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.