C-M Logo

space for youth, Eye4You is the brainchild of Charlotte Mecklenburg public library which updates the site and provides a link to its Second Life presence on its homepage under the subcategory Teen Resources. Charlotte Mecklenburg’s site offers many 2.0 tools to engage its patrons, such as a live “Ask a Librarian” chat, live online tutors for homework help, downloadable audiobooks and movies, interactive games, RSS feeds and more – its commitment to employing technological resources is very obvious even at first glance. A programs and events calendar for happenings in the physical library acts as an important bridge for the technological divide established, however, as with all the resources available through the website, it’s useful to be reminded about the in-house services offered as well. The explanation of Teen Second Life is thorough, and includes testimonies and links to related information regarding the project.

Importantly, and like McMaster University mentioned before, Eye4You recognizes that its Second Life presence is not static and encourages teen involvement in the building process. Patrons may volunteer to contribute to the Islands theme and resources (moderated, of course, by librarians), and are instructed to contact Kelly Czarnecki, Technology Education Librarian and moderator of the environment whose phone number and email are provided on the site (link). While teen presence is encouraged, inquisitive adults are directed instead to the library’s virtual world on the primary SL site. Charlotte Mecklenburg’s mission statement for the Eye4You teen library is as follows:

“Because PLCMC contributes to a literate community, giving teens tools for self-expression and communication is a step in that direction. When teens can share and produce things in a 3D environment, and with teens from all over the world, it helps to develop a stronger community that can be far reaching. Visual literacy is an important skill to be able to have for school and beyond. By the library being involved, we act as mentors and to help build assets that are valuable to have and help build networks that have more distributed knowledge between teens and adults.” (link)

The brief video below highlights some of the important features of the Eye4You Alliance virtual world:

It’s important to note that the narrator mentions the redundancy of the actual “library” building on the island, and that the projects are far more immersive than those offered by simple book clubs or private readings. Virtual worlds, such as the Eye4You but including those listed below, have the ability to reimagine the learning process and provide not just alternate avenues toward literacy and education, but also different perspectives on the way we understand the consumption of information in general. Web 2.0 signifies a shift that is highly participatory in nature, and demands a level of involvement that forces current information delivery practices to either rethink their models of dissemination or become supplanted by those that demonstrate a willingness to change.

HealthInfo Island

a more holistic and accessible virtual access point for resources and dialogue. The island is currently funded by the Greater Midwest Region of the National Network/National Library of Medicine (link) by a grant written by Lori Bell of the Alliance Library System, Illinois. It began as one of the earlier attempts at virtual world librarianship, founded in 2006 by Namro Orman who in real life is the Coordinator of Electronic Services at the Central Medical Library of the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) in the Netherlands (link). Since its inception, however, it has become a valuable asset in SL and in information dissemination – offered on the island is the Ann Myers Medical centre, staffed in Second Life by many real-world physicians and medical students offering online medical assistance and answers to health related questions (link). Physicians also sponsor community interaction, a recent example being a Greek internal medicine physician who met with a Second Life diabetes support group for an informal Q & A session (link). The island’s primary supporters, however, are librarians who use the platform for conferences and distribution of information through online billboard-style displays on the island and access to medical resources such as PubMed. What is also a significant feature is HealthIsland’s downloadable toolbar that acts as a resource in searching for peripheral medical information on the web. Tours of the island are available, as are interactive games such as wheelchair-navigation obstacle courses and mini-quizzes testing health related knowledge. This highlights part of the allure of Second Life as a platform for disseminating information resources – because of the site’s broad appeal, access to highly nuanced medical information is available in the same location as beginner medical knowledge. While established as an academic resource, Healthinfo Island is also a group meeting place for all SL community members – much attention has been garnered by its recognition of World Aids Day, where meetups and talks are held and free “virtual condoms” are distributed (link). See below for a brief (and silent) video showcasing some of the services Healthinfo Island offers:

The potential of the site is highly significant in that it provides access to physicians by those who potentially cannot leave their homes due to medical reasons – its sponsorship and stated affiliation with medical library associations showcases a recognition of this aspect of its services. A significant drawback to Healthinfo Island, however, is the difficulty in locating it from anywhere in the “outside” world, even through crafted web searches. Many publications have been drafted extolling the island’s virtues (the Midwest Chapter of the Medical Library Association appears to be the leader in this field, offering multiple articles in its journal Medline exploring the venue’s potential), and other SL medical institutions surround the island. Buttressed by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and the University of Gronigen Medical Library, Healthinfo Island seems well positioned – however a search of the aforementioned institutions’ websites reveals no overt links to their virtual position.

