A Brief History of Second Life

Reading Tom Boellstorff’s chapter on the history of Second Life helped me wrap my head around virtual worlds and where we can expect them to go. He suggests that this shift to more virtual encounters with people is a natural progression. After all, technology has historically changed how we interact with others – writing, telegraphs, telephones, email, and the like are all ways in which technology shapes our lives. The rise of electronic mass media in the late 19^th Century using those mediums is responsible for the growth of alternate worlds – for example, films and later television facilitated the visualisation of alternate realities. Even fiction such as Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia shows us that experiencing life through cyberspace is not a necessarily new concept – it uses a new medium analogous with the development of more sophisticated telecommunications. The rise of artificial realities such as Videoplace as early as the 1970s. This kind of technology gave way video games, which Boellstorff cites as the precursor to virtual worlds like SL. The development of the Internet since the 1960s is also an integral part of developing virtual worlds as it provides the grounds for mass socialisation that programs such as The Sims could not initially meet. 

Second Life brings together very complex and Aristotelian concepts of technology and techniques. That is, humans have the means to transform their lives and their surroundings through their creativity. This understanding of culture shows us that virtual communities spring from old forms of developing humanity. On the other hand, as Boellstorff points out most interestingly, it is developing in a way unlike any previous social development. Indeed, this coexistence of ideas can be overwhelming, but it also makes understanding the anthropological developments of Second Life much more manageable. These theories put SL development into a macro and micro sociological perspective, which to me develops a more complete picture of what we can expect as librarians working in a unique context.   

Reference Services in Second Life

As a reference assistant, I found S. Thompson’s article “Reference Services in a Virtual World” very interesting. Although ready reference in the synchronous sense (i.e. with both patron and librarian conversing in real time) is ideal, it is still challenging from the perspective of the library as an institution – staffing, allotting time, and the like may not be realistic for a long term service. On the other hand, asynchronous meetings (i.e. when the librarian can answer a question left for them) is far more feasible. It is certainly less pressure for the librarian, who can answer questions at their own pace, and not at the expense of their other duties.

At first, I thought it all sounded well and good. However, like much theory surrounding increased digitisation, not only may technologies fail, but it could also serve as depersonalising the librarian – expecting them to perform the work of a machine. Another good point that Thompson raises is unfamiliarity with program interfaces which can be alienating for the user. Indeed, learning one’s way around SL can be overwhelming. It takes time and may not be as effective a service for some users. It was also interesting to read the author’s ideas on correcting depersonalisation through gestures and facial expressions, making the interaction more personal.

QuestionPoint seems to be a good compromise of synchronous and asynchronous meetings between a patron and a librarian. Still, the problems described above were not solved, access was difficult, and interest appeared to be low on the part of staffing and patron queries. Live Reference on the other hand seems to be a more familiar way of doing virtual reference. The volunteer staffing seems to work well and as a result, there is much more interest on the part of MLIS librarians, assistants, and patrons. Roaming reference is another interesting way for virtual librarians to meet more potential users.

Perhaps my favourite part of the article was the discussion on “griefers,” who intentionally try to annoy other users, including librarians. Nudists, voyeurs, and litterbugs are regrettably problems in both online and in-person libraries. I would be interested in seeing how reference service at Alliance Virtual Library will grow. I think the only way to see an increase in interest is through more intensive marketing – perhaps outside SL. I’m also curious to know how SL can tailor reference services for those who have physical handicaps that prevent them from using in-person libraries. 

Volunteer Preparations

Over the past few weeks, Peachesbanana, Jaely and myself have been preparing for our first book club meeting this week. Although having a bit of a break was nice, we're ready to get down to discussing our novels. One thing I've noticed is the amount of co-operation that is required for arranging our club. We've been working with Abbey who has been an absolute gem in scheduling our meetings and promoting us to other SL users. So far we have had a really positive experience. Hopefully the meetings will be as successful as the planning!

