Stumbling, Bumbling, Teleporting & Flying… a Librarian Avatar in

“Second Life”

Esther Grassian(aka Alexandria Knight)

UCLA College LibraryRev. 29 May 2007

Alexandria Knight

Agenda

What is Second Life (SL)? Who’s Involved? Examples: Real & Fictional Sites Examples: Library & Librarian

Involvement & Fun Questions Welcome!

What is “Second Life” (SL)?

Modifiable MMOG/MMORPG Massively Multiplayer Online Role-

Playing Game >6.6 million Registered Users 25%+ Increase/Month

Virtual World?

Community Standards Currency = Linden $$ Newspaper = “Metaverse

Messenger” Objects Designed by Residents Intellectual Property Rights

Respected (Lawrence Lessig) >7000 Businesses

More…

Top Ten SL Entrepreneurs: >$200,000/year

Linden Lab’s Profit $20/virtual acre/month = $1

million/month + cut of currency exchange: L$ & US$

L$266-270 = US$1 January 2007: US$5 million traded

SL Demographics 43% Female/57% Male Participants Age

18-24=27% 25-34=39%

75% U.S. Participants (early summer 2006)

16% U.S.; 61% Europe (April 2007) 63% Unique Users 3.6 Million Visits (March 2007)

Some considerations…

Access Requirements Internet Connectivity Platform development & revision Platform stability Learning curve Time commitment Sleaze factor…

Businesses…

More…

Marketing/Advertising

More…

“Metaverse Messenger” Kiosk

Caledon (19th century Sim)

Caledon Library

Steam-Powered Card Catalogs

Elven Glen

Campuses

San Diego State University Ohio University NMC (New Media Consortium) 100 in development…

San Diego State University

SDSU WebQuest

NMC Campus

SJSU SLIS

Research Studies & Social & Political Events

Are they real? Are they authoritative?

Heart Murmur Sim

Heart Murmur Sim…

Fictional!

“This exhibit is for your entertainment only. None of the medical information presented here should be taken as true.”

Kemp, Jeremy. “Notices and Disclaimers…”

Svarga

Fictional, but… "If I was to turn off the clouds

the whole system would die in about six hours…”

Laukosargas Svarog, “Second Life Virtual Ecosystem New World Notes”

Realistic attempt to replicate…

“…the building contains a closely researched recreation of visual and aural hallucinations, based on interviews of real schizophrenics.”

Nash Baldwin, MD & computer programmer, UC Davis

Social Issues… Sponsor?

Real!

White Band Day: 17 Oct 2006 Global Call to Action Against

Poverty (GCAP)

Libraries, Librarians & Others Info Island Archipelago

Main Library Mystery Manor Sci-Fi Building More…

Health Info Island ICT Library TechSoup

Flying in Info Island…

Medical Library

Sci-Fi Fantasy Library

Cybrary City

UCLA Library Stanford Science & Engineering

Libraries Many more…

UCLA Library

UCLA Library

International Spaceflight Museum

Entertainment

Bazaars Casinos Bars Be wary… Mature areas

Yadni’s Junk Yard

Casino…

ATM…

Blarney Stone Bar (Dublin Sim)

Blarney Stone Bar…

Review

What is Second Life (SL)? Who’s Involved? Examples: Library & Librarian

Involvement & Fun To conclude…

Why Get Into SL?

Higher Education, Research & Training

Businesses Learn New Technology Skills Collaboration Opportunities

Faculty Other Librarians & Technologists

And…

Go To Users!

Machinimas…

Info Island Tour Ohio University SJSU SLIS