Virtual Worlds conference, post #1

Saturday, I spent the entire day at the first Libraries, Education and Museums conference in Second Life. Like conferences in real life, it was equally fascinating and exhausting. Again, my lack of gaming abilities show, if only in my computer stamina. Even for a web junkie like me, 14 hours was a bit long. That said, I felt like it was very worthwhile.

Most of my educational focus to this point has been around children and adolescents, but I found myself very inspired by the potential for SL and virtual worlds in adult free choice learning. So inspired that I am thinking of proposing another independent study for next semester - maybe even a thesis.

Breakdown of the day with notes:

Keynote Address: · OPEN KEYNOTE DISCUSSION: "Virtual Worlds: Libraries, Education, Museums, and More" Presented by Barbara Galik (Puglet Dancer in SL) and Kitty Pope (Kitty Phillip in SL)

Location: Babbage Amphitheatre

Galik and Pope, who have been active in the development of the Alliance Information Archipelago and other virtual world library projects, will discuss where we are with library service in virtual worlds and where we are going. They will discuss the the fast progress (explosion) of the project to get to the high level of collaborative development that exists today. They also will discuss what we need to do moving forward to sustain and grow library services in virtual worlds. sustain and grow

Kitty and Puglet spoke a great deal about the success of InfoIsland (slurl) in Second Life. In 2 years they have gone from one to over 40 active sims. Kitty drew attention to the newly opened Land of Lincoln sim, which recently hosted an inaugural ball for President’s Day. The sim was developed in concert with Teen SL students and a local High School. I took a moment today to visit the Land of Lincoln and was pleasantly surprised. Rather than feeling like an anachronism at a living history site, visitors are offered free outfits to help them blend in. This spirit of immersive environments in SL was addressed again at later sessions.

Kitty and Puglet explained that the huge growth in the sims has shown them that there is indeed a need for library services in SL. There is a growing acceptance of virtual library services, and some programs are already offering non-credit courses in virtual librarianship. Reference remains their core service, but programs are steadily growing. Kitty mentioned the potential shown in virtual language programs on Info Island International, allowing immersive language experience with native speakers.

Programs on Info Island seem innovative and fun – and are very popular. Recently II hosted a “Mark Twain Cussing Contest” (See post here) with informational training sessions prior. The island is also home to a mystery manor, where classic mystery stories are discussed.

Kitty made a point that I feel does get missed when speaking to stakeholders about the power of virtual environments. “Behind every avatar there is a person” and “Avatars are inquisitive and social.” Too often avatar interaction is seen as a false sort of social interaction, but being at this conference with 70 other people, all passionate about education and the possibilities of the platform, was proof enough that avatars are an extension of a real person, with real interests and passion.

Puglet brought up many of the needs that still exist. The presence of 70 avatars, plus a gorgeous sim, and slides/streaming media, created a perfect opportunity for lag. In only one session that I attended did the slides rez properly. SL needs to create the ability to facilitate large group meetings without lag and rez problems. Additionally, people need to be educated that while personal expression is nice, avatars need to dress for success in group sessions, by being simple and easy to rez. We also, as a community of educators, need to find ways to get newcomers to overcome the learning curve. We need to find new ways to help newbies learn the ropes in a less painful and plodding way.

The final piece of advice offered…Keep it fun. If your programs are fun, they will be successful. After an evening exploring the 1860’s, in full dress….I would have to agree!

Whew! What a day!

Just spent the past 14 hours at the Virtual Worlds: Libraries, Education and Museums conference in SL.

1) Thats a LONG time to stare at a computer

2) It was really quite cool, and the first conference where my feet dont hurt at the end of the day (although my backside does)

3) I will be posting a ton next week about it.

Internship, week 2

So, today marks the start of week 2 in my internship. I think I am starting to get the hang of this.

Last week I mentioned that some very helpful friends taught me how to navigate better. If you want to know, here is how!

Hit Ctrl+Alt+D to open up the client and server menus. Click the "Client" menu (up top) and go down to "UI". Then click on "Double Click Auto Pilot." When that is clicked, you just need to double click the terrain in front of you, and your avatar walks there - with minimal stumbling.

I helped my first people this week! In my RL I was an interpretation manager for years, which meant lots of public interaction - but it seems that I am a bit shy about approaching avatars! I'm getting braver, and I am sure by next week I'll be down right outgoing. I've also had a chance to meet some more Tech staffers, all of whom have been very helpful!

Tonight I got some great building and scripting sites, which I plan to explore this week. More posts soon!

Virtual Museums in SL

In September, Jim Spadaccini over at Exhibit Files wrote a review of the Dresden Museum's Old Masters Picture Gallery in Second Life. His review is fantastic, and points out some important things to consider when creating a virtual museum.

The Dresden has done an admirable job of recreating a real life (thats RL) place in a virtual environment. I cannot begin to imagine how much time it must have taken.

Here is the real museum.
<------









And here is the recreation in SL --->


Beautiful. And not just the outside. The interior is just as amazing, complete with parquet work, moulded ceilings, the works. The big problem is - it takes forever to load on screen.

And, like many grand old museums, its easy to get lost. (Of course, in RL you can't just teleport out)

The idea is great - a virtual recreation of a real space, featuring recreations of the artifacts, in this case art. The chances of my visiting this museum in RL are slim, but I can hop on SL and at least see something, right?

