[WEB4LIB] Re: 3D (VRML) Interface to IRCAM's Multimedia Library Catalog

[Roy Tennant]

I appreciate the need to lighten up and play now and then. But when there
simply are not enough hours in the day to get the books back on the shelf
here in boring reality, it doesn't always seem like a good use of time.

I can remember when a colleague at CNIDR was really into MOOs and MUDs for
interacting with users. "Patrons" could wander in, take on an avatar
existence of one thing or another, and ply the virtual librarian with
whatever questions or comments or lewd suggestions happened to pop into
their brain. I thought it was idiotic and a waste of time. That was back
in the early 90s. It's *still* idiotic and a waste of time.

Meanwhile, I'd sure like to know just how much time and effort went into
creating that virtual world at IRCAM. My bet is on much, much more than it
will *ever* be worth. Now I'd like to see someone (anyone) try to sell the
idea to libraries who are cutting back hours. You won't catch me doing it.
Roy

On Tue, 12 Jan 1999, thom wrote:

> On Tue, 12 Jan 1999 elist-web4lib at ircam.fr wrote:
> 
> >         http://mediatheque.ircam.fr/infos/vrml/index-e.html
> > 
> > The public space of our Multimedia Library has been completely modelled
> > in 3D (using VRML 2.0), showing all the stacks, cabinets, terminals, etc.
> 
> Hey folks. I think you need to lighten up and imagine not system
> librarians in this thing but kids ( I actually think many of the adults in
> your libraries would also get a kick out of this). 
> 
> On the surface you might think: Pretty goofy idea, modeling the 'physical'
> library down to inspectable books! I actually thought that before I looked
> at this. But I think this is pretty cool and keeping the kids in mind I
> have in mind a teacher who is going to take a bunch of 2nd graders to the
> public library and has them 'play' with this technology before hand and
> explains how the modern library works these days.
> 
> I also have in mind folks in the library who want to find a 'space' like a
> bathroom or a music room.
> 
> I also have in mind a 'personal' visual interface for my local public
> library where I can rearrange things as I want or I can make everything
> except for large yellow books between 95 and now appear  alone on shelves.
> 
> Granted I can't do any of this and the technology is pretty goofy but my
> guess is I will be able to do this someday and the folks on web4lib are
> going to have to make it happen which means the folks on web4lib are going
> to have to learn to play all over again because they have forgotten how to
> imagine the new which is the essence of play and creating new experiences. 
> 
> Wittgenstein said that unless some folks did silly things nothing
> important would ever get done. This is a real silly one which means it is
> probably real important. Remember that goofy guy name Michael Hart who
> wanted to digitize a million texts by the year 2000? Or, remember those
> goofy kids at Stanford who started to create yet another hierarchical OO
> and are millionaires today? Or the 2 Steves who thought there might be a
> market for 'personal' computers? 
> 
> The question isn't whether it works today but can you imagine a future
> with something like it in it? I can. I want to see version 2 which
> probably means that a group of folks on something like web4lib have to get
> together and play.
> 
> Thoughts?
> 
> --Thom
> 
>