Virtual World Librarianship in Second Life Diane Nahl Adra Letov in SL [email_address] University of Hawaii Library and Information Science Program HLA Conference November 12, 2009 NASA in SL

Virtual World Factoids Gartner group predicts by 2011 80% of Internet users will be in a virtual world. Tweens are the largest group in virtual worlds. 20% of 8-13 year olds reported having a social network profile. In education VWs are online communities focusing on experiential learning.

Gartner group predicts by 2011 80% of Internet users will be in a virtual world.

Tweens are the largest group in virtual worlds.

20% of 8-13 year olds reported having a social network profile.

In education VWs are online communities focusing on experiential learning.

100+ Active Kid Virtual Worlds

Active Virtual Worlds: Ages 10-15

Active Virtual Worlds: Ages 15-25

Second Life Factoids Second Life is a 3-D virtual world entirely built and owned by its Residents 2003 opened to the public 17 million worldwide registered users 2009 50-75,000 average online at any time Has shopping malls, events, homes, lands of different types, immersive history, literature, and science sites, live music, sports, schools, universities, museums, libraries, and more Residents contribute content, buildings, and create a wide variety of digital objects

Second Life is a 3-D virtual world entirely built and owned by its Residents

2003 opened to the public

17 million worldwide registered users 2009

50-75,000 average online at any time

Has shopping malls, events, homes, lands of different types, immersive history, literature, and science sites, live music, sports, schools, universities, museums, libraries, and more

Residents contribute content, buildings, and create a wide variety of digital objects

Challenges of Adopting Immersive Learning Environments The learning curve, time, effort Inexperience, uncertainty, fear, fatigue Feeling foolish, clumsy, avoidant Novelty, innovation, creativity Outcomes Personal

The learning curve, time, effort

Inexperience, uncertainty, fear, fatigue

Feeling foolish, clumsy, avoidant

Novelty, innovation, creativity

Outcomes

Personal

Opportunities in Adopting Immersive Learning Environments Getting ahead of the curve by preparing for the next generation of virtual learners Cumulative virtual world experience Creating useful services, tools, and activities in a novel information environment Developing creativity as a resource for innovation Collaborating with faculty at the forefront of VW education Professional development, worldwide collaboration Leading the institution in educational applications of VW technology for distance learning, recruitment, access

Getting ahead of the curve by preparing for the next generation of virtual learners

Cumulative virtual world experience

Creating useful services, tools, and activities in a novel information environment

Developing creativity as a resource for innovation

Collaborating with faculty at the forefront of VW education

Professional development, worldwide collaboration

Leading the institution in educational applications of VW technology for distance learning, recruitment, access

Characteristics of Immersive Learning Environments Immersive worlds of interaction and engagement. The more actively people engage with a learning environment the more they learn. In SL interactivity and social interaction are learning fundamentals. Immersive learning environments are infused with information, virtual places embody information. Participants can “go inside the subject.” Exploring, sharing, and co-constructing immersive environments with others deepens learning and enriches perspective.

Immersive worlds of interaction and engagement.

The more actively people engage with a learning environment the more they learn.

In SL interactivity and social interaction are learning fundamentals.

Immersive learning environments are infused with information, virtual places embody information.

Participants can “go inside the subject.”

Exploring, sharing, and co-constructing immersive environments with others deepens learning and enriches perspective.

Serve  Lead  Innovate Trend toward developing user-systems that focus on creating spaces for conversation "The mission of librarians is to improve society through facilitating knowledge creation in their communities.” R. David Lankes, Syracuse U., Library Journal, 11/5/2009 “ Librarians need to focus on knowledge and action, leadership and innovation.” http://quartz.syr.edu/rdlankes/blog/?p=854

Trend toward developing user-systems that focus on creating spaces for conversation

"The mission of librarians is to improve society through facilitating knowledge creation in their communities.”

