[Web4lib] Campus without library - summing up
Ms Norma Jean Hewlett
hewlett at usfca.edu
Thu Nov 20 21:02:28 EST 2008
Hi Steve, Alan and all,
My SecondLife avatar, Riven Homewood, is the Director of the Steelhead
Public Library. This library exists only in cyberspace and does not have
any real life counterpart. It is the town library for the SecondLife
community of Steelhead, which recreates a fantasy version of an 1890s
Oregon town.
Although on SecondLife we could make a library quite literally look like
anything we want, we have chosen to work in a classic Carnegie Library,
based on the old public library in Petaluma, California. (The real life
building
is now used as a historical museum.) This was a conscious choice, both
in order to blend in with the architecture of the surrounding virtual
neighborhood and to evoke mental images of a traditional library.
At present, SecondLife does not display textual data well, so our focus
is on activities such as bookgroups, writing workshops and storytelling.
These bring people together and encourage intellectual discussion,
two areas in which SecondLife excels.
We also have a collection of about 200 period books, in the form of
SecondLife book objects that link to Project Gutenberg or other online
sources. Most of these were made available to us through the generosity
of JJ Drinkwater, Director of the Caledon Library on SecondLife.
I sometimes do a good deal of what could be defined as roving reference,
since my neighbors frequently ask me questions and I find the
information for them. I don't bother about keeping regular reference
hours at the library building, because like anyone on SecondLife I'm
easily reached via chat or instant message.
The most interesting thing about all of this, in my opinion, is that my
virtual home and other virtual communities seem to feel their community
is not complete without a library. SPL is a member of a virtual library
consortium, Alexandrian Free Library, which is composed of similar
libraries in other themed communities on SecondLife.
JJ and I recently presented about our libraries at Internet Librarian,
and our presentation slides are available online at
http://tinyurl.com/63uxbre if you would like to learn more. You're also
welcome to stop by SPL any time you're inworld on SecondLife --
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Steelhead/120/56/28
Jean Hewlett
Regional Librarian, Univ. of San Francisco
AKA
Riven Homewood
Director, Steelhead Public Library
Steelhead City, SecondLife
Riven Homewood's activities on SecondLife are done on my own time and do
not officially represent the University of San Francisco.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Steven E. Patamia, Ph.D." <patamia at gmail.com>
Date: Wednesday, November 19, 2008 7:54 pm
Subject: Re: [Web4lib] Campus without library - summing up
To: Alan Cockerill <alan.cockerill at jcu.edu.au>
Cc: web4lib at webjunction.org
> Hi Alan,
>
> I wonder if there is more than fortuitous space availability
> involved in having libraries become the forum for learning and even
> research in a social setting. In academic settings, the library is a
> symbol for many things. It symbolizes accumulated knowldege. It
> symbolizes the sanctity of knowledge almost as a kind of tabernacle.
> It symbolizes the ethos of making knowledge freely available without
> regard to the ability to pay (a stretch in many cases since tuition
> contributes to the library). The work areas and places in which
> collaboration is encouraged symbolizes the notion that society needs
> open collaboration as much as it needs commercialization. (Somebody
> stop me before I get too idealistic here!)
>
> But seriously, symbols are powerful. "Going to the library" is a
> statement that says, sometimes reluctantly, that you too are a member
> of the community of scholars.
>
> If this is a valid insight, then perhaps the lesson to us all is
> that even a virtual library will be enhanced by creating some of the
> same capabilities -- especially if they can be tied to the library's
> content.
>
> A challenge renewed: Imagine a "Second Life" environment
> (hopefully even better!) and apply this insight to creating a library
> with robust serious content AND a visual/aural space that makes it
> more inviting. Can you imagine how to adapt the normal notions of
> study rooms, roaming reference librarians, etc.? Can you imagine ways
> to exploit that virtual environment to produce inspiring experiences
> and genuine collaborations? What can you do in that virtual
> environment that you cannot do -- cost effectively -- in real life?
>
> On 11/19/08, Alan Cockerill <alan.cockerill at jcu.edu.au> wrote:
> > I'm firmly in Dave's camp.
> >
> > At a teaching institution the library is more than a book
> warehouse (or
> > should be) the physical space has social, teaching, studying and
> > recreational purposes.
> >
> > For our students it's a quiet place to study, somewhere to get
> face to face
> > help (other service areas are closing their public access desks -
> often
> > relying on ours to refer students to the right person), a place
> conducive to
> > group work, an exhibition space. Their course tutorials are
> often held here
> > as are their exams. They have access to facilities like video
> editing,> printing and scanning that have to be housed somewhere
> on campus and it
> > makes sense to put them in the space that's open the longest
> hours with
> > staff willing and able to provide assistance.
> >
> > And laptops aren't really meant for laps - you need somewhere to
> rest it and
> > plug it in.
> >
> > That said I don't think there's any reason why Steven's virtual
> library for
> > geographically dispersed researchers can't work.
> >
> > We have post grad researchers all over the world who are among
> our heaviest
> > users.