Management Issues in Virtual Libraries

The more I visit different types of places in SL (Renaissance Island, CVL) I realise that there is also concerted efforts among librarian volunteers to balance their First Lives with their responsibilities in First Life. I could completely relate to Rhonda Trueman's article Management in Virtual Worlds when she writes that working in Second Life can be extremely overwhelming for a librarian who has not experience in gaming or other virtual spaces (i.e. me). Speaking with several colleagues in the class on Western Island, there is an expectation that one who volunteers in a virtual library is skilled in the virtual world already. As one friend noted during office hours last night, some virtual managers may be challenged with the prospect that finding volunteer librarians may be difficult, especially since the learning curve is fairly steep. 


Trueman's article also points out that volunteering in a virtual library (she cites Alliance Virtual Library) can take up much of a librarian's time to the oint of excess. Too much focus on activities can cause a volunteer librarian not to take notice of creativity around them, or hopefully pick up new skills in the process. I found it particularly interesting that some librarians are paid for their time working in SL. Could this be a sign that a shift to more participation in virtual libraries on the wide scale is an attainable goal? I was also unaware of how formalised a volunteer schedule is so much like that of first life libraries. She describes Alliance Virtual Library as a network of small teams that promote reference services, collection development, or any other part of library work that may interest him or her. Another value I found in SL libraries is that of networking with a librarian in any part of the world -- the collaboration experience seems quite rewarding. From what I can gather, part of any time of librarianship is that of working together and sharing skills. SL provides a unique venue to accomplish this. 

Library and Museums in SL for Children, Tweens, and Teens

I recently read Marty Grover's chapter in Virtual Worlds, Real Libraries and enjoyed it very much, because providing online service to young people, possibly in a medium in which they feel comfortable is an exciting prospect. Because I love libraries and museums, I believe that incorporating SL or other online worlds will have educational value over time. Beyond age restrictions and other barriers, drawing young people and educators and maintaining their interest is another type of challenge that SL librarians or curators will have to face.

Finding the best type of SL platform for children and teens requires certain considerations, especially to protect them from bullying or other types of predatory activities. There are several ways to instil this safety: for example, parental controls, chat filters/moderation. Finding the balance between these "safety features" while maintaining useful content such as file sharing, user-created content, and live help can be difficult. Choosing the right platform must take some serious consideration.

Grover points out Whyville, Club Penguin, and Furcadia, as potential platforms to appeal to children based on their simple interfaces, bright colours, and play-learn teaching potential. At times, this simplicity of interface and graphics can be limiting in terms of activities. The drawback of the latter is that users cannot really create their own content. Using Whyville and Club Penguin may be difficult for educators to use it effectively if trying to create unique types of learning tools or lesson plans. Something like Furcadia or There, though, could be better, since it is more flexible in building unique content and even collaborate with others. Teen Second Life looks very interesting for potential educational value. Considering we have been exploring different worlds, I can see more opportunity to design library or course materials and interact with students that way. I also liked many of the safety mechanisms it uses.

Of course, no platform is entirely user friendly, and some features may not be as easy to navigate as others, but I imagine that over time, SL for educational purpose can become more appealing in the future. I am increasingly noticing that libraries can play a part in virtual worlds, particularly for reference.

Appearance, Volunteering, and More!

After a particularly nasty cold earlier last week, I spent most of my time in SL playing around with my appearance -- the more bizarre the better. While I've kept my robo-body, I opted for a fluffy cat head, a long, slightly unflattering skirt, and unicorn shoes. I'm pretty happy with the way I look right now, but I'm looking forward to making more adjustments to my avatar, maybe going back to being in a human form.

Also, I've decided to volunteer at the CVL reference desk, since I really enjoy working reference in first life. I'm a little bit nervous I won't be helpful, but I will definitely try my best to help a potential SL patron. I'm still waiting to hear back from Rolig, but hopefully I'll hear from her tomorrow!

Later this week, I'm planning on meeting a couple of friends from the class to have a chat about the course so far, which I think will help me feel more comfortable in SL, even though I'm feeling more confident since I joined the class later than I would have liked. However, I could definitely use a hand in creating some objects, as I'm having a bit of trouble in that department. Also, I saw the invitation for the Halloween party towards the end of the month and I'm very excited to see my friends in different costumes, and maybe volunteer in costume as well. Seems like there is more and more to look forward to in SL over the next few weeks.