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Teen Grid

Eye4You Alliance

Eye4You Alliance is the Teen Grid library project, founded by The Alliance Library System in East Peoria, Illinois. I interviewed real life librarian Kelly Czarnecki (Saryn Fanwood in Second Life) and teen developer Storm Basiat to learn more about how Eye4You Alliance is redefining libraries for digital natives.

Claudia Linden (CL): How did the idea first arise to create a library on the Teen Grid of Second Life?

Saryn Fanwood (SF): The Alliance Library System sent out a letter of what they were doing on a listserv that I was on. I saw that they wanted to try something on the Main Grid (MG) first and see how it went and then try the Teen Grid (TG). Since I work with teens in RL, I thought I wanted to start right away and see how we could get this going on the TG. I'm a librarian so naturally I thought of having a library on the TG.

CL: I know your goal is for teens to create the programs and services. I really appreciate that goal and believe it is a critical success factor for projects that intend to include teens from the teen-only Teen Second Life. Can you talk a little about your goal and how it's working for you?

SF: Sure. One of the reasons we are here as a library is to hopefully create something that is relevant to teens. I don't know that we've necessarily been successful with that in real life (RL) so we thought that in coming to Second Life it is really important to give a lot of the ownership to the teens and have them decide what it is they would like to see happen. So far it seems to be working though the teens would be the ones to accurately answer that probably. We are working on getting more adults on the Island since we aren't able to be on as much as we like because of our RL jobs. But the teens have been very enthusiastic and very helpful.

CL: How many hours a day would you say you are spending in Second Life?

SF: I would say about 3...I spend more on the MG in meetings and trying to recruit people and let them know what we are doing. We have meetings every other week with the teens and we are waiting for a developer who will be coming along to help us and work with the teens to develop the Island faster than we could by ourselves. We leave a lot of the programs and events to the teens but as more adults come on, we will all be working together more often on everything.

CL: What's the most significant lesson you've learned since you first started the project?

SF: That I'm always learning...and the teens are smarter than me (but I knew that already!). It's different to manage people virtually than it is in RL but there are similarities too. I enjoy the teamwork and the spirit since most of us are volunteers and do this because we want to be here.

CL: Speaking of the virtual/RL differences in working with teams: How did the plan change once you received your island and started work on the project? Has it been pretty close to what you imagined, or has it changed a lot from your original vision?

SF: I'd say changed a lot but then we're still in the developing stages. There's a big difference too from working on the MG in terms of waiting for background checks and such but we do think the background checks are important and should be in place. It just takes a bit longer. It's easier to recruit people on the MG.

CL: Are you working mostly with volunteers?

SF: Yes, some paid staff though from their own library systems. I get 2.5 hours a week that my job covers and I spend way more than that in working with people to communicate about our project and such.

CL: So it's definitely a "labor of love."

SF: Yep-absolutely

CL: I have a question about team work. I know you have partners. Eye4you Alliance is a collaboration between the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library (TSCPL) and the Alliance Library System (ALS) in East Peoria, Illinois. So you are collaborating with a library system in another state. In addition, you've partnered with groups like the New York City-based Lower East Side Girls Club. What are the challenges of working with partners and how are you solving them?

SF: We don't have a partnership with Topeka & Shawnee County--they have a separate Island. We will probably partner with them for events but they are not here with us. SirsiDynix is sponsoring us along with the Alliance Library System and the Lower East Side Girls Club is working with us as well--yes.

SF: So far, working with partners is great but then again, I wouldn't necessarily say we've gotten into the thick of things with working with all of them. Alliance is wonderful in providing staff time, the island itself, and a lot of publicity. SirsiDynix will be joining us very soon in-world.

CL: How is it going working with the Lower East Side Girls Club...I notice they have their own space here.

SF: Yes the teens built it. The leader of the group is very busy in RL and on the main grid. He is trying to introduce it to the girls in RL and they are working toward it...

CL: How do you anticipate Eye4You Alliance being used locally in libraries?

SF: I would love if libraries could have it available on their public computers so that teens could log in and use it. We could plan events just like we do other library programs and they could access it from the library or at home. Partnering with other libraries would be great too as more hopefully come into Second Life.

CL: What about your own library? Will you be doing events there to introduce it?

SF: We have it available on laptops and are trying to make it available at other branches. There are 24 in the system. It's just been kind of slow going because of the updates and installs but we have a very supportive IT staff and director to help make it happen. Every time teens walk by and see Teen Second Life on a screen or laptop at the library, they are very interested.

CL: I know you started in October, 2006, right? Are you planning an official opening?

SF: Probably yes--after the developer has completed I imagine! We want a welcome day and a grand opening.