However, also nearby is the CDC online presence in Second Life. The Centre for Disease Control website offers many

CDC Logo

Web 2.0 tools directly on its frontpage, including RSS feeds, bilingual podcasts, access to mobile information and links to CDC-TV. It also is one of the few websites I have found that does mention SL as a resource in a page on their site (the CDC also interestingly owns space in the children’s oriented Whyville, another virtual world mentioned in my post below), however this is buried in their State of the CDC Annual report and not offered on its homepage as a useful alternative site. This could be because of the plethora of information already available on the CDC homepage, or simply because the CDC has yet to acknowledge the scope of Second Life, the potential for its presence there and its involvement with Healthinfo island. Healthinfo island, however, is ultimately a library in itself, and given the constantly growing member base of Second Life, the community it services is often larger than tangible branch medical libraries. The services provided are in an open, non-confrontational forum where identity can importantly be concealed by an avatar when hunting down potentially embarrassing information, a problem significant to reference interviews in general. Healthinfo Island represents many libraries and information professionals, and while access is currently limited unless one is already a SL member, it is an underestimated resource for the layman and the medical professional alike.

A brief critique of Shenandoah’s own website first, however: while providing access to interesting Web 2.0 resources like Whyville, the public library’s own website is minimalistic and haphazardly constructed, an issue which is especially pertinent for its children’s section. While an organizational hierarchy for links is present on a sidebar, the site lacks relevant images and is set against a typical white background. While this is aesthetic and subjective, there is a problem in that the site provides valuable resources without letting its users know what they are – tags and links are offered throughout the site without explanation as to their use. Finding the link to Whyville (and other offered services) here is also problematic, as users must click on Children’s Links which then leads to what at first appears to be a blank white page – only after one scrolls past the bottom of the first screen does one find the referred-to links, and these offered with no description as to what one may expect to find on their sites. Even the links themselves are set side by side, with no differentiation to separate them. Problems like this, I’ve found, have been typical of smaller public libraries – there are many valuable resources available on the Shenandoah site, but they’re concealed behind what appears to be a hastily constructed delivery system. In an effort to enter the fray of Web 2.0 services, links to sites providing many more versatile resources are often inappropriately framed, and the unattractive and difficult to navigate homepages erroneously suggest by implication that the resources offered through them will be of similar quality and import. In including a feature like a portal to a virtual world for its users, websites like Shenandoah should not only provide information as to what the link is referring to and what purpose it serves, but affirm the significance of the resources it’s offering by framing them within its own professionally developed and attractive public space. As a user, if I hadn’t known a Whyville portal was present on the site, I would never have found it. A possible template on which to base revisions for its site can be found as Washington Township Public Library’s Kidzone (which also offers a link to Whyville), as its description and purpose are directly stated, and children know from useful categorizing as “Homework Help” the reason that the site has been suggested.

Originally founded in 1999, Whyville is an avatar based virtual environment that allows teens and preteens a resource

Whyville

for reference services in an attractive setting. The site has similar features compared to SL, in that there is an economy (based on clams), ‘property’ ownership, interactive games and the like. The software demonstrates a significant difference, however, in its stated purpose. Geared towards science and technology, Whyville offers as its mission statement:

“Whyville was conceived based on the company’s extensive research and practical experience in hands-on science education. Researchers have identified the middle school years as a time when children, especially girls, lose their interest in math and science. Studies suggest that exposure to engaging educational and in particular scientific activities during this critical period can substantially influence future academic and career choices. Whyville is making a difference.” (Link)

The site offers easy to follow step-by-step instructions worded for youths regarding how to create characters and interact with the environment. Unlike the arguably ‘realistic’ setting of Second Life, Whyville’s landscape is self-consciously cartoonish and surreal – there has been no attempt made to mimic real landscapes as occurs in Second Life, and users may choose a variety of animals and creatures through which to represent themselves. Movements of avatars are flat compared to the dynamic flight capabilities and nuanced motions of Second Life avatars, though particular attention has been paid to rendering the site as colourful and engaging as possible. Also, while librarianship in Second Life is only a very small aspect of the program as a whole, Whyville is primarily a reference tool through which users can pose questions on a variety of topics. Users can head to differently suited areas to complete their searches, a notable example being Dr. Linda’s which resembles a witches’ hut where one may seek answers presumably to medical or science related questions.

Whyville is, perhaps, more appropriately a Web 2.0 tool for libraries than is Second Life, in that users know why they are there and that its primary function is to serve as a reference tool – games and activities offered on the site are secondary to its main focus. What is important to note, however, is that virtual worlds are being constructed in the wake of popular support, and virtual world options specific to every age category of user are being allowed for.

