There’s also space for discussions and readings, gallery spaces, gardens, gathering places, and much more. For those shy about their French (points to self) there are language-switchers placed throughout the library to help make the experience that much more enjoyable.Get Your Lit On
When I was new to SL, I discovered the Library of Illumination, a beautiful building housing Dickens, T.S. Eliot, Virginia Woolf and other classics. With lovely polished carved wood textures and a lush red velvet couch, the Library of Illumination was a kind of second home for me (literally, in my early days I tried to set it as my home). The reading rooms were elegant and fostered great discussions. And, one evening, while flipping through the display of the original illustrations for Alice In Wonderland, a flashmob of librarians descended, roaming the library for literary nuggets. Alas, the Library of Illumination closed some time ago, and I’ve missed it ever since. Inspired by my experience there, I’ve gone searching for a new place to haunt, and SL has many distinctive offerings. I hope you enjoy exploring them as much as I did.
All of the libraries I toured are virtual-only and a lot of the libraries I explored are part of the Alexandrian Free Library System. Among those are the smaller network of Caledonian Libraries under the direction of JJ Drinkwater. The source for texts is, typically, the Gutenberg project…an online database of free and public domain books, poems, documents, plays, etc.
R.F. Burton Public Library at Babbage Canals
R.F. Burton was an explorer and diplomat in the early-mid 1800s. It is fitting, then that this library focus not just on Steampunk (this being Babbage, after all) but also exploration and vintage erotica. One of Burton’s most famous acts was to bring the Kama Sutra from India to the Western world. So next time you’re in the Congress of the Cow, you know who to thank…
As for the library, the R.F. Burton Library has a varied, interesting, and seemingly endless collection of literary offerings. The first floor is open, welcoming, and offers primarily nonfiction. Amenities include a cozy seating area around the fireplace (complete with wearable book) and a gigantic tree equipped with climbing and lounging poseballs. The second floor, more of an open gallery with a few shelves, offers a hodgepodge of burlesques and classics like Camille. The third floor is an extensive collection of fiction, drama, and poetry. Yeats, Shakespeare, Jack London, Dickens. The third floor also boasts a sliding panel that reveals a little hidden room with a seance table, tarot cards, and other Objects of Mystery. The balcony has a great view of Babbage Canals, to refresh the eyes after all that reading.
Caledon Libraries
Caledon
Under the direction of JJ Drinkwater
The Caledon Libraries are part of the Alexandrian Free Library system. Caledon offers a dizzying number of beautiful libraries, each with a different emphasis (science, exploration, technology, etc). Caledon, as with Babbage, is a Steampunk/Victorian community, so it follows that they focus their collections on Victorian and Antiquarian books. The Caledon Libraries host regular poetry discussions, storytelling, and readings. Currently on display at The Whitehorn Library is a lovely exhibition on the history of bookbinding called “Bookbinding and What It May Lead To.” It’s a must-see for those interested in typography, history, or antiquaria, and an example of the lively community Caledon is building with this network of libraries.
The quirky and unpromisingly named Poetry URL Repository descibes itself as “poetry, verse, novels, guides for builders, Haiti, opera, traditional dress.” Mmmkay. At first blush, the repository feels much like that: a utlitarian hall of a smattering of public domain poetry collections and some reference books. But I had the distinct pleasure of attending the reading celebrating the launch of Apple, a much-needed magazine that consolidates all of the best readings and events for writers in SL. There, on the encircling couches, with the dulcet voice of SLamous poet Klannex Northmead (my favorite is the way he reads Carol Ann Duffy), the repository takes on a whole new life. There are plans to expand the collection, which has a British focus. I hope you check out this warm, friendly community place. Though best in full swing, it’s also a nice, contemplative place to settle in with your favorite classics. And pick up a copy of Apple while you’re there!
Who doesn’t want to spend an afternoon in SL browsing the shelves of an erotic library? Feeling frisky? Hop on over to the Library of Erotica, where you’ll find plenty of roaming hands and parting flesh to fire up your chilly SL nights. Complete with $1L posters for sale and cozy cuddle spots, the LOE not only has a huge collection of whatever makes you quiver, but a very user-friendly and seductive sim design. Each category of erotica has a separate building. The displays inside have a great way of getting notecards into your inventory. The displays are clear, sexy, and simple. One wishes a lot of libraries would take their cue from the LOE— garters and G-strings may not fit Dickens, but the ease of delivery and nicely displayed works make give us something a little extra to love. The LOE also sponsors an monthly erotic fiction contest with cash prizes, and an erotic writers’ group. What’s not to love? Or, at least, lust?
Not just for our French-speaking (and reading) friends, the Bibliotheque Francophone is an imaginative space with tons of features. Built for community use, it has innovative ways of interacting with readers. In the Welcome Center (Accueil) the walls are lined with images of books with arrows next to them. Click on the arrows, and you can read (and add) comments in an ongoing discussion about the books on display. It’s a nice way to bring readers together and spark conversation. There’s also a Haiku generator that spits out French Haiku in local at the touch of a mouse. The best—and most imaginative—feature I’ve found in an SL library yet is the fantastic Gutenberg Babel. The scripted tower alphabetcially indexes authors from the Gutenberg project and loads your reading choice directly into your browser. How to: http://vorblg.free.fr/dew/gut1.htm There are also spaces for discussions and readings, gallery spaces, gardens, gathering places, and much more. For those shy about their French (points to self) there are language-switchers placed throughout the library to help make the experience that much more enjoyable. Vive la France!
West of Ireland Library and Cultrual Center
Another of the Alexandrian Free Libraries, the West of Ireland Library and Cultural Center has a great collection, with a focus on Irish and English literature. A welcoming space, complete with a hangout spot, study desks and a reading area, the library is perfect for discussion and community activities. There are also resources around the library about history