R. David Lankes, Syracuse U., Library Journal, 11/5/2009

“ Librarians need to focus on knowledge and action, leadership and innovation.”

http://quartz.syr.edu/rdlankes/blog/?p=854

Community Building in the VW Information is the creation and sustenance of community in an uncertain world. We [inworld] are creating communitarian spaces that freely create, distribute, and share information; much as in the past. Bonnie Nardi. 2008. Mixed realities: Information spaces then and now. Information Research , 13(4) paper 354. http://InformationR.net/ir/13-4/paper354.html

Information is the creation and sustenance of community in an uncertain world. We [inworld] are creating communitarian spaces that freely create, distribute, and share information; much as in the past.

Bonnie Nardi. 2008. Mixed realities: Information spaces then and now. Information Research , 13(4) paper 354. http://InformationR.net/ir/13-4/paper354.html

L I B R A R I E S

What are Librarians Doing in Second Life? Building a Library Presence & Services UCLA, Stanford, University of Texas, and many others Kansas State Library, St. Olaf Public Library, and many others Sun Microsystems, IBM, and many others Creating Themed ‘Born-Inworld’ Libraries H.G.Wells Library, Jules Verne Library, Bibliotec Francophone, + Rachelville library of children’s literature, Illumination Library, + Forming Professional Interest Groups (a few) Librarians of Second Life [1,412 members] Second Life Library 2.0 [2,100 members] LIS Student Union [100+ members]

Building a Library Presence & Services

UCLA, Stanford, University of Texas, and many others

Kansas State Library, St. Olaf Public Library, and many others

Sun Microsystems, IBM, and many others

Creating Themed ‘Born-Inworld’ Libraries

H.G.Wells Library, Jules Verne Library, Bibliotec Francophone, +

Rachelville library of children’s literature, Illumination Library, +

Forming Professional Interest Groups (a few)

Librarians of Second Life [1,412 members]

Second Life Library 2.0 [2,100 members]

LIS Student Union [100+ members]

The Reference Desk

Librarian Innovator Lori Bell, Director of Innovation, Alliance Library System, Peoria, Illinois April 2006 started SL Library 2.0 on a rented parcel. May 2006 Info Island was created. October 2006 Grand Opening, but volunteer librarians started creating resources and holding events in May. January 2009 donated a parcel for the LIS Student Union in SL for LIS 677 students to use

Lori Bell, Director of Innovation, Alliance Library System, Peoria, Illinois

April 2006 started SL Library 2.0 on a rented parcel.

May 2006 Info Island was created.

October 2006 Grand Opening, but volunteer librarians started creating resources and holding events in May.

January 2009 donated a parcel for the LIS Student Union in SL for LIS 677 students to use

Professional Meetings and Events

What are Librarians Doing in Second Life? Collaborating with educators in creating immersive educational sites and inworld courses Land of Lincoln, Caledon, Renaissance Island, and more Creating and providing orientation and instruction for SL users, especially new users, educators, librarians, library staff, and students in all disciplines The Learning Curve The Learning Lab and the Second Life Resource Center Teaching professional development courses, producing and presenting at inworld conferences UIUC workshops VWBPE, College & Career Fairs, ALA SLymposium, and more

Collaborating with educators in creating immersive educational sites and inworld courses

Land of Lincoln, Caledon, Renaissance Island, and more

Creating and providing orientation and instruction for SL users, especially new users, educators, librarians, library staff, and students in all disciplines

The Learning Curve

The Learning Lab and the Second Life Resource Center

Teaching professional development courses, producing and presenting at inworld conferences

UIUC workshops

VWBPE, College & Career Fairs, ALA SLymposium, and more

The Learning Curve Orientation Walk

What are Librarians Doing in Second Life? Building Inworld Community Book talks, author events, discussions on current issues, writing contests, commemorations, photo contests, concerts, themed celebrations, rez-day celebrations, memorials, etc. Creating Interactive Information Objects Subject guides, collections, educational objects, exhibits and events, linking to fulltext books and Web sites Creating Innovative Information Objects Virtual Book Experience, walk-in, multimedia, immersive books Farenheit 451, Goldilocks Creating Information Sharing Tools Interactive information givers, slide viewers, notifiers, statistics counters, readable books, skill games, and more.