McMaster Logo

One of the dominant advocates of Virtual World tools that is making the transition to Second Life is McMaster University Library in Hamilton, Ontario. McMaster is one of the top rated postsecondary institutions in Canada, and its library is is part of the reason why – in 2008, the university’s library received the prestigious Excellence in Academic Libraries Award, and McMaster is the first Canadian academic library to receive the award despite its being granted yearly by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) (link). Its Second Life island is named Steel City, and while its offerings are currently limited, it’s looking to expand on the services provided in the virtual environment. One of the key goals is access to online texts and ultimately “delivering library collections” (link), presumably in whatever degree of entirety possible. Tutorials and online orientation (student-built) for the library are offered at the McMaster SL site for ease of use, confronting the primary challenge of users who are uncomfortable with the challenges of learning new programs. One of the initiatives currently offered on the site is a pilot project to that offers live research help to visiting patrons via librarian-operated avatars. Beginning its operation in May of 2007, McMaster offers an online reference desk hosted by the avatars Danu Dahlstrom, Amanda Matzerath, Devi Daviau, Isobella Sands, Gudrun Bertolucci and Ataro Santos (real-life librarians Krista Godfrey, Amanda Etches-Johnson and Nora Gaskin, and staff members Rhonda Moore, Renu Barrett and Derek Bragg) to assist with patron questions during a pre-established two-hour window during each school day (link).

Access to resources isn’t the only purpose for the library’s online presence, and McMaster is continually experimenting with the space in order to explore its potential for its users. While all students are granted access to the

McM's SL Sculpture Garden

site, some are also allowed to participate in its construction and appearance. Students have been permitted to experiment with the SL library’s architecture, and have recently done so in the form of a gaming sculpture garden (featuring ‘historical’ gaming characters such as Pac Man and Mario) for one of the projects in a digital gaming course offered at the school. What is significant here is the goal of participation in the project in that it allows students to create something significant precisely because it is public and participatory, conducted in a non-threatening, controlled environment. Through this project (and similar projects to follow), students are offered the ability to leave a permanent mark on the (virtual) campus. Professor Geoffrey Maxwell designed the project with a threefold purpose in mind:

“1. We need the virtual infrastructure where students can create and show their creations. The more accessible these spaces are the more students will create with a larger public in mind. Second Life is just one type of space.

2. Students don’t like to be programmed by the computer – they like to participate in creating the virtual.

3. Students can easily learn to create sophisticated objects in Second Life and to program them with simple actions. Virtual worlds and virtual learning is not just for geeks.” (link)

McMaster library, by allowing ‘renovation’ of its space, importantly shows its ability and desire to link to other faculties in a way that is simply not possible in the tangible world of the real library. The aesthetic contributions of future generations of students can be appended to the university’s online presence ad infinitum.

One drawback, however, is an apparent lack of accessibility from the library’s main homepage – there is no direct reference to its Second Life campus visible on the site, and its existence appears to be either insider knowledge or direction to visit given by faculty to specific students. There are postings in the library’s Daily News regarding updates to the SL site, however these must be specifically searched for in order to find out information about the virtual world’s offerings. Perhaps the reasoning behind this is that the project isn’t yet complete, and that McMaster is not yet satisfied with the resources currently provided on the site. Perhaps, as it seems with other academic websites, there is a compulsion to distance the virtual from the tangible because of the experimental and game-oriented nature of the environment. Whatever the reason, McMaster deserves to promote its SL presence more fully, as the environment offers much to its potential patrons.

Integrating virtual worlds into real life settings is arguably the most extreme form of Web 2.0 use – these settings offer

Second Life's Logo

completely immersive metaverses in which users may interact with the facilitators of the space as well as with each other. In lieu of constructing their own digital worlds (an immensely costly and technologically prohibitive action), most libraries have, to this point, capitalized on pre-existing online environments in bringing virtual worlds to their users. The vast majority of the libraries currently involved in virtual world applications have elected Second Life as the launching platform for these services. This is hardly surprising, given the precedent set by other education-related institutions in using Second Life for early forays into online environments, and the numbers are continuing to grow – at present, there are over three hundred universities offering classes on Second Life (link), and large government agencies, such as NASA and NOAA, have purchased space in the program.

The draw for future libraries to use Second Life (SL) as a starting point, however, comes largely from the professional attention the virtual environment has been receiving. The American Library Association (ALA) took over virtual space in the program in the form of InfoIsland, previously facilitated by the Illinois-based Alliance Library System in November of 2007 (link).

