Whatcha Gonna Do?: An Academic Health Sciences Library in Second Life Embraces New Roles

Preview:

DESCRIPTION

Final version is at: http://tinyurl.com/24u6dx Academic health sciences libraries support the educational, research, clinical, and service missions of the universities and healthcare institutions of which they are a part. In the recent past, this has meant primarily building print and web-based collections of health and research information, and providing classes and services that facilitate the use and integration of these collections into the skillset of the local academic healthcare community. In Spring of 2007, the University of Michigan Medical School purchased an island in Second Life. In supporting the activities associated with this initiative, we have found that many of the activities and services we have traditionally offered are not immediately relevant in the new environment, are needs that are being filled by others, or are beyond the scope of what is possible with the resources currently available to us. Examples of these might include teaching how to search Medline, offering classes relating to health skill sets, building collections of health information. Similarly, many of the activities and services we have found ourselves embracing in Second Life are hard to imagine ever happening in our real life libraries. Examples of these might include building freebie collections, teaching classes on how to make clothes, setting up a Spirit Shop for the university (along with making the inventory), hosting in-world and out-world events to engage community, setting up a patient support group, as well as helping folks navigate Orientation and Help Islands. Here we present information about the similarities and differences between what we do in which environment and why we do or do not offer similar services in the other environment, as well as discuss the planning process and skill sets required. We would particularly like to focus on tools that have formed the basis of our community building efforts, which have largely depended on resources that bridge Second Life and the broader online and analog environments. So, when it comes to leading the way in a new and emerging technological environment, what are librarians going to do? Our answer: whatever needs to be done.

Citation preview

Whatcha Gonna Do?: An Academic Health Sciences Library in Second Life Embraces New Roles

Perplexity Peccable (PF Anderson); Gillian Oh (Gillian Mayman );

Kaiya Qunhua (Anne Perorazio); and Wrenaissance Jewell (Jane Blumenthal)

University of Michigan Health Sciences Libraries

©2008 Regents of the University of Michigan. All rights reserved.

About Academic Health Sciences Libraries Primary roles are to support the core functions of

the academic and healthcare institutions they serve. Education Research Clinics Service/Outreach

For more information: Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries:

http://www.aahsl.org Medical Library Association: http://www.mlanet.org

CollectionsServicesInstructionReference

University of Michigan Health Sciences Libraries (HSL) Multiple physical locations

Taubman Medical Library Public Health Library and Informatics Dentistry Library

One identity

Now also … Wolverine Island Library

UM HSL Homepage http://www.lib.umich.edu/hsl/

Wolverine Island March 2007 - purchase Spring & Summer -

planning August 2007 - building September 2007 -

Wolverine Island opens to select group of faculty and students

Transitioning to a New Environment, part 1

March 2007 “Get ready! We’re going into

Second Life” “By the way, you’ll be teaching”

Spring & Summer 07 Exploring science, health, library & education

locations in Second Life Learning Second Life skills

August 07 Dental school dean requests a video to show other

dental school deans … in 3 days.

Our 3-Day Video

Transitioning to a New Environment, pt. 2

September 07 Library promotes Second Life events to campus

community via blogs and email October 07

University of Michigan Medical School has an elective course in Second Life

Library observes and assists December 07

Library co-hosts the first campus event in Second Life with Medical School and School of Dentistry

1st Brown Bag - Dec 7, 2007

The Birth of SLUM SLUM - Second Life @ the University of

Michigan Weekly “brown bag” events

Tours, local speakers, invited speakers, classes, discussions, freebies, swapmeets

Communication Blog, wiki, in-world groups, campus email

groups

SLUM Blog

SLUM Wiki

Transitioning to a New Environment, part 3 Oops! But what about the library?

Whatcha gonna do with the … Library?

HSL - What do we do? Pics of circulation, reference desk,

stacks, new journals, and patrons at computers

HSL - What do we do?

RL SL

Circulation X

Collections X

Document Delivery X

Reference desk hours X

Reserves X

SL - Why not? Other libraries offer reference and

reading collections in SL Not enough trained staff Not enough demand

HSL - What else do we do?

RL SL

Instruction X X

Liaison services X X

Resource guides X X

Troubleshooting X X

Instruction in RL

Instruction in SL

SL guides & handouts

SL Troubleshooting Installation, updates, permissions Local tech support Highly secure tech

environments Teleporting requires

network access to adjacent “pipes”

Voice/video/versions Videocards Who ya gonna call?

HSL - What else do we do?

RL SL

Community space X X

Events & speakers X X

Exhibits X X

Research & grants X ?

Small group working spaces

X X

Events Pics from events for the SLUM Brown Bag

series - Demo of Play2Train space; self-guided tour of Genome Island; putting on school colors for a winter tour of Wolverine Island, a gaming event, invited speaker JJ Drinkwater

Exhibits

HSL - What else do we do?

RL SL

Library tours X X

World tours X

Tools – Information X X

Tools – Building, coding X

Vendors & ‘sales’ X

Tours

Tools

Vendors

HSL - What else do we do?

RL SL

Free clothes, hair, skin, and a food court, too!

X

Game days X

Maize & Blue (“Spirit”) Shop

X

Parties & Dance floor X

Patient support group X

Other Food court and patient support group

HSL - Who do we serve? (RL)

HSL - Who do we serve? (SL)

Who we are Volunteers

from the HSL staff Liaisons Infopoint

(Reference) More than

shown here

Our Library

Ground Level Casual seating (“Mysti” tables) Food court Freebie vendors Maize & Blue “Spirit” Shop SL tools & utilities

vendors

Main Floor Welcome signs and library desk Tutorials Fireplace Comfortable

seating Staff SL presentation

archive

Mezzanine Exhibits and displays

Roof Small group work space Open whiteboards Dancefloor Event space

Example skills used Editing furniture & scripts Making freebie givers Event planning and coordination Recruiting speakers Mixing sit poses for seating areas Quick change artist Setting up vendors Doing slide presentations Clothing design Orientation Island, again & again

Rewards Collegial activities with other campuses

and institutions (Ann Arbor + Dearborn) Awareness Learning & engagement Costs (mostly) born by others

Lessons learned 1 The power of the freebie The essential goodness of human nature

(but one bad apple can spoil a lot of people’s day) There is no limit to imagination

(but there is to time and ability) Presence first, than space The importance of being flexible and responsive

Ask what is most needed Don’t make plans before you build skills When you do make plans, make backup plans

Lessons learned 2 “No man is an island” – especially in SL!

Team building Team playing Neighbors Friends Colleagues Community Strangers

Whatcha gonna do? Strip to your underwear to teach a class Do Tai Chi on the roof Make a dance floor

from pics of human cells Become a skeleton,

then a “muscle” man Who knows?

When all else fails … dance

Contact Information Patricia F. Anderson, pfa@umich.edu Perplexity Peccable

Health Sciences Libraries Resources Web: http://www.lib.umich.edu/hsl/ Slides:

http://www.slideshare.net/umhealthscienceslibraries/slideshows/

Blog: http://mblog.lib.umich.edu/hsl/

Wolverine Island Resources Blog: http://mblog.lib.umich.edu/slum/ Pics: http://flickr.com/groups/slum/ Wiki: http://slum.wetpaint.com/ NOTE: Wolverine Island is not currently

open to the public.

Presentation Resources These slides are available at:

http://www.slideshare.net/umhealthscienceslibraries/

Video: Science Learning Opportunities in Second

Life: http://youtube.com/watch?v=EfsSGBraUhc

Recommended