In Fall 2008, a group of Reference librarians at Alkek Library piloted offering reference services on Texas State University-San Marcos' Second Life campus
1. TRANSLATING AN ACADEMIC
LIBRARY INTO SECOND LIFE
Lisa Ancelet, Reference/Virtual Services Librarian
Lorin Fisher, Information Literacy Coordinator
Tara Spies, Reference/Instruction Librarian
2. 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)
5. 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
6. 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
8. 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
10. Wittliff Gallery
Virtual collection of
photographs from the
Southwestern &
Mexican Photography
Collection, part of
PHOTO HERE
Alkek Library’s Wittliff
Collections
2 floors of photographs
and sculptures
11. 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
12. 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
14. 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