Let's get the “line” out of the way: “What do I need with Second Life when I barely have a first life?”
I don't have an answer. I've been to some virtual seminars on Second Life and have to admit at being underwhelmed at what presently goes on. But the potential is breathtaking. A youthful generation is online experimenting with virtual life, and it appears that ALA is going to reach out to them.
Let's take a brief tour …
Second Life (SL) “is a 3-D virtual world entirely built and owned by its residents. Since opening to the public in 2003, it has grown explosively and today is inhabited by a total of 3,659,699 people from around the globe.” (According to Linden Labs, which created the software supporting this world.) Before anything else, you need to check to see if your PC/Mac has the candles to light this world. If you have the power, you can get there by registering (free): choose a name (you must choose from a list of last names, but you can use anything for your first name), enter your birthdate (SL has two virtual worlds, Teen SL for those under 18 and SL for adults), enter a valid e-mail address. The next screen asks you to choose your Avatar, an image that represents you in the world of SL. This alone is marvellous aspect of Second Life, because it invites roleplaying. I can put on a tux and drive a sportscar, or swim trunks and go snorkeling. The final screen asks for the following:
- Your Real Name
- Gender
- Country
- Password (yours to create at this time)
- Security question
- Answer
- Second Life News and Updates (spam): Notices from Second Life, Developer News, and Third-party offers
- Who Referred You? (optional)
You can then download the software—I don't recall whether you need to get an authorization code via the e-mail account you give on registration but that sounds right. Once installed, you can start your adventure in 3-D. You will go through a “base camp” that guides you through editing your avatar's appearance, how to walk and fly, and use the maps to teleport where you want to go. You are given 250 Lindens to spend on virtual goods and services. (Oh, yeah, there's an economy!—at the time of writing the exchange rate was $266 L for one US dollar.) If you plan on buying land and building, the “leasing fees” begin at $9.95 USD per month.
Where ALA Fits In
The screenshot at right should be about “life size” what you see on your PC's screen. (Yes, on the immediate right of where the Washington Office is is the San Jose State University School of Library and Information Sciences!)
You can walk or fly to where ALA is making its presence known, but the Map control button on the bottom of your SL screen allows you to search for places and gives you the ability to teleport where you wish to go if it's not proscribed by the land owners. You can create landmarks that become part of your inventory, so it's easy to return to places you like or want to explore further.
It will probably move to the “Mothership,” once it's established, but for now, the ALA Washington Office has its own place in Cybrary City. I slept a night on the office couch and when I “woke up” I met the avatars of Andy Bridges and someone from MLS talking business. The MLS person left the office and proceeded to climb onto a surfboard-like object and fly away!
Going inside the office, even when no one is there, you can “touch” panels on the walls to receive notecards. These are a versatile delivery mechanisms for messages with embedded links to Web sites, blogs, wikis, and various forms of document files like Microsoft Word .docs or Powerpoint .ppts and Adobe Acrobat .pdfs. They can even include SLurls, the longitude and latitude, if you will, of places in SL.
The example at right is the notecard for Sunshine Week 2007, providing text about the annual event as well as URLs for further information. It's obvious to me that we have some talented staff in this office but that it's also not all that tricky to make information available for the denizens of Second Life.
It would appear that SL may be a niche audience for ALA efforts compared to other venues, but as I have seen from limited travels, it's a very creative and enterprising population, who will make the world of Second Life grow into all of its exciting potential and possibilities. Who knows how ALA might benefit?
If I have captured your interest, and you decide to register and explore Second Life, remember to tell them Oberon Octagon sent you! 
And if there's interest, I can provide SLURLs for finding all kinds of free stuff from clothes to flying carpets! Let me know …
