What uses can you think of for virtual worlds within your own organization?

Do you think that libraries should be in virtual worlds such as Second Life, why or why not?

I'm fairly new to Second Life and while I think it is fun, I wonder how many people actually attend meetings held by libraries and information organizations.  That said, Second Life is the type of social application that needs to be marketed to be successful.  I know the California Library Association held an event at their island in 2008 for which they sent email to their members. That type of notification probably guaranteed a well attended event.

Pros:

Do you think libraries should be in virtual worlds, such as second life, or not?

Do you think that libraries should be in virtual worlds such as Second Life, why or why not?

As I took the Stanford Train on their tour through part of SL, I thought that SL really lends itself to design: Art students, architects, and web designers must love it there. But I can also see a place for libraries, especially academic and special libraries. Wherever there is a need and a use for information, a library should be involved.

Do you think that libraries should be in virtual worlds such as Second Life, why or why not?

Do you think that libraries should be in virtual worlds such as Second Life, why or why not?

I have been on SL a couple times and have rarely encountered other users in library or academic islands.  SJSU SLIS is a virtual ghost town.  I visited on a Sunday around noon and was hard pressed to find anyone there (maybe summer break?).  I then went to some islands that I suspected I would find other users and I found them.  Where are all the people in SL?  The busy places were probably along the lines of what I found on this websites.

I think it is more the rare exception than the rule that libraries should have a virtual branch in SL.

Virtual worlds such as Second Life represent "another channel" (E. Kroski, personal communication, July, 2009). And while Second Life with its more mature audiences may not be for every library, with at least 50 virtual worlds out there, patrons representing a wide swath of demographics are active in some form of virtual world. So virtual worlds of some form most likely are here to stay.