Creating Second Lives, Bangor, Oct. 24 - 25, 2008

Teleporting the library?

Simon B. HeilesenDepartment of Communication, Business and Information TechnologiesRoskilde University, Denmarke-mail: simonhei@ruc.dk

Project

Environment

Services

The problem was that it is hard to generate ideas on your own on the basis of somethingthat you have no idea what is.(Ian)

Carroll, J. M., Kellogg, W. A., & Rosson, M. B. (1991). The task-artefact cycle. In J. M. Carroll (Ed.), Designing interaction: Psychology at the human-computer interface. Cambridge, Mass.: Cambridge University Press.

Nielsen, J. (1993). Usability Engineering. Boston: Academic Press.

What I have against virtual worlds in general ... or find strange about them is that ... we have our own world. Why then build a copy of it to create a space in which to interact?(Ian)

Info Island DK

It seemed most appropriate to try to design a spectacular setting.(Project owner)

Info Island DK

But actually much effort went into copying physical buildings in the way it was constructed. And there was quite a bit of conventional thinking. But all the time, this is how we discussed. It did not necessarily have to be so, but fallinginto that ditch was easy. (Fanny)

Info Island DK

Info Island DK

What I think it is all about is the significance of having a library icon, really. Having building, a place you identify as the library, having a strong visual expression signalling something ... that I think is still something important.(Deidre)

We have been sitting waiting for some one to come by and ask us questions ... and maybe we should have been more outreaching and have visited places where there were avatars and asked them: 'Do you know that this island exists?'(Barbara)

But I do think that it is important that there is a physical place that can serve as a point of departure. That this is where we are. I do not think we could have been there as an institution if we were all running around being avatars and being in all conceivable places. I think it is important that there is some kind of location from where you start.(Anne)

Cleveland Public Library

Cybrary City

Info IslandInternational

Info Island, Peace Garden

Info Island, Mystery Manor and Talis SciFi & Fantasy Portal

Vestfold Fylkeskommune libraryInfo Island DK

Bell Library Towers,Info Island

Info Island, Alliance Library

ALA Island

We have not yet reached the point where, if you have a problem to solve, you think: maybe I can look it up on borger.dk if I go into Second Life to figure it out.(Anne)

So, some of them came up to me and asked: 'What can I use this for?' Well, [laughs] that is a good question isn't it? Because you have to be in there for some time in order to find out if it issomething for you, I think.(Hannah)

Why should a front desk be the first thing you encounter? In all other contexts we talk

about breaking down the barriers. And then, of all places they construct a front desk there.(Anne)

It may have added a touch of formality that it took place in a conference room, because you were sitting down and not just hanging out on a lawn. There may be something psychological in it when you say, now we are in a meeting room, now we have to be serious. Outdoors people will suddenly start flying out.(Ian)

Bradburyville