Collections in Virtual Environments

I won't lie -- I am jazzed about collection development, so I was really jazzed about the potential for developing virtual collections. Although it would seem that it is nearly impossible without any physical materials, Rhonda Trueman's article shows that Alliance Virtual Library has been quite successful in developing online collections to their users. Books delivered through URL, in-world/audio, subject guides, and externam web links are great ways to provide service in the same way of a typical physical library. The fact that trained librarians become involved in providing access to information, which I would think instils a sense of confidence in the legitimacy and accuracy of a virtual collection.

New users of SL who stumble upon AVL find a welcoming environment that is helpful in providing help to adjust to the new world. I found it particularly interesting that AVL has a collection development policy that, much like bricks and mortar libraries, encourages community building, deliver up-to-date information, and most of all patron service. Ultimately, librarians working in different venues in SL can build their library communities through providing specialised materials in particular subjects that can be very useful for a variety of clientele. I particularly enjoyed her brief section on demonstrating the value of digital libraries. Digital archives, books, and other media can all bring out of world information in world. For example, sharing external URLs on notecards is a great way to promote the library and its value as an information provider. Although the resources and databases have to be free so that everyone can access them, it is nonetheless an exciting opportunity to spread library values and standards of service outside actual walls. I thought it was also very interesting that SL collections do not suffer from pressures of censorship since AVL is designed for adult use in the mature SL grid.

Like any other library, however, librarians must approach users to get their feedback on their feelings about their views on the collections, which can only encourage future improvements. SL libraries are still user-centred and clearly must correspond with the needs of the community at large. The next step is to develop wider networks to reach non-users and possibly even gain financial sponsorship to increase and improve existing collections.