Building Inworld Community

Book talks, author events, discussions on current issues, writing contests, commemorations, photo contests, concerts, themed celebrations, rez-day celebrations, memorials, etc.

Creating Interactive Information Objects

Subject guides, collections, educational objects, exhibits and events, linking to fulltext books and Web sites

Creating Innovative Information Objects

Virtual Book Experience, walk-in, multimedia, immersive books

Farenheit 451, Goldilocks

Creating Information Sharing Tools

Interactive information givers, slide viewers, notifiers, statistics counters, readable books, skill games, and more.

LIS 694 Virtual World Librarianship Fulfills part of MLIS technology course requirements Second Life virtual world platform Integrates several Web 2.0 applications Professionalizing focus Producing professional events, subject guides, and exhibits Collaborating with professional organizations, librarians, and MLIS students in other programs Acquiring practical VW building and creation skills, publicity and communication skills, content presentation skills, and participant observer skills

Fulfills part of MLIS technology course requirements

Second Life virtual world platform

Integrates several Web 2.0 applications

Professionalizing focus

Producing professional events, subject guides, and exhibits

Collaborating with professional organizations, librarians, and MLIS students in other programs

Acquiring practical VW building and creation skills, publicity and communication skills, content presentation skills, and participant observer skills

LIS Student Union in SL Adra Letov, Founder, January 2009 Home base for all LIS students, near main Reference Desk, Learning Curve, and SJSU Web 2.0 applications Sloog: Create Subject Guides in SL by Tagging places, Searchable, Teleports from the Web http://www.sloog.org/avatars/id/Adra-Letov/places Flickr: Documenting events and places visited http://www.flickr.com/photos/lis-students-sl/ Web: Archiving inworld activities http://www2.hawaii.edu/~nahl/studentunion/lis-su.html SLURL: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Info%20Island%20International/74/233/32

Adra Letov, Founder, January 2009

Home base for all LIS students, near main Reference Desk, Learning Curve, and SJSU

Web 2.0 applications

Sloog: Create Subject Guides in SL by Tagging places, Searchable, Teleports from the Web http://www.sloog.org/avatars/id/Adra-Letov/places

Flickr: Documenting events and places visited http://www.flickr.com/photos/lis-students-sl/

Web: Archiving inworld activities http://www2.hawaii.edu/~nahl/studentunion/lis-su.html

SLURL: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Info%20Island%20International/74/233/32

LIS Student Union on Info Island

Professionalizing in SL Collaborating with professional organizations, librarians, educators, and other LIS students Professional mentoring relationships ALA, SLA, ASIS&T, Alliance Virtual Library System (AVL), libraries in SL, SJSU students Professional event planning and production LIS Career Fair for AVL Banned Books Week program for ALA 50th Anniversary of the 50th State for AVL

Collaborating with professional organizations, librarians, educators, and other LIS students

Professional mentoring relationships

ALA, SLA, ASIS&T, Alliance Virtual Library System (AVL), libraries in SL, SJSU students

Professional event planning and production

LIS Career Fair for AVL

Banned Books Week program for ALA

50th Anniversary of the 50th State for AVL

LIS 694 Students Planning and Producing Professional Events for AVL, SLA and ACRL

SL Students & Librarians Learning Together

University of Hawaii System Island in Second Life Fall 2009: five classes, more planned for Spring 2010 Spring 2009 LIS 677 first class taught at UH in SL ETEC, LIS, Psychology, Second Language Studies, Music, Aquaculture, Nursing Monthly events for new avatars, skill workshops, promoting inworld interaction among faculty, students, and researchers

Fall 2009: five classes, more planned for Spring 2010

Spring 2009 LIS 677 first class taught at UH in SL

ETEC, LIS, Psychology, Second Language Studies, Music, Aquaculture, Nursing

Monthly events for new avatars, skill workshops, promoting inworld interaction among faculty, students, and researchers