> >
> > Alan Cockerill
> > Library Technologies Coordinator
> > James Cook University, Cairns
> >
> > PO Box 6811
> > CAIRNS QLD 4870
> > Phone:+61 7 4042 1737
> > Fax: +61 7 4042 1516
> > Email: Alan.Cockerill at jcu.edu.au
> > Skype: alan.cockerill.jcu
> > http://www.library.jcu.edu.au/Staff/alan.shtml
> >
> > CRICOS Provider Code: 00117J (QLD)
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org
> >
> > [mailto:web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Walker, David
> > Sent: Thursday, 20 November 2008 4:46 AM
> > To: web4lib at webjunction.org
> >
> > Subject: RE: [Web4lib] Campus without library - summing up
> >
> > > why they think some of these projects ended up
> > > relenting and building real physical libraries?
> >
> > I think newly built academic library buildings are really multi-
> purpose> spaces. They devote a large amount of square footage to
> computer labs,
> > group study rooms, and related service points (writing center,
> math labs,
> > tutoring), as they do traditional library services and book
> storage.>
> > Universities still need those kinds of spaces for students. Not
> everyone> has a laptop, and even if they do, many students
> actually *prefer* the
> > library to other places on campus, even other computer labs and
> study> spaces.
> >
> > And I don't really think most of these campuses "relented" and
> built> physical libraries. Most of the new California campuses,
> for example, had
> > plans to build a library from the outset.
> >
> > If you look at the timing of Monterey Bay, it was built in 1994-
> 95, probably
> > when the hype and promise of the "paperless society" was at its
> zenith.> That hype never really panned-out, even if some
> administrators there
> > publically declared that it would. So there's a still a need
> for people to
> > read actual, physical books, and it's good, for convenience
> sake, to have
> > some of those on-site.
> >
> > --Dave
> >
> > ==================
> > David Walker
> > Library Web Services Manager
> > California State University
> > http://xerxes.calstate.edu
> > ________________________________________
> > From: web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org [web4lib-
> bounces at webjunction.org] On
> > Behalf Of Steven E. Patamia, Ph.D. [patamia at gmail.com]
> > Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2008 9:55 AM
> > To: Even Flood
> > Cc: Project Wombat; web4lib at webjunction.org
> > Subject: Re: [Web4lib] Campus without library - summing up
> >
> > Hi Even et al.
> >
> > I have a special interest in "virtual" libraries because we are
> > planning one and recruiting for it. However, we are not a typical
> > campus. The anticipated research library supports a global
> cadre of
> > researchers most of whom could not make the trip to a specific
> campus> location if they wanted to!
> >
> > Nevertheless, its not my purpose to champion the idea of a
> virtual> library, but to learn how to make the one we need work in
> the> situation it faces. Consequently, I want to understand well the
> > librarian viewpoint on this issue and thus flagged this thread as
> > relevant to that goal.
> >
> > Bear in mind that we will have real live librarians and
> technical> support people organized into a service structure so
> that several
> > kinds of direct assistance from trained, skilled, and people smart
> > staff is always available. We are not trying to save money by
> > eliminating staff -- the library we are planning MUST
> nevertheless be
> > virtual because of where the patrons are physically (all over) and
> > their need for 24hr electronic access.
> >
> > Question: Given the negative intimations in some of this
> thread,> would anyone following it care to comment specifically on
> why they
> > think some of these projects ended up relenting and building real
> > physical libraries? More importantly, even if it amounts to
> stating> the aobvious, would anyone following be willing to
> identify the most
> > important things that the physical facility offers in different
> > situations that are the most difficult or problematic to
> virtualize?> Other comments more than welcome.
> >
> > Thanks!
> >
> > On 11/19/08, Even Flood <even.flood at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > Folks,
> > >
> > > Thanks for the help and response! Here is a summing up of
> what I have
> > learned
> > >
> > > 1) The original discussion goes back to 1995 and the
> announcement that
> > > the California State University Monterey Bay would be built
> without a
> > > physical library. The plans were commented in Newsweek and
> lambasted> > by Cliff Stoll, and the CSUMB learned the error of
> their ways. The
> > > library was built and a new library buidling is to open on
> December> > 1st this year. Congratulations to them! See
> http://library.csumb.edu/.> >
> > > Two other project have been mentioned: University of Minnesota
> > > Rochester, http://www.r.umn.edu/01_about.htm, looks like a small
> > > university and with no physical library. The Kingsport Center
> for> > Higher Education,
> http://www.timesnews.net/article.php?id=9005970, is
> > > under constructiion and will not have a library. Opens in
> 2009. Let us
> > > see how long they last.
> > >
> > > Again thanks! If I have missed anything, please say so.
> > >
> > > Even
> > >
> > > --
> > > Even Hartmann Flood, Senior Academic Librarian
> > > Ilevollen 3e
> > > N 7018 Trondheim, Norway.
> > > Phone: +47 73 52 53 53/ +47 95 11 58 14
> > > even.flood at gmail.com
> > > http://home.broadpark.no/~evflood/
> > > "Come, and take choice of all my library, and so beguile thy
> sorrow."> > (Shakespeare)
> > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Web4lib mailing list
> > > Web4lib at webjunction.org
> > > http://lists.webjunction.org/web4lib/
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Steven E. Patamia, Ph.D., J.D.
> > Personal Cell: (352) 219-6592
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Web4lib mailing list
> > Web4lib at webjunction.org
> > http://lists.webjunction.org/web4lib/
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> >
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Web4lib mailing list
> > Web4lib at webjunction.org
> > http://lists.webjunction.org/web4lib/
> >
> >
>
>
> --
> Steven E. Patamia, Ph.D., J.D.
> Personal Cell: (352) 219-6592
>
>
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> Web4lib mailing list
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> http://lists.webjunction.org/web4lib/
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