Fictioneurs, Versifiers, Thinkers & Tinkerers:

Managing Virtual Collections and Services Across Platforms 

in the Web 2.0 Era

JJ Jacobson, Danielle Kane, Karmon Runquist, Jennifer Hamilton, and Sarah Clark

D204 – Managing Virtual Collections & Services, Across Platforms

Nuts and Bolts of Developing and Maintaining a Virtual Library

The Caledon Library (specifically)• Main library and 8 branches in the virtual world of Second Life• Supplemented by resources on library website• Collections defined by Victorian/steampunk theme of Caledon • Community is active partner in library development 

Virtual libraries (in general)• Still in their infancy• Continually evolving tools and shifting information environment• Must balance known needs of patrons with emerging possibilities

presented by new Web 2.0 tools

Community Collaboration

Culture as an extended community conversation• Second Life is Very Social Software• Interaction: Socializing and communicating synchronously

and asynchronously • Library facilitates the conversation

o Vetting and reflecting interests collections, reference, exhibitions, events

• Institutional personality: branding• Speak with the local accent

o Take the civic life, values, and modes of expression seriously

• Library woven into community life

Real Costs

Data Storage • Monthly tier for main library and 8 branches ($150 US)

• Hosting fees for blog/website

Collections, Exhibits, Programs, and Miscellaneous

• Upload of images for book covers, exhibition objects, and marketing of events (10 lindens/ $.04 US each)

• Special purchases for library furnishings, etc.

Volunteer and Free Resources

• Free software ("free" like a puppy, not like beer)

• Volunteer labor (~200 hours per month)

Real Costs

Data Storage

Real Costs

Collections, Exhibits, Programs, and Miscellaneous

Real Costs

Volunteer and Free Resources

Volunteer Coordination

Unique challenges• Coordinating volunteers in many time zones requires tools and

creativity• Steep learning curve, including communication skills and effectively

presenting information in a 3-D virtual environment• Volunteers must be particularly self-motivated, and cope with SL's

inherent distractions• "First Life" takes priority, leading to turnover issues and challenges

in retaining institutional memory and assets

Unique Opportunities• Collaboration with information professionals, library students, and

historians  around the world• More opportunities for creativity and innovation than are possible in

an RL Library

Volunteer Coordination

Unique challenges

• Coordinating volunteers in many time zones requires tools and creativity• Steep learning curve, including communication skills and effectively presenting information in a 3-D virtual environment• Volunteers must be particularly self-motivated, and cope with SL's inherent distractions• "First Life" takes priority, leading to turnover issues and challenges in retaining institutional memory and assets

Community Collaboration

Culture as an extended community conversation

• Second Life is Very Social Software• Interaction: Socializing and communicating synchronously

and asynchronously • Library facilitates the conversation

o Vetting and reflecting interests collections, reference, exhibitions, events

• Institutional personality: branding• Speak with the local accent

o Take the civic life, values, and modes of expression seriously

• Library woven into community life

Volunteer Coordination

Unique Opportunities

• Collaboration with information professionals, library students, and historians around the world• More opportunities for creativity and innovation than are possible in an RL Library

Choices and Challenges Related to Digital Collections Management

(1)  Determining the best tool for the job

(2)  "What does the library do?" (3)  Scope creep (4)  How much is too much? (5)  Copyright and open access materials

Cross Platform Collection Development

Management• Managing and linking collections in the 3-D virtual and the internet • Determining what can be done with existing resources

 Metadata Scheme • Formats and genres• Educated guess at community needs

 Size of Collection• What looks huge in SL looks puny in the Aether

 Keeping up-to-date• New workflows being explored

 

Collection Development and Management

Across Platforms

Metadata Collected

Second Life On-line Original • Resource (Full-Text

Volume, Full-Text Set, Weblog/Linker)

• Format (Notecard, Aetheric, Prim/Texture)

• Creator/Contributor• Collection• Type of Literature• Location

• URL• Source Location

• Language• Author• Title (inventory based

on SL object title)• Editor• Translator• Publication Year

 

 

Colliding      Spaces...

Caledon Subject Headings

Caledon Heading Topics Included

Chroniclers Biographies, History, Travel, Anthropology, Sociology, etc.

Dramaturgists Dramatic works, whether or not intended for performance

Fictioneurs Fiction, Novels and Short Stories

Odds & Ends Miscellaneous non-fiction, fashion, women's lives, gardening, cooking, and everything not covered by other subject headings

Thinkers Philosophy, Political Science, Sociology, Religion, Science, Economics, Politics, etc.    

Tinkerers Science & Engineering, Technology of any kind, Architecture, Gizmos

Versifiers Poetry

Fabulists Fairytales, folklore, myths, legends

Arbiters Etiquette

Steampunks Steampunk, Steampunk Precursor Works

 

 

Vital Web 2.0 tools Technology... as a Framework for Community

Internal Communication

• Google products (Calendar, Chat, Gmail, Google Docs, Google Site for volunteer wiki)

• Flickr, YouTube, and the Library Militant website

External Communication

• Google Calendar• Flickr, YouTube, and the Library Militant website• Caledon Forums/Steamlander™

Access to Collections

• Custom Search Enginge (CSE)• CMS features and tag clouds• Browsable reference collection arranged by subject

on Library Militant website• IN DEVELOPMENT: Searchable collections

database on LM site

Patchwork Approach:  SL tools (IM, chat, notecards) PLUS

Technology...

as a Framework for Community

Multiple platforms not a goal – inevitable consequence• Working to save the time of the user• Meeting volunteers and patrons on the multiple platforms where they live, work,

play

Tools should serve, not drive • Known needs of users always the priority• New tools evaluated critically, adopted as they serve clearly identified needs

Invaluable opportunity for professional development• Collaborating in this entirely virtual environment is an opportunity in a low-stakes

setting to become more adept at choosing and using Web 2.0 tools• Cross-platform experience makes us better able to serve our patrons in both

Second and "First" lives.

Can’t just kick the tires• Web 2.0 tools = communication/collaboration• Even the most tech adept can only get a sense of them from behind the wheel

Thank YouDanielle KaneResearch Librarian for Emerging Technologies and Service Innovation University of California, Irvine

JJ JacobsonAssociate Curator for American Culinary HistoryWilliam L. Clements Library, University of Michigan

Karmon RunquistWeb Content ManagerWentworth Institute of Technology

Jennifer HamiltonGraduate Student, School of Library and Information Science, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge

Sarah ClarkAccess Services and Distance Learning LibrarianRogers State University, Claremore, OK