By CARRIE PENNELL
Photo by VERDE OTAARED

Based upon a UCLA-Harvard program on Digital Libraries, May 2009

The Harvard College Library (the Arts and Sciences library of Harvard University) in Second Life has a robust past and an intriguing future.

In May 2008, I was asked to submit a proposal for a presence in Second Life for the Harvard College Library. Other parts of the University were already experimenting with Second Life, most notably the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at the Harvard Law School, and the Business School. The University Provost's Office had funded first one, and then two islands, iCommons 1and 2, and representatives of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Academic Technology Group and the University Museums were already there. But up to that time, the libraries had no formal representation.

I admit to wariness about being asked to do this project. Second Life, this fascinating environment, is a technological tool, and it is a tool that does not fit all pedagogies. It takes experience and thought to find the right uses of 3D environments in any teaching. Beyond that, Second Life drags the unfortunate albatross of a lot of overdone bad press. It has helped that countries have come to take legal stands on certain activities here, and that the Lindens decided to eliminate gambling. But bad behavior makes better press than good behavior. "Hey...did you hear about the neat library built by a Harvard Librarian?" is a quote that you will hardly find in a headline!

But the proposal was accepted, and by that summer I built my library and introduced myself to the Harvard folks already present on the island. Although the library itself took me about two hours to build, deciding what this presence would mean, what I would do, who I would serve would inevitably to take much, longer. But, in truth, not all that long. By the middle of the fall, I had had discussions with Harvard graduate students who were working in and exploring the environment, and had long discussions, both in SL and at my desk at Widener Library with four faculty members who wanted to develop ideas, pedagogy, and sites using this environment.

An interesting point about my little library is that because it is situated on the Harvard islands, I am consistently brought into contact with people who are there and interested in this technology.
This fact represents is a major and positive difference between my library and some of the other academic libraries here in Second Life. It has resulted in interesting projects, and even pedagogical discussions with interested faculty. My partner has been Bill Barthelmy of the Academic Technology Group. Like me, Bill has many other projects that are not related to this environment. But we both have significant interest in how this particular technological tool might serve our faculty and students in the future. Further, my work has become defined by the pedagogy, or potential pedagogy of the faculty interesting in experimenting here. I do not offer open reference service. I do not offer standard digital collections. Mostly, I talk and encourage the faculty and staff here to discuss what they are doing, and ideas for the future. And from these discussions, several interesting projects have arisen. Eventually, there will be teaching associated with these projects. And the library is situated to be closely associated with some of that teaching.

What would I say to any organization looking to form a presence here?

First and foremost, if a library does not have a person who is well-versed in the manipulation of this environment, well networked with colleagues, and able to build and use standard scripts, the start-up time can be daunting. This environment is technically complex, and it contains a complex and growing culture and community of its own. It is more parallel to saying to a staff member: Okay, go to Paris, set up a library, and figure out how we could be useful" than it is saying "here, learn this software."

One of my jobs is to be able to position another Harvard librarian here quickly, if one of their faculty members begins to work here. I must be able to build an avatar, and educate that person quickly. A novice could not do this.

Secondly, academic institutions should not try and establish a presence here that in some exact way mirrors what happens in its bricks-and-mortar library. A reference desk with scheduled hours will have little business. Lots of digital collections that could more easily be accessed and read via your library websites are more appropriate. Would you come here to read a book?

Well, you might. Or a student might if there was a text here that somehow was clearly intellectually accessible through immersive education.

And that would be my last point: There is a compelling need to understand immersive education: what its potentials are, and what they are not. What techniques succeed, and what is just a gimmick.

The potentials of this environment are enormous. Imagine bringing ten manuscripts from the Digital Scriptorium and having them discussed by two international experts - manuscripts and experts who might, in the real world, only be able to be brought together once in a lifetime.

Imagine putting your students in direct contact with people that they might have to wait years to meet or hear speak in real life, right here, right now.

And the future? I'm not sure. It will be, I think, what our faculties demand

Slurl to the Harvard College Library: http://slurl.com/secondlife/iCommons/156/87/29/

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