ALA Logo

The site is directed by ALA’s Virtual Communities and Libraries (VCL) Member Initiative Group (MIG) and is open to all ALA members, and while there are many resources in the open space of the ALA grounds on the island, a large purpose for its presence is a meeting space for professionals in the library field to discuss application of Web 2.0 tools in libraries and the managing and application of new technological innovations. Events to this end are scheduled daily – almost hourly – and a list of upcoming meetups can be seen here. There are no buildings in the environment, and the space is essentially an agora to facilitate open dialogue. The site does, however, offer access to the ALA Washington office as well as connection to its other online resources.

The ALA offers this broad perspective as its mission statement regarding its purpose in Second Life:

“To provide a group within ALA for members interested in fostering the practice of library work, the visibility of libraries and library workers, and the extension of library services within online social networks, virtual worlds, and other communities of intention. To provide a mechanism for sharing experiences and practices in-person or virtually through programming or asynchronous communications. To encourage wider participation by the profession and the association in virtual worlds and to establish a forum across all types of libraries and at all levels of library employment concerned with the development of library services in emerging social networks, virtual worlds, and other communities of intention.” (sic) Link

Events are numerous and varied in scope in abiding by this policy. As an example, Tuesday April 16th sees an open forum on the ALA mainstage (link to description)

ALA Main Stage

hosted by ALA TechServe discussing role-playing in virtual worlds in relation to libraries and education (attendees have been instructed to have their avatars come dressed as historical figures in light of the topic). Access to its Second Life venue is available on the ALA homepage under Member Groups and Communities, making the service relatively easy to find. However, registration in Second Life itself is mandatory for access – one of the drawbacks of the feature for those unfamiliar with the computer to begin with or for those intimidated by potential viruses and unfamiliar programs. While ALA’s presence in Second Life is more directed towards providing services and an open forum for its members and current practicing librarians, it acts as a hub for other libraries that offer direct services to their patrons through individual branches in Second Life.

However, the term “Virtual World” itself is quite broad in scope and inherently problematic, because it operates on the principle of a fundamental reality that can be virtualized – someone like Slavoj Zizek, for example, would say that the entire world is already virtual, and that in the social constructs we’ve created to manage our time and lives we’ve already moved past any hope of reality before we even get a chance to conceptualize it in a different way. Marx might say that in our object fetishism we became virtual simply because the way our society functions necessitates imbuing the things around us with traits that aren’t internal to the objects themselves. Someone like Lacan might argue that even construction of identity is virtual because it’s based on employing concepts outside anything that exists internally, even to the degree of the language that we use to define ourselves – because of the way we have to organize ourselves to participate in society, we eschewed the possibility of any ‘reality’ the second self-recognition kicked in (pardon me if I’m taking the cleaver to some critical theory here). You could say that any attempt to create a virtual online world is really a revirtualizing of a world that’s already virtual in itself, and that our attempts at reimagining ourselves is an extension of the recognition we bear regarding the absence of any Real in our social constructs.

The flipside of this philosophical morass is the idea that virtual worlds are actually closer to reality precisely because they ignore the laws we’ve set up for ourselves in the social world that we live in on a day to day basis. All of the things we think of as inherently real (wealth, taxes, government, law, even the fixed image of our bodies) can be subverted in an environment where our life experience is only limited by the scope and depth of our vision.

Regardless of the reasons, the rising popularity of online Virtual Worlds indicates the desire to connect with others (and really, ourselves) in an environment that is less hindered by artificial limitations. We’ve done this in other ways before of course – think book clubs or any other shared form of distracting entertainment – but now our desire to play in worlds fantastic has bled into practical application for social structures beyond the entertainment medium itself. While most are still experimenting with the possibilities of virtual worlds purely for the purposes of recreating their lives in an alternate reality (though it’s interesting to note that most of these in some way mimic the fundamental constructs of our lived experience of the social world), corporations and public enterprise are capitalizing on the popularity of the technology in expanding their markets.

This has been the long way around of getting to the fact that (as you might have guessed from the title of this blog) libraries of all sorts are currently implementing Virtual World technology in varying degrees in order to provide better service and a more engaging user experience. Libraries are the ideal testing ground for the incorporation of this emerging technology, as texts and articles are increasingly becoming digitized – an intangible world may ultimately be more appropriate for an intangible product. Looking at the way that some specific libraries have accomplished this and their rates of success in doing so can help us better gauge the degree to which virtual interaction may possibly come to supersede more conventional reference encounters and even, perhaps, the physical library itself.