Libraries: The medicine chest of the soul. ~Library at Thebes, inscription over the door
In search of some erudition? The local library is almost a relic of the pre-Internet days; now that we have the world literally at our fingertips, a trip to a musty warehouse for analog bricks of information is something fast being supplanted by the ease of a few keystrokes. Yet there is a romance in the physicality of a book that could never be replaced⎯indeed, the structure of a laptop (or nearly any other electronic device) is but a recreation of the format that has been embedded deep in the collective unconscious. Unsurprising then that this abiding need for comfort food for the brain is translated to into Second Life, drawn up from a template unchanged since mankind decided he wanted to take his cave drawings with him on holiday. We’ll take a look at four SL library locations today⎯the _blacklibrary, Talis, The Written Word, and Caledon.
Our first stop is at the _blacklibrary . Teleported to the stone-textured steps, one is immediately made aware that they are on the threshold of a familiar institution⎯albeit one of a decidedly modern architectural bent nestled cozily on a waterfront sim. Upon entering, a ‘holographic’ greeter of owner Wandering Yaffle gives you a short heads-up of the _blacklibrary’s mission:
“The _blacklibrary is the Second Life extension of the website at http://www.alwaysblack.com. You can think of it as a kind of analogy of the website, the various rooms and areas of the library represent the different sections of the website. Behind me are the latest additions. Clicking any of the books you will see around the library launches a browser and loads the page relating to that article.”
The space is crisp and uncluttered, with shelves of virtual books, a sofa for reading on the ground floor, the full catalog upstairs, and as advised the different rooms and areas reflect the categories of the website: fiction and non-fiction articles, graphic works, music, videogame-related things, and the community’s discussion forum. Browsing through a few of the titles I encounter some rather palatable reads, ranging from speculative fiction to kooky tech-rants to solid informative text. It very much calls to mind the ‘zines of the eighties that have become the blogs of today.
The overall aesthetic of the place garners points for graphic cohesiveness, with a slick black & white design ethos that perfectly accentuates what seems to be a like-minded community of authorship. The caveat is the traditionalist approach to the presentation: for people with slower connections like myself, the fact that the content is not in-world but a link to my external browser was clunky, not taking advantage of the platform fully.
Rating: 5/10 with potential to improve. Pros= coherent design and good content. Cons= browser interface.
The next stop is Talis SciFi & Fantasy Portal at Info Island. Owned by the Sci Fi & Fantasy Portal group (founder Michael Maitland; contact Franja Russell), the build speaks of its topic: the structure itself seems like it would be more at home on a space station than rooted to its SL location.
For a rather small area it is economically packed with quality content, offering topical discussions (currently the Kubrick film 2001: a space odyssey and a meet-the author with Paul Levinson), a book of the month, and a wonderful selection of speculative and fantasy fiction inside. Of particular note are the areas covering Black and Asian-American authors, where I discover a new favorite in Mary Anne Mohanraj. Overall it’s a great little stop, and particularly newbie-friendly.
Rating: 6/10. Pros= newbie friendly, good build. Cons= could use more content.
Next on the tour is founder Jilly Kidd’s Written Word sim. From the group charter:
“The Written Word group is based on Cookie Island and provides space for writers in all forms to display and share their work. Regular meetings include a Wednesday Writers' Circle and Meet an Author interviews on alternate Sundays. Dance floor, cafe, dartboard, quizzes and seaside for fun, as well as regular prize competitions. Writers in languages other than English are very welcome. To learn more, see our website: http://www.writtenword.org.uk”
This location is definitely the next level, encompassing an entire island with loosely defined areas of interest: storytelling, books & magazines, theater, classical Greek theater, entertainment, improv / comedy, video making (including SLCN.TV-broadcast events), and the town center. The build is both impressive and engaging, if somewhat haphazard in its flow. Chock full of content, it’s easy to spend an entire day here, and should become a frequent destination in any avatar of letters’ landmark library. Material runs the gamut from major publishers to in-world DIY authors (for which this sim is a fabulous resource), book discussions and meet-the-author events (I was lucky enough to catch Terrence Dicks!), magazines and tabloids, haiku and handouts, and a fully engaging and colorful experience at every turn.
Rating: 8/10. Pros= seemingly endless content, build takes good advantage of the in-world experience. Cons= you may never leave!
Our final destination is actually a collection of locations, the Libraries of Caledon, which are under the purview of the Independent State of Caledon. Kudos to the immersive intent of the region created by Desmond Shang; covering ten regions and millions of acres, this truly is a nation-state with its own governance, administrative hierarchy, and a very well focused aesthetic based in the 19th century / steampunk / alternate history mise en scène. The libraries are The Jack and Elaine Whitehorn Memorial Library and The Caledon Library Reading Room (Caledon VictoriaCity), The Vannevar Bush Reading Garden (Caledon Prime), and Marie Curie Memorial Branch Library (Caledon Mayfair). To put it all in perspective, spend a few minutes reading the welcome information covering Caledon’s history⎯an engaging tale in its own right. Because there is an absolutely astonishing amount of content here, I’ll give only a brief overview of what one can see, touch, and hear.
At The Jack and Elaine Whitehorn Memorial Library and The Caledon Library Reading Room is a wonderful exhibition of medieval bestiary art and literature covering the first two floors. By the time I reached the library’s permanent collection on the third floor I had forgotten I was in my own living room⎯an automatic ten stars in my book (pun intended). The Vannevar Bush Reading Garden is a delightfully airy open space where some of the many events are held; the immediate feeling is one of being transported directly into a Seurat painting. Highly recommended even if no event is scheduled for a peaceful afternoon with someone special. The Marie Curie Memorial Branch Library is as yet unbuilt; however, the location is another must-see for the cruise along the Nile benefiting Relay for Life; it will be available for only a limited time and is worthy of hours of exploration in itself.
Rating: 12/10. Pros= an incredibly evolved world that offers never-ending delight. Cons= you’ll be sorely tempted to sell your land and get on the waiting list for their residential area. TIP: Take the trolley tour available at the landing hub and be amazed at the ground you cover.
~Shrutiyan Anatra, 13th May 2008
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