perhaps this can be associated with beginning a little late. . I hope, though, that I can get more comfortable over the next few days because it does interest be quite a bit.
In the first chapter of Virtual Worlds, Real Libraries, Tom Peters points out that virtual libraries are truly ground-up projects that start with librarians who spend much of their spare time creating useful and viable libraries in SL.
Interestingly, I believe that SL libraries have similar to those in FL. For example, determining whether or not these virtual people and creatures need reference services does not differ much from the crisis we currently experience in our academic and public libraries. However, much like in FL, these virtual librarians recognize the value of designing collections and services for groups of avatar users that may visit.
At present, it seems as though FL libraries are not quite equipped to whole-heartedly embrace a dramatic move towards intensive SL services. Indeed, technologically, the hardware and software in most libraries could not support the needs of SL programming (I need only look at my own computer and understand these red flags.) Peters also points out that there may be a lack of interest on the part of FL library management. While there is an interesting body of research already, it would still be very helpful to raise awareness and interest for this avenue of service. Indeed, increasing education in popular professional literature is one way to understand the benefits and implications of introducing SL to library systems. For example, contending with language barriers is one issue that could deter effective service. However, SL affords the luxury of space and ability to provide many materials, since shelving structures are no longer an issue. While this sounds mind-boggling, these questions can surely be sorted through trial and error. The same goes for the organization of information, which, in SL, calls into question of rigid classification systems, in exchange for more events and exhibits, which I had some difficulty wrapping my head around.
Perhaps the most interesting part of this article was the fact that the ALA has a formal presence in SL, which I did not know about. This presence seems to hint at a future move toward educational consortia, although merging different librar- things from MUVEs could be a challenge., but perhaps an interesting experiment.
Although libraries in SL are relatively recent, after reading this article, I felt as though there is a lot of potential for growth and more widespread interest.
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