January 9th, 2007
Here’s an idea that just popped into my head:
What if a library took Linden Lab’s source code and created their own Second Life grid? The grid would be a virtual library with staff providing online reference. But the Second Life library would also have virtual stacks where visitors could browse the shelves, looking at book and CD and DVD covers. A visitor could touch a cover and get information about the title, such as library holdings and availability. Visitors could also put holds on materials. Basically, it would be a 3-D virtual catalog that you could browse just like you can browse shelves in the real world, with all of the functionality of a computer catalog.
I don’t know enough about the particulars of the current SL library initiatives to know if this is a dumb question. But here goes: How is your proposal different from the way SLL works currently?
To be honest, I haven’t visited the Second Life Library or Info Island in over 6 months, so I really couldn’t say what’s going on there now. But the last time I was there, the SLL had virtual furniture that looked like books on shelves, but they were like set pieces in a high school theater production of My Fair Lady–nothing to them. There were downloadable files in the library, but there was nothing like a functioning OPAC that I saw.
Hi there. We are working on a catalog with what we can use in there to create an OPAC. We have world cat and now that there is open source we are talking to vendors about linking outside of Secoond Life to 3d objects, experiences and environemnts in Second Life through the OPAC. Maybe a dispay on a topic or peson that has been created, or a science exhibit. I think your idea is excellent and one I have heard several are looking at. Please join us in SLL where we hope to begin to work on this. It would hopefully take things down to the local level where local librarians could create things too.
Lori
Wow, that’s great! Thanks for the info, Lori!