Alliance & Charlotte Libraries Get a Second Life:

Library Services in a Virtual World

Computers in Libraries Conference

Arlington, Virginia

April 18, 2007

Lori Bell, Alliance Library System

Tom Peters, TAP Information Services

Kelly Czarnecki, ImaginOn/PLCMC

Matt Gullett, PLCMC (Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County)

The Launch Graphic in SL

What is Second Life?• 3D virtual world

• ALS and PLCMC were the first libraries to be established in this new virtual world.

• ALS and PLCMC have 2 main projects: – adult Second Life and

– Teen Second Life (for ages 13-17)

• Over 5.5 million registered avatars

• Complete online community: cultural programs, businesses, recreation, buildings, property, and services

• 5,000 visitors per day to the Alliance Information Archipelago

• 2-3,000 teen visitors a day to the Eye4You Alliance island

• Used for meetings, workshops, and education (e.g., ALA)

Avatars

• In Second Life, an “avatar” is a digital character that represents you in-world

• Avatars can walk, talk, fly, swim, teleport--anything you want your avatar to do

• Each participant creates an avatar –- tall, short, male, female, buffed or not

An avatar can have a belly piercing, look like a movie star or celebrity, or be a nerd!

The Birth of an Avatar

The Transformation of Puglet Dancer

Commerce in Second Life

• SL has its own currency – “lindens”• $1 USD = about 350 lindens• Can be used to purchase clothing,

hair, houses, land, services, etc.• Can run your own business• Some people make a real life living in

Second Life

Let’s take a tour! Alliance World HQ

Info Island: Main Library & Welcome Center

Science Fiction and Fantasy Portal – books, podcasts, programs, sci-fi authors

Pantheon Performance Center: live piano concerts, student productions

Halloween and the Haunted Mausoleum: Giant, Readable Horror Books on Display

Cybrary City’s Open Air Auditorium: programs & education for librarians

HealthInfo Island’sMedical Library

Imagination Island

• Rachelville – A place to celebrate the child in all of us. Contains a secret garden, a maze, children’s literature and information on children’s literature

• Vendorville – A place library vendors may display their products for the over 400 librarians in Second Life

Rachelville

The New E4Y Isle

E4Y Isle Art Gallery

New E4Y Isle Theatre

New Park on E4Y Isle

Services We Provide• Reference

• Programs

• Exhibits (World War II posters, Alzheimer’s Disease, author Vachel Lindsay, Sept. 11 Remembrance)

• Collections (web resources, Second Life formatted e-books and audio books)

• Book and genre discussions

• Training

Why are Librarians in Second Life?• This is a new professional frontier

• This is where many of our users and non-users are

• To attract new users to the traditional library through referral

• To investigate library services in virtual worlds

• To provide library services 24/7

• To meet and work with librarians worldwide

• To learn and use the 3D web, the emerging web interaction interface

How It All Started• April 2006 – First rented building, first small plot of land• ALS and PLCMC agree to collaborate on project• May 2006 – First island – Info Island I• August 2006 – Info Island II donated• October 2006 – Grand opening of Info Island I• October 2006 – Eye4YouAlliance opens on Teen Second Life• December 2006 – Eduisland built as rental for educators who wanted to work

together and to be close to library• December 2006 – HealthInfo Island built with NLM GMR consumer health

outreach grant• December 2006 – Cybrary City for participating librarians donated by Talis• January 2007 – Sirsi/Dynix Announces Sponsorship of Info Island I and

Eye4YouAlliance Island in Teen Second Life• February 2007 - Built Rachelville and Vendorville• February 2007 – Put up new ALS building• February 2007 – New opera building, ALA building, and machinima school

The weather is always great!

Challenges• Funding and Sustainability

• Volunteer Burnout

• Partnerships are key

• Steep learning curve

• What library services do virtual world users want?

• What? You’re working in SL? Right …

• Robust hardware & Internet connection are essential

• No integrated audio and web yet

• Highly addictive and time intensive

What Have We Learned?

• Virtual world residents do want a library – we built it and they are coming in droves!

• Collaboration is the key and partnerships are essential

• Exhibits: very popular; events attract crowds

• SL is fun – fun factor as catalyst for amazing growth.

• The speed with which this is unfolding is unbelievable!

• People still ask for books in a virtual world

• ALS & PLCMC have received huge national and international attention – recognized as key innovators.

What’s next?• Permanent virtual ALS staff working out of the ALS world

headquarters! Likewise for PLCMC.

• More “traditional” info resources available e.g., audiobooks

• Pioneer “meeting technologies” to facilitate virtual meetings e.g., adding audio to meeting protocols

• Integrate Info Island & Eye4You into ALS & PLCMC daily operations so all staff are SL functional

• Actively promote the Alliance Information Archipelago

• Improve transportation around the islands e.g., people mover, better teleporting

• Create an Info Island for kids

Why is AIA/E4Y Good for ALS & PLCMC?

• Continues ALS & PLCMC traditions of being leaders in the library community

• Provides national profile and recognition as two of the most innovative library systems in the country

• Easier to recruit excellent board members and staff

• Easier to land “big” grants to provide better service for our members

• As requested by ALS members & PLCMC customers – testing new technologies and services re: virtual library services

Second Life/Info Island blogs

• Info Island – http://www.infoisland.org

• YouthTech Eye4YouAlliance blog – http://eye4youalliance.youthtech.info/

Get Involved in SL/TSL: Contact Us

• Lori Bell (Lorelei Junot), Alliance Library System lbell@alliancelibrarysystem.com

• Tom Peters (Maxito Ricardo), TAP Information Services tpeters@tapinformation.com

• Kelly Czarnecki (BlueWings Hayek), PLCMC kczarnecki@plcmc.org

• Matt Gullett (Ray Lightworker), PLCMC mgullett@plcmc.org

Thank You!

• SirsiDynix, Talis, OCLC and other donors: For their support of Second Life Library and Teen Second Life Library.

• ALS Board of Directors and PLCMC Leadership: For their ongoing support.

• All the volunteers--teens and librarians-- from around the world.