UH Island in Second Life Tech Hui Blog http://www.techhui.com/photo/albums/celebrating-university-of Malamalama http://www.hawaii.edu/malamalama/2009/10/second-life/#avatar University of Hawaii in Second Life http://www.hawaii.edu/secondlife/ http://www.hawaii.edu/secondlife/classes/ SLURL http://slurl.com/secondlife/University%20of%20Hawaii/60/203/21

References Boellstorff, T. (2008). Coming of age in Second Life: An anthropologist explores the virtually human . Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Castronova, E. (2005). Synthetic worlds: The business and culture of online games . Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Castronova, E. (2007). Exodus to the virtual world: How online fun is changing reality . New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Bell, Lori and Rhonda Trueman, Eds. 2008. Virtual worlds, Real libraries: Librarians and educators in Second Life and other multi-user environments . Medford, NJ: Information Today. Grassian, E. & Trueman, R. B. (2007). Stumbling, bumbling, teleporting and flying . . . Librarian avatars in Second Life. Reference Services Review , 35, 84-89. Jarmon, L., Traphagan, T., & Mayrath, M. (2008). Understanding project-based learning in Second Life with a pedagogy, training, and assessment trio . Educational Media International , 45(3), 157-176. Luo, L. & Kemp, J. (2008). Second Life: Exploring the immersive instructional venue for library and information science education , Journal of Education for Library and Information Science , 49( 3 ), 147-166. Mon, L. (2009). Questions and answers in a virtual world: Educators and librarians as information providers in Second Life. Journal of Virtual Worlds Research 2( 1 ), 4-21. Nardi, B. 2008. Mixed realities: Information spaces then and now. Information Research , 13(4) paper 354. http://InformationR.net/ir/13-4/paper354.html Obrien, H. L. & Toms, E. G. (2008). What is user engagement? A conceptual framework for defining user engagement with technology. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology , 59(6), 938-955. Ostrander, M. (2008). Talking, looking, flying, searching: Information seeking behaviour in Second Life. Library Hi Tech , 26(4), 512-524. Sanchez, J. (2009). Implementing Second Life: Ideas, challenges, and innovations. Library Technology Reports 45( 2 ), 5-39.

Boellstorff, T. (2008). Coming of age in Second Life: An anthropologist explores the virtually human . Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Castronova, E. (2005). Synthetic worlds: The business and culture of online games . Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Castronova, E. (2007). Exodus to the virtual world: How online fun is changing reality . New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Bell, Lori and Rhonda Trueman, Eds. 2008. Virtual worlds, Real libraries: Librarians and educators in Second Life and other multi-user environments . Medford, NJ: Information Today. Grassian, E. & Trueman, R. B. (2007). Stumbling, bumbling, teleporting and flying . . . Librarian avatars in Second Life. Reference Services Review , 35, 84-89. Jarmon, L., Traphagan, T., & Mayrath, M. (2008). Understanding project-based learning in Second Life with a pedagogy, training, and assessment trio . Educational Media International , 45(3), 157-176. Luo, L. & Kemp, J. (2008). Second Life: Exploring the immersive instructional venue for library and information science education , Journal of Education for Library and Information Science , 49( 3 ), 147-166. Mon, L. (2009). Questions and answers in a virtual world: Educators and librarians as information providers in Second Life. Journal of Virtual Worlds Research 2( 1 ), 4-21. Nardi, B. 2008. Mixed realities: Information spaces then and now. Information Research , 13(4) paper 354. http://InformationR.net/ir/13-4/paper354.html Obrien, H. L. & Toms, E. G. (2008). What is user engagement? A conceptual framework for defining user engagement with technology. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology , 59(6), 938-955. Ostrander, M. (2008). Talking, looking, flying, searching: Information seeking behaviour in Second Life. Library Hi Tech , 26(4), 512-524. Sanchez, J. (2009). Implementing Second Life: Ideas, challenges, and innovations. Library Technology Reports 45( 2 ), 5-39.