Research Overviewfor Dr. Kyunghye Kim’s Foundation class

Dr. Lorri Mon, Assistant ProfessorFlorida State University College of Information

November 17, 2008

IMLS Grant: the Internet Public Libraryhttp://www.ipl.org

Geography of the information service –library through which the user asks a question of the statewide service;

Geography of the question –library to which a user’s question may be rerouted, due to inherent geography of the question;

Geography of the questioner –relevant physical and virtual location or “Internet geolocation” of the user.

Geography of Virtual Questioning:E-Reference Users and Geography

Libraries & Innovative Technologies Study:Blogs and Wikis

N = 242

N = 242 Public Libraries from 49 U.S. states

39.3%

15.7%

Public Libraries on MySpace

350+

Public Libraries on Facebook

175+

Libraries & Innovative Technologies Study:Social Networking

Information Providers in a Virtual World Study Elfreda A. Chatman Research Proposal Award 2007Elfreda A. Chatman 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 World of Warcraft by RowanF

* The Blue Book: A Consumer Guide to Virtual Worlds http://www.associationofvirtualworlds.com/press_room.htm

NOAA Weather Demo

NOAA Hurricane Sim

Surrealist Art Exhibit

Roma – Classical Rome

Reuters News

Shakespeare - Globe Theatre

Second Life OverviewSecond Life Overview

Shopping

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

“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

Virtual World Information SpacesVirtual World Information Spaces

““there's still a personal space issue…”there's still a personal space issue…”

Lorri Mon, FSU College of InformationLorri Mon, FSU College of InformationEmail: Email: lmon@ci.fsu.edu

or SL: Lorri Momijior SL: Lorri Momiji