the wee librarian musing on life and libraries – but not necessarily in that order

Time flies when you’re having fun! It’s hard to believe that it’s the one year anniversary of InfoIsland! The amount of work that has been accomplished in this short time is amazing! We’ve already grown to well over a dozen islands, have over 500 international librarians working on a variety of projects, and an increasing number of visitors. Kudos to all involved, especially our fearless leader Lori Bell.

Here’s a list of activities in the works for our 1 year celebration that’s happening this weekend (May 18-20). Hope you can drop in sometime!

ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

5/18 Friday

5/18 FRIDAY- ALL DAY
Open House in the Reader’s Garden, Cybrary City II (28, 24, 22).
Open house in the Garden, and distribution of free books by a local SL author in ThincC Press format. Contact: Minerva Enoch

5:00 PM – 7:00 PM SL Caledon Reception on InfoIsland I- In the grassy area beside the ALS building. Contact: JJ Drinkwater

6:30 PM – 7:30 PM SL Fireworks on InfoIsland I – same location Contact: Rosmairta Kilara

7:30 PM – 8:30 PM SL Gallery Party – Library Gallery – InfoIsland. IContact Abbey Zenith

9:00 PM SL InfoIsland I Tour: Meet at Welcome Center. Contact Jon Kozhedub

5/19 Saturday

5/19 SATURDAY – ALL DAY
Open House in the Reader’s Garden, Cybrary City II (28, 24, 22).
Open house in the Garden, and distribution of free books by a local SL author in ThincC Press format. Contact: Minerva Enoch.

10:00 AM SL – ALS Program InfoIsland Open Air Auditorium. Contact Lorelei Junot

10:30 AM SL – The Future of Second Life Library Discussion – Info Island I Open Air Auditorium -lead by Fleet Goldenberg

and Maxito Ricardo – come join us and discuss the future of Second Life Library

11:00 AM – SciFi Book Discussion – SciFi Portal Contact: Hawk Lightcloud

12:00 Noon – 2:00 PM Building Classes. Contact Anjj Juran

2:00 PM – 4:00 PM Double Concert: AldoManutio Abruzzo & Jaynine Scarborough at Pantheon Theater -InfoIsland II Contact: John2 Kepler

4:00 PM – 5:00 PM Peace Park Opening – InfoIsland I Contact: Abbey Zenith

5:00 PM – 6:00 PM Machniama Class. Contact HVX Silverstar – ALA Arts InfoIsland

6:00 PM – 8:00 PM Grand Opening of Bell Library on Info Island I, Music and Dancing with the Stars – Contact Abbey Zenith/Lorelei Junot

5/20 Sunday

5/20 SUNDAY – ALL DAY
Open House in the Reader’s Garden, Cybrary City II (28, 24, 22).
Open house in the Garden, and distribution of free books by a local SL author in ThincC Press format. Contact: Minerva Enoch.

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM SL Machinima class. Contact HVX Silverstar – ALA Arts Infoisland

12:00 PM- 1:00 PM Renaissance Music Concert – Renaissance Island Marketplace – Contact Thom Dowd

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM SL New Librarian Orientation InfoIsland Open Air Auditorium Contact Abbey Zenith

5:00 PM – 6:00 PM SL 5-6 PM SL, Sunday May 20 Pain in the Brain! How to cope with teens in the library – HealthInfo Island – Contact Cerulean Vesperia

An interesting post over on InfoCult on the emptiness of Second Life. If you’ve been in the virtual world, you’ve likely experienced it. Over 25000 people online and no one is in any of the places you visit. This is one of the issues I think libraries need to consider when they create a space in SL. Yes, it’s great to create a space and explore the potential of the world, however, just having a space is not enough. We must try to bring people (not just one) to the space. It is important to continue to have events in your building, whether they are put on by the library or whether the space is used by another group (ie. community meetings). The SL library needs to become a branch in which events are held and people can come to meet others, much like a real library. It’s not necessarily an easy task but in order to get the most out of SL I feel it is one we need to pursue.

Kathryn Greenhill posted a great piece on why libraries should consider exploring Second Life. She’s certainly done a great job at highlighting the advantages to librarians for being in Second Life. It got me thinking about what the advantages for our patrons might be. This is a preliminary list that I hope to continue working on.

1. Leave the traditional behind. The great strength of Second Life is that the library doesn’t have to be traditional. We don’t need walls. We can offer information in a new and exciting way that may be more appealing to our patrons.

2. Visual. Many of our patrons, particularly the Net Gen, prefer to have information provided in a visual manner. Second Life provides an amazing way to present information visually and in 3D.

3. Point of need.  Yes, it’s true that many of our patrons are not in Second Life yet, but they could be here soon or somewhere similar. By at least offering information or services here, we can reach them when they need it.

4. Reach new user groups. Some users may feel uncomfortable coming to a library, due to pschological or mental issues, physical disabilities, or a strange dislike of the library. By offering a presence in a virtual world where there are fewer stigmas (you don’t need that wheel chair, you can avoid crowds), we can meet their needs.

5. Interactive. Second Life is a social virtual world. We can create interactive exhibits which will be of interest to our new patrons. We can also be more interactive with our patrons. It may be my experience, but people who I’ve helped have often asked me more questions in Second Life, possibly on account of the anonymity it provides (will see if this continues when we get voice in world). They are also likely to friend you. A new level of relationship may occur between patron and librarian. You may feel more connected.