I am Library: an ode to self-discovery and collective creativity in Second Life ®

I am Library Bridging Worlds 2008 . Knowing . Learning . Sharing October 16-17, 2008 . Singapore Bernadette Daly Swanson University of California Davis An ode to self-discovery & collective creativity in Second Life ®

View the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cM5ze9M3AJ4 (be sure to watch the High Quality version - see the link at the bottom of the YouTube video window on the lower right side) or Blip.tv: http://blip.tv/file/1375957

Virtual World: A synchronous, persistent network of people, represented as avatars, facilitated by networked computers. (Bell, 2008)

Have you spent any time in a virtual world. ? Second Life, OpenSim, Kaneva, HiPiHi, There, Whyville, Active Worlds, Everquest Wonderland, QWAQ: based on Open Croquet

“ We are never prepared for what we expect.” James A. Michener, Caravans. Reuters News in Second Life

80% of us will be using virtual worlds By 2011 Raskino, Mark, et.al. The IT Revolution Needs You: The Gartner Symposium Emerging Trends Keynote. Gartner Research Group: Barcelona. 2007.

2007 virtual worlds identified as an emerging technology adoption period of 2-3 years into mainstream for educational purposes. New Media Consortium (NMC) and Educause Learning Initiative (ELI). Horizon Project: 2007 Horizon Report and 2008 Horizon Report . Retrieved February 28, 2008. http://www.nmc.org/horizonreport emerging technology

Second Life: 1,834 million square meters of resident owned land* the virtual equivalent of 708 square miles almost 3 times the size of Singapore

70% of users from outside the USA over 15.2 million registered accounts * Linden Lab. Key Economic Metrics through 2008. Retrieved April 1, 2008: http://blog.secondlife.com/2008/02/22/key-economic-metrics-through-january-2008/ * Estimates of 6 million unique users

an early version of the 3D web - still evolving - visually compelling - built-in instant messenger, chat, voice, people -Unfortunately, a new frontier requiring broad-band Internet access and updated computers -should we advocate for access through libraries?

The way I see it…

Why Participate? - I see it as an extension of what I do - a sandbox for trying out new ideas - a cheap way to attend great conferences (held partially or completely in Second Life). - collaborate with colleagues / meetings - document what libraries are doing in SL (movies) “ But, I don’t need a Second Life”

April 1, 2008, Washington D.C. First Congressional Hearing on Virtual Worlds for Educational purposes: http://energycommerce.house.gov/cmte_mtgs/110-ti-hrg.040108.VirtualWorlds.shtml Congressional Hearing…

Congressional Hearing Issues Raised re: web & virtual worlds: - child protection concerns - personal privacy - intellectual property protection - consumer protection - online banking issues - online gambling In Second Life, issues addressed: teen grid / adult grid clearance required for adults to enter teen grid as educators, age verification. Private islands for education/schools & some libraries. Parents page: http://teen.secondlife.com/parents Intellectual property issues handled by the courts, it is a violation to wager in games in SL & unlicensed banks prohibited from offering interest/return since Jan. 22, 2008 Congressman, Edward J. Markey (D-MA) http://energycommerce.house.gov/cmte_mtgs/110-ti-hrg.040108.VirtualWorlds.sh tml

SL5B Closing Keynote: Mitch Kapor

Kapor, Mitch. "SL5B: Mitch Kapor's Closing Keynote.” iTunes: Video Podcast . July 7, 2008. Linden Lab. 1 Oct 2008 (adaption).

No... it’s a 3D environment... “A virtual world like Second Life... ... is NOT a game, serious or otherwise, and referring to the work done in these spaces as games LIMITS both the potential for the technology and the work it is enabling. “ ? Testimony at United States Congressional Hearing, April 1, 2008. http://energycommerce.house.gov/cmte_mtgs/110-ti-hrg.040108.VirtualWorlds.shtml Game? Dr. Larry Johnson Chief Executive Officer New Media Consortium

“ Virtual space extends our notions of the real world just as the web extends out notions of the network.” ! Testimony at United States Congressional Hearing, April 1, 2008 . http://energycommerce.house.gov/cmte_mtgs/110-ti-hrg.040108.VirtualWorlds.shtml Not a Game Dr. Larry Johnson, Chief Executive Officer, New Media Consortium

Top 20 Countries by active user hours & by age During the week of September 19th, 2008 there were 505,839 unique log-ins … another Second Life record.