Wrong. The images of the art are far too small to provide any sense of what the real art might be like. Add to that the time it takes to load, and the art becomes secondary. Now, for architecture buffs and those who just love beautiful buildings, the site is well worth the visit. But this is a nice example of how what works in RL doesn't always translate to SL.


Next: An update on the internship, a review of some papers from Museums and the Web, and a visit to Virtual Starry Night.

Helpful neighbors!

Wow! Big thanks to Lucid Snook and Troy McLuhan (avatars) in SL!! And some others, I am sure. They taught me the wonderful trick of navigating by mouse. I'll look up the sequence and write it down to share, but basically it gives you the ability to just double click where you want to go (on the ground) and your avatar walks there. BRILLIANT!

Also, a picture of me, relaxing at The Tech.

Day One in Second Life

When I first tell people about the Tech project in SL, reaction is mixed. From those who say "cool!" the major questions are about how they can get involved. But an equally vocal group responds negatively - "That's not a real internship" "So you just play a computer game?" and "SL seems like a waste of time."

I'm not going to lie, time is a factor, and the learning curve can be steep.

Setting up the account takes about an hour. For people like myself, who spend many hours online, this time is not a big deal. But many of my colleagues would find this frustrating at best. For better or worse, I had a Sims addiction several years ago, which actually helped my understanding of avatar creation, as well as my comfort in the virtual 3-D animated environment. For users not used to any sort of gaming, I would recommend spending time playing "in world" to acclimate to the environment.

Finding a place to explore is not always easy, and I hope to include some good starting points in my next post. The Tech Museum is a great place to start, as it not only offers fun things to look at, but the "physical" environment is varied enough to allow you to try out a few things.

Walking: I have yet to learn of any way of walking other than using the arrow keys. Anyone who meets me "in world" would likely think that my avatar had been hitting a few SL pubs. I walk into walls, get lost in corners, and, famously, run up the down-escalator. I'm a mess. Part of me wants to blame it on my lack of video game experience, but I think some of it comes from my lack of spatial-thinking ability. That said, with practice, I am improving. Soon (I hope) I'll feel comfortable enough to weave my way around the museum like a pro. Then I can start leading tours.

Sitting: The Tech offers a few options for sitting.
* Sitting at an interactive: There is currently a lovely interactive exhibit on perspective drawing. As you approach the interactive, floating text above the seats tell you to "sit here." Sitting can be accomplished by right clicking the seat and selecting "sit" from the menu that pops up. Suddenly your perspective changes and you can interact in a fairly real way. A button at the bottom of the screen allows you to stand when you are done. (To my amusement, standing up results in your avatar leaping into the air from a seated position. Avatars, it would seem, are far more energetic than their RL counterparts.)
* Relaxing: No, your avatar does not need to relax. However, last night I found myself needing to step away for a short dinner break. Rather than completely leave SL, I headed up to the terrace, sat my avatar down, and set my status to "away." It is possible to merely stand there while away, but given that other avatars see you - it seems creepy to just be looming there, unresponsive.

Teleporting: There are some areas that SL far exceeds RL. Many people like flying (I'll get to that) but I love teleporting. The Tech is set up with large wall maps, like you would see in any museum, but these maps give you the option of teleporting to any area with the click of a mouse. Very handy when traveling with a group. Also handy when, like myself, you are lousy at walking. Now if only someone can develop this in RL, I could avoid my commute.

Flying: The "thing" that people talk about with SL is flying. Yes, your avatar can fly. Its not just a fun trick. Its actually quite helpful for navigating a new space, or getting the lay of the land. You can only fly outdoors, so in areas like the Tech, its not as useful. But for places like the International Spaceflight Museum (slurl) it is quite handy. Also useful for just exploring. Not as tricky as walking, oddly enough.


I spent the majority of the night really exploring the building and also spent time in the Sandbox Dome building and playing with scripting. Linden Scripting Language (the official scripting of SL) is actually easier than most scripting languages. However, it pays to have at least minimal exposure to another scripting language. My experience is with HTML, but it's limited. However, even a slight familiarity with another language can help you understand the "grammar" of LSL.

That's all for now. More updates soon!

Welcome!

Welcome to Keepers of Stuff, my blog about my museum life. This blog will serve two functions:

1) Primarily, it will serve as a record of my journey through an internship for the spring semester. I am thrilled to be working with Nina from Museum2.0 on what looks to be a very cool and cutting edge project. I have been reading Nina's blog since it started, having met her briefly at a NAME event at AAM Boston several years ago. She's brilliant, so if you aren't reading her blog, go start now! The internship is with The Tech Museum of Innovation, in California. What is particularly cool is that I am in Indiana and will be doing this internship virtually. The Tech has started a fascinating project in Second Life and I will be spending the next semester looking at the question: How can museums use Second Life to enhance their current work? I truly do not believe that virtual museums can ever replace or come close to comparing to a "real life" museum, but I do think that there are things that can be accomplished in virtual environs like SL that can enhance the experience and create more invested audiences.

2) This blog will also function as a place for me to post about my thoughts on museums in general - things in the news, at conferences, from class, or just from discussions with peers. I love museums, and love talking about them, so this will be a great place to do that.

3) Finally, and this will be a small part, this will be a place to talk about the reality of museums - good, bad and ugly. I work in a huge and busy museum, and see lots of all three, so prepare yourself for some good stories every so often.

So, that's me. I'll start posting in earnest soon. If you want to reach me, you can find me in SL as Sera Wrigglesworth (isn't that a great name!) or leave me a message here.

Ta!