TRANSLATING AN ACADEMIC
LIBRARY INTO SECOND LIFE
Lisa Ancelet, Reference/Virtual Services Librarian
Lorin Fisher, Information Literacy Coordinator
Tara Spies, Reference/Instruction Librarian

What is Second Life?
 Virtual World created in 2003
 Run by Linden Labs
 1,444,530 residents logged in last 60 days (according to
the Second Life login page)
 Unique because content is produced by users
“Residents”
 Has own currency, the Linden Dollar
 $35 million per month (according to www.secondlife.com page)

A peek at our Second Life Campus

Alkek Library in Second Life

Background
 Texas State University’s Second Life campus
established in August 2006.
 Built by Emin Saglamer, (Troy Vogel) a
prominent Second Life builder and technical
lead for Instructional Systems Design team
 Second Life Alkek Library built in 2007
 Reference Hours pilot began Fall 2008

Alkek Library Pilot Scheduling
 Pilot hours 2-4 M-F
 3 Volunteer librarians
 Posted on Ask a
Librarian page
 As librarian schedule
permits—hours can be
adjusted

Resources

Library Resources
 Objects linked to:
 eReserve
 Databases page
 Library catalog
 My account (renew books online)
 “Open” sources such as Wikipedia and Google
news
 Objects scripted to open in user’s web
browser

Wittliff Gallery
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Bobcat%20Village/64/84/28

Wittliff Gallery
 Virtual collection of
photographs from the
Southwestern &
Mexican Photography
Collection, part of
PHOTO HERE
Alkek Library’s Wittliff
Collections
 2 floors of photographs
and sculptures

Wittliff Gallery
 Photographs are
interactive – when
clicked on they give
notes about photo
 Working to rotate
photographs to
coincide with current
exhibits using frame
maker that we found
in SL

Future Plans
 Streaming Video tutorials
 Link to existing library tutorials
 Screen to play in SL
 Ask a Librarian
 Officially added link on Ask a Librarian webpage

Ask a Librarian Page

Future Collaborations
 Cataloging Proposal
 Computer Object that takes user directly to :
 Rush cataloging, Catalog problem or Search
request forms
 Book images with link to catalog record
 Links to webpages with information about LOC
call numbers and subject headings
 Games to teach

Questions?

Thank You!