Alliance Virtual Library (AVL) Alliance Library System, Peoria, Illinois, USA

New Partnerships (library-related & non-profits

In world conferences

In world instruction (University of Illinois Urbana Champaign & Alliance Virtual Library)

in the San Francisco Bay (1.2 square miles) Alliance Virtual Library in Second Life: covering 3,276,800 square meters the virtual equivalent of 1.26 square miles 50 virtual islands = 1.2 square miles Angel Island

1500 Friends of the Library “in world” group 755+ declared Librarians on the google group: http://groups.google.com/group/alliancesecondlife 800+ “in world” groups of Second Life

Directory of Libraries & Organizations

Funded by grants from the National Library of Medicine, Washington DC

Healthinfo Island Blog: http://healthinfoisland.blogspot.com Latest grant (4 th ): National Library of Medicine US $60,000.

http://www.lis.uiuc.edu/programs/cpd/VW Non-Credit Classes in SL Since May 2007 Intro to Virtual World Librarianship – 173 Intermediate VWL – 35 Second Life 101 – 31 Technical Skills for Virtual Worlds – 24 Immersive Learning in 3D Virtual Environments – 44 Setting up an Educational presence in Second Life – 21 Working with a Class in Second Life – 32 Total = 360 students/librarians/educators

“ in world” Conferences: Go Green! Broadcast conferences into SL or go fully virtual Virtual Worlds: Libraries, Education, Museums 2008 Conference, March 8, 2008 Stepping into History, Stepping into Health… series with LearningTimes.com

Virtual Reference

Reference Statistics for 2007  6769 patrons  1921 directional questions related to Second Life  2292 reference questions in Second Life  186 directional questions related to the “real world”  287 reference questions related to the “real world”  46 reported voice questions  37 patrons who spoke/typed no English 78 scheduled hours per week 32 librarians working on reference service

Reference Cool… fly in & teleport out!

I am real. I am virtual.

Healthinfo Island: Teleport around the islands by clicking on the map to get a landmark

Info International Island Reference Patio Bell Library Alliance Virtual Library

Surveys & Publications

Kim Holmberg’s Survey Results: Libraries in Second Life http://www.slideshare.net/kholmber Slide 78: What kind of expectations do you have? “ Learn about SL and new ways to provide information.” “ Support pedagogy and research” “ Networking” “ To create a presence in SL” “ Incorporate virtual technologies on library web site” See: slides 66-84 to see if expectations have been met in Second Life.

2008 Trends Report Pope, Kitty. Trends Report 2008. Alliance Library System. Peoria, IL. http://www.alliancelibrarysystem.com/pdf08/TrendsReport2008.pdf Why is virtual librarianship so controversial? “ Using an avatar is a very different way to meet and serve a library customer. It takes time and effort to master the skills needed to be effective in this brave new world!” “ Every new technology or format has been controversial or threatening when first presented and virtual librarianship is no different.” “ Second Life requires a huge learning curve, great bandwidth and very new hardware.” “ Virtual librarianship is truly a global community. It does not serve the traditional geographic boundaries of a public library.” “ The controversy owes much to a lack of understanding. There are fears that this “game” will compete with traditional services.” “ Fears have been fed by some sensationalistic journalism and political motivations – they like to highlight the radical fringes that exist in virtual and real world librarianship.”

New Book: Virtual Worlds Real Libraries New Web Magazine: Rezlibris Oct. 2008 I am sharing, collaboration and learning. I am Library.

www.infoisland.org

Tour by PowerPoint

Renaissance Island: Jousting Competitions Imagination and creativity… I am part of a simulated 3D environment created by its users.

Share the Health” – consumer health information – US $35,000 National Library of Medicine Grant orientation & advanced tutorials for people with real life disabilities or chronic health conditions. Yet I am more. I am global. I am local. I am Community. I am social.

Ramapo Islands, Ramapo School District, New York (800 + students: grade 8-9 – 6 private islands) streaming video into Second Life I am part of a trans-media journey where destination is experience.

What does a virtual library “feel like”? I am the structures and open space, brought to life by the residents of the virtual world.

Up-to-date computer/video card, broad-band Internet access http://secondlife.com/support/sysreqs.php relying on broadband and accelerated graphics.

Your library associations: mentoring, publishing in a virtual world, events, streaming to Second Life, continuing education, virtual library associations I am an extension of the physical world

I am here. I am real. I can help. I am here.. I am real.

They don’t replace physical spaces & services… but extend our options We can prepare… learn, share & build new communities

Imagination Island: Children’s Literature The Secret Garden ! !

Virtually physical ~ immersive book

Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451: Immerse Yourself in the scenes!

Replica of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre (1599)

I am Library voyageurs, educators, students, creatives lots of librarians & Gold fish

Sheila Webber/ Sheila Yoshikawa Infolit iSchool Island: Sheffield University

Discussing Briefing Paper by SCONUL

Different… it doesn’t replace… only extends our options Blogging, Micro-blogging from SL to RL Facebook apps for your Second Life

Open Source SL viewer & Facebook

Send posts to Twitter from SL

Integrating SL presence with your website, etc.

Second Life introduction page

Slurls on web pages

Facebook & Slurls as an SL gateway

Flickr (in the photo description)

Bookmarking the Slurls using Delicious

Twitter (with tiny URLs) feed into your web site

Embed SL machinima (video) into web pages

Host on video sites (YouTube, Jumpcut)

with a link to your web page

http://www.plcmc.org/Teens/secondLife.asp

Second Life-Related Activities on the Web and streamed to SL or viewed in SL

Working Differently Testing out ideas collaboration project management 3D modeling simulations distance work new media real-time video open source Second Life viewer distance education publishing group management Marketing & outreach Professional development Music events

Steep, but fun learning curve for some…

Fresh air!