questions and answers in a virtual world : educators and librarians as information providers in...
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Elfreda A. Chatman Research Proposal Award Presentation by Lorri Mon, Florida State UniverstyTRANSCRIPT
Questions and Answers in a Virtual World : Educators and Librarians as Information
Providers in Second Life
Dr. Lorri Mon, Florida State UniversityDr. Lorri Mon, Florida State UniversitySIG-USE Elfreda A. Chatman SIG-USE Elfreda A. Chatman
Research Proposal Award, 2007 Research Proposal Award, 2007
Active Worlds http://www.activeworlds.com
There.com http://www.there.com
Getty Art Museum in WhyvilleGetty Art Museum in Whyville
Whyville http://www.whyville.net
* The Blue Book: A Consumer Guide to Virtual Worlds http://www.associationofvirtualworlds.com/press_room.htm
Habbo Hotel http://habbo.com
IBMIBM SUN SUN MICRO-MICRO-SYSTEMSSYSTEMS
DELLDELL
SONY BMGSONY BMG
DELLDELL
Second Life http://www.secondlife.comCDCCDC
Launched in 2003; 10 million+ registered (6 million unique registered users) free basic accounts in 2006;audio in 2007; over 80 universities, many libraries; 390 square miles of virtual land (6 times the size of D.C.)
Research QuestionsResearch Questions
• How does embodiment as an avatar within a virtual world impact the information-seeking interaction between information service providers and information seekers?
• Are there aspects to virtual worlds self-presentation by information seekers or information service providers that inhibit or are detrimental to the success of an information interaction?
• Are there aspects to virtual worlds self-presentation by information seekers or information service providers that enhance or facilitate the success of an information interaction?
Interviews, observations and screenshots are used in examining theself-presentations, working environments & information objects used by virtual world information providers; analysis is framed by Erving Goffman’s work on self-presentation & information control.
MethodMethod
LIS 5916 Class, Sept. 19, 2007
The Working Environment:
Information Architectures
Princeton U. UNC-CH FSU
MYTHICA DREXEL
The Working Environment:Alexandrine Libraries
The Library of
Alexandria
Hobbit Shire Library 1800’s Dirigible Library
The Information Providers’ Role:The Information Providers’ Role:
Presentation of the SelfPresentation of the Self
"are you "are you really a really a librarian?”librarian?”
a “conservative” or “professional” appearancea “conservative” or “professional” appearance [“[“my alt has blue hairmy alt has blue hair”]”]
IssuesIssuesof of Trust:Trust:
"...from "...from brand brand newbie to newbie to well-well-dressed..."dressed..."
n00bsn00bsvs.vs.residentsresidents
Avatar and Self Identity
“all my avatars look like me or express the real me in some way ...”
"I feel weird coming inworld as my alt ... it is like pretending! i feel like this is really me."
"I am not comfortable with the idea of creating a male alt and pretending it is me although I have a male friend who uses a female alt at the ref desk because she is more "approachable.”
“I wanted it to look like myself”
“the majority of Questions are about SL”“a lot of How to's... and Where do I start's”
How to (examples):
• earn money in SL?
• learn to build or script?
• dance / stop dancing
• join a non-profit
• clothes / hair
• communicating
Where to (examples):
• go to learn skills
• find interesting sims
• find educational places
• find specific places, e.g.
– is there a sim here for....
– where is …Specialists (law & health/medical librarians) reported more RL questions than generalists (reference librarians, educators)
• divorce• disability• diseases and prognoses
Answers, Information Tools & Objects
Worn by info providers:• radar hud• Babbler • costumesGiven out:• notecards• landmarks • textures• objects
In the environment• Whiteboard (ppts)• Thinc book• Objects w/info• calendars • teleport map• time zone map• video • podcast/radio SCRIPT
BOOK
TEXT CHAT PODCAST NOTECARDTEXTURE/IMAGE
VIDEO
LINKS
Asynchronous Answers:Games and Chatbots
Notre Dame _blacklibrary
NOAA Weather Demo
NOAA Hurricane Sim
Sistine Chapel - Vassar
Roma – Classical Rome
Reuters News
Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre
Immersive and Interactive
Experiential Learning Spaces
Roma: Notecard gives the history of Trajan’s Column in ancient Rome
Inset: ClickableLatin graffiti
Virtual World Information SpacesVirtual World Information Spaces
““there's still a personal space issue…”there's still a personal space issue…”
Wish List for Info Providers
• more prims per parcel • to be able to do real html ... create and display interactive
html pages in world• ability to create or at least easily display external
databases to store info• being able to drag from my desktop directly into SL --
like WORD documents.• to be able to search my inventory by creator of item• to be able to query the system for where all the things
I've made are• to be able to query objects for their scripts• to be able to track when people copy and pass around an
info-object that I made
Examples of universities, libraries andnonprofit organizations in Second Life
Glenview Public Library
U. of North Carolina-CH - LIS
Shawnee-Topeka PLSan Jose State U- LIS
Clearwater Public Library, FL
American Cancer SocietyPrinceton U. UIUC - LIS
Questions?
To contact me:To contact me:Email: Email: [email protected] or SL: Lorri Momiji or SL: Lorri Momiji
Mon, L. (2009). “Questions and Answers in a Virtual World : Educators and Librarians as Information Providers in Second Life.”Journal of Virtual Worlds Research, Volume 2, Number 1 (April 2009). http://www.jvwresearch.org/v2n1_Mon.html