Definite Target groups: clinical, research & educational

Unfinished listing of Health organisations in Second Life, Research & Education groups at SL : Possible "target" groups in Sl.

Criteria: non-commercial, open structure(let me know if i missed anything!) This list will become a nice visual overview, with descriptions, tags, names of founders, url's etc.

At this time I am thinking of a way to present that. Knowing your audience is one step to success.

This list should name all possible relevant groups for the Medical Library. To work FOR or WITH. Further selection and research into origin and purpose of the groups or businesses is needed. My first idea is to focus on non-profit groups, at least in this stage. -

• CALENDON MEDICAL GROUP: -
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) test site -
• Fighting for Health -
• Sl Behaviour Healthcare -
• Real Mental Health -
• Public Health games -
• Positive Mental Health -
• Natural health & Healing Center - -
• Alternative Health Club -
• SUGAR MEDICAL CLINIC: -
• SECOND LIFE MEDICAL ASSOCIATION -Researchers - Sl Researchers -
• Real Life Education in Second Life -
• Men's Health -
• Prostate Cancer Research Foundation

Otherwise interesting: http://groups.msn.com/ParanormalResearchersofSL/homepage - UIUC-Games Research: UIUC Game-related Researchers Group - Benham Medical Center - Educational Podcasting - Colorado Psychoeducational Associates. - Center for Advanced Tech in Education. - Braniac Education Exchange Project BEEP. - Doctor Till - Virtual Hallucinations - Paranormal Researchers

Misson/Goals Second Life Medical LIbrary

The Second Life Medical Library: Goals
The Second Life Medical Library is focussing on THREE main targets:

1. Consumer Health Information :
The special Consumer Health Library will be built and the project manager, Carol Perryman (a.k.a. Carolina Keats), with colleagues, will map all existing support groups in Second Life. She intends to implement an outreach program, to improve health information transfer in a broad sense.
This project has begun by compiling a long list of support groups. As a directory, this listing will benefit SL residents immediately, while serving as a framework for the beginning of outreach activities.
More on this project later!
It will be the most important project the Second Life Medical Library will focus on.

2.Educational, Clinical or Research activities related to Health or Medical subjects
We want to do the same for any Educational, Clinical or Research activities related to Health or Medical subjects that take part in Second Life. Many Academic organisations are stepping in or thinking about it. Have a look at www.simteach.com!
Sl offers a lot of simulation power. Already there are thoughts of developing CME, offering services to special educational groups. There are plans for a Virtual Hospital. The Medical Library can offer help and support .
We can offer meeting space and expertise in the exchange of information. And most of all we really want to work together!

3. Experiment and development of new ways of interaction between users and libraries. With open minded people who are willing to invest time to try to improve library services in general and really learn what user want & need.
Already there is a portable (well, in fact Head-Up Display) searchTool that can search Second Life Library , Second Life stuff itself but also special web resources, such as WorldCat, Google, Amazon &
Library Tours can be selfservice by means of a tool like Chatfeeder that users carry with them.
They can read e-books, listen to audio-books and look at streaming video.
We have RSS-feeds visually displayed.
We can search PubMed in Second life, offer Reuters health News.
Our virtual Reference Desk is using QuestionPoint and we are training a Chatbot to talk to people when we are not there, for some reason.
And this is just the beginning.

Concept of the Second Life Medical Library 2.0

The SL Medical Library shares the mission statement of the SL Library including their main goals and objectives.

The mission of the Second Life Library is to:
• Explore the issues of providing library services in a virtual world
• Evaluate services currently offered by real world libraries in the light of features offered in virtual reality environments and the information needs of VR residents.
• Examine how libraries will remain relevant when more business and education activities take place virtually
• Promote the real library and online library services to residents of Second Life
• Learn what kinds of library services are desired in virtual space

In SLM most existing web-based services in libraries can be implemented, but the main goal is to “market” existing library services and resources in general . To make the public aware of them and improve the availability, lower the threshold of the access to public and freely available health information focused primarily on consumer health but also on scientific medical resources. Special interest lies in explore innovative ways of offering and distributing services.

Specific goals and objectives for the Medical Library are:

a) Non-traditional design and decoration.
b) Thinking out of the box. Offer stuff that usually librarians do not allow IN library, but that patrons like and need/want. (Radio, television, cell phones, food and drink, dancing, chill, relax … or is this too wild? -;) We get a chance to experiment here!
c) Experiment with innovative delivery of services, focussed more on visual and audio exchange than on text.
d) Exploring interactive possibilities between library & library staff and guests/visitors
e) Getting a presence and promote the services of the Second Life Library 2.0 in general, and the Medical Library in particular.

Services

a) How to deliver?
• on display in SLML2.0 on large screens or laptops
• short tutorials in different areas of the library with the slide show Namro has going on but with the streaming audio also
• clickable spots with chunks of info
• on sort of vendor displays with Back-Forward function, like the comic book machines in BlackLibrary
• via email, IM and Chat
• via podcast
• investigate: a wearable ipod that visitors get –when there is no live reference desk present- with a tour/introductory of the library building and services
• Investigate: a streaming audio/video server needed?
( Lori, on the problem of the large sound files. For the clickable devices we could have a workaround via a URL to an outside site with the audiofiles and use the pc-audio?)
• via workshops and meetings
• ?

The building

The building should have a non-traditional design. The decoration, used textures will be in line with "Thinking out of the box".
The current building is fine, for the time being. If we have the opportunity to make a new one, it should be a ultra-modern design. Also the presentation of services in the building has to be innovative or trying to be.
Keyword: transparant, multilayer, flexible, movement, light, open, central-point
Specific areas:
- reference area: one-to-one, no desk, all possible communication options available,
- central view point: with kind of ray/radiant view to other sectors
- special topics areas: 3-5 separate spaces: Consumer Health, Diseases, Drugs, Trials...
- Quickreference room: Do-It-Yourself, overview programs, presentations, collection
- Workshop/demo presentation space (large)
- "recreational" space
- Cubicles for specific target groups
- Historical medical images and imaging : special room
- not complete -;)

- Automatic welcome introduction
- As automatic chat message
- As audio welcome?
- Investigate: activate an audio message saying a librarian is available that any of us could turn off and on as we have time to volunteer (same as the ball?)
• Visitor registration script (Works already)
• Some more medical illustrations/art (suggestions?)

Promotion activities

a) Get the word out after the planning of the Ebsco sessions in:
• Messenger
• ?
b) Blog posts
c) Grand opening