CL: Do you have any wise counsel to offer other people beginning projects on the Teen Grid?

SF: Don't give up! And believe in what you're doing--some people might not 'get it' but that doesn't matter--there are a lot who do, and the listservs and teens themselves are very supportive. The teens that have been involved so far have shown us that we are probably reaching a population that we wouldn't normally be able to reach at a RL library and that is what helps keep us going as well.

CL: You made an interesting statement: the teens are smarter than you. Can you talk about that a little?

SF: Yes--well just the other day, Storm wanted to set up Moodle and we emailed back and forth until I understood and got it to work. Well, this is outside of SL of course, but it is part of what we want to use to communicate for classes and events in SL and we rely on them a lot for their advice and experience. We don't say yes to everything though :)

CL: Is there anything you'd like to share about what's on the horizon?

SF: We have an author that should be coming on anytime, Marc Aronson, who writes for teens. He has a set of books coming out in April and is very excited about the Teen Grid of Second Life. There is a music performer that is interested in coming this weekend. We are trying to work with Global Kids for Teen Tech Week in the beginning of March and the developer should be on very soon as well. Those are the major things we have going and several teachers will be on board soon.

CL: Excellent. How did you choose a developer?

SF: We went to the MG, and with Lori from the Alliance Library system had several meetings and chose the developer that we thought would have the most teen appeal, was reasonable in cost, and most importantly was interested in working with the teens for their vision.

CL: Thanks. I look forward to the grand opening, and the Teen Tech Week events.

Claudia Linden (CL): Storm, how did you get involved with the project?

Storm Basiat (SB): Well just after it opened I came along to the island and saw Fleet. I asked him and he said we will be having a meeting with Kelly and to come along to that. I then sent a small application telling them what I want to do and I asked for Estate Manager rights so I could clean up the sim because auto return is off. And then i just kept asking for different stuff and things I wanted to do.

CL: So would you say you are a teen developer?

SB: Yes and an educator

CL: How many of you have been helping build here?

SB: Well me and Jon Daikon are the most active but overall there are about four.

CL: Who are the others involved?

SB: Sean Marsi is helping with AT Design. We have given land to them for their campus.

CL: What's AT Design?

SB: AT Design is the largest school in TSL with over 100 students. It's here on Eye4You Alliance and also on Leviathan in Teen Second Life.

CL: What kinds of classes? You say it has 100 students? And what does AT stand for?

SB: Scripting and Building and Designing. I think it stands for Aron and Tyler Ferland

CL: Who founded AT Design?

SB: Aron Andric

CL: Saryn was saying that one of the goals of Eye4You is to give teens ownership...are they succeeding in that? What do you think?

SB: Yes we are :) We are taking over the sim! Although we always ask before we do things.

CL: When's the last time you went to a library in first life?

SB: School library around one month ago and Public Library around five years ago.

CL: Five years, that's great.

SB: I use wikipedia!

CL: Yes, interesting to see wikipedia changing the role of RL libraries...How many hours a day do you spend here on the Teen Grid...

SB: Around 8 hours on a school day and when I'm off school around 12.

CL: Impressive.

SB: I hope you don't laugh...sometimes longer.

CL: No, not at all. I spend pretty significant hours in here myself.

SB: It's always on my brain as my mum says.

CL: Yes, it's like another layer of real life. I don't call it virtual. It's very real...just situated in a strange new place called cyberspace. The more time you spend here, the worlds blend.

SB: Yep, I agree

CL: How long have you been on the Teen Grid?

SB: One year on the 15th of April.

CL: I'd be interested in seeing what you're building here...You worked on the Girls Club project didn't you?

SB: Yes I did. I don't want to start on much yet till we have the devs over although I did come up with a design for AT. I used two buildings and edited it a bit.

CL: Did you work with the Girls club staff in NY to come up with this design?

SB: Yes, some of the Girls Club staff helped with things.

CL: Great...so you are getting it started.

CL: What do you enjoy doing here the most, Storm?

SB: Just talking to teens and hosting events

CL: Give me an example of an event you've hosted...

SB: I've done Meet & Greet and some building events.

CL: How does Meet & Greet work?

SB: You just invite teens to come along and they talk to each other and meet new friends and show each other their builds.

CL: How often do you hold Meet & Greet events?

SB: I'm hoping to do them every other week

CL: What would your advice be to adults starting out with projects on the Teen Grid? What can help their projects to succeed?

SB: To be on Second Life a lot and support the teens helping--that's the main thing--and listen to them.

CL: Great advice. Thanks, Storm!

Visit the Eye4You Alliance blog for more on what they are doing on Teen Grid.