TRANSLATING AN ACADEMIC LIBRARY INTO SECOND LIFELisa Ancelet, Reference/Virtual Services LibrarianLorin Fisher, Information Literacy CoordinatorTara 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 Alkek Library’s Wittliff Collections

2 floors of photographs and sculptures

PHOTO HERE

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!