Ever since I began exploring Second Life, I have been keeping my library science friends informed of my successes and my frustrations. It still amazes me how many responses I receive every time I post a Facebook comment related to SL.
It seems most library science students have strong opinions about SL and its use in library environments. Some people think Second Life is fun and interesting, others think it is a waste of time. Most interestingly, no one seems to agree!
So the question is: Should libraries be dedicating people, time and money to SL?
My vaguely disappointing answer is: It depends!
Libraries have lots to offer Second Life residents – as is evidenced by the library presence that already exists in this virtual world. Libraries can provide residents with access to books and information, as well as different courses, resources and tips for getting around in SL. A few of the libraries in SL are also staffed by librarians who are available to answer questions from the residents visiting their island. SL libraries are an invaluable resource – especially for newbies! Whether or not SL residents use these libraries is another question.
But what does Second Life have to offer library patrons? Lots too. Though the learning curve is steep, SL has incredible potential for distance learning, conferencing and community development. It is a great way to provide services to homebound patrons, and to include them in the library community. Perhaps best of all, SL can be really fun! At least, it’s fun if you know what you’re doing.
Then what’s the problem? From what I can tell, most library patrons don’t use Second Life. In some cases, an incredible amount of human and financial resources are being dedicated to SL. Most of this time and money seems to be going to staff training, resource development and research. Not enough efforts are being put towards marketing SL. And so like too many other library resources, SL is not being used by library patrons. Even with a strong marketing initiative, the social stigma against SL may deter library patrons. This is why I’m not convinced libraries should be spending their limited financial and human resources on SL … for now at least.
This said, you might want to take my opinion with a grain of salt. The more I learn about Second Life, the more my thoughts about it change. I am sure I will return to the question of Second Life and libraries many more times in the future. It is definitely a topic that could benefit from further research and discussion.
For now, I will leave you with a few of the comments my library school friends have made about SL:
“One life at a time for me.” NB
“You have class in second life? that’s different.” DV
“That sounds like so much fun!” AS
“Now that sounds interesting. Maybe I should join second life.” NB
“Other than changing my appearance (it’s rather like playing Barbie), I’m not sure what I’m supposed to be doing?!” HJ
“Second Life (in my humble opinion) is just a slow, boring video game where you win nothing in the end and nobody dies! : )” LD
“Maybe this will help liven up your experience? http://tinyurl.com/yedwkjd”YC
“We should just get rid of libraries and move them entirely into second life – then I can wear pajamas to work” SL
“I think [dedicating] a little time and money is probably worthwhile because it’s a form of technology librarians may need to understand…” MS
“What the hell does Second Life have to do with the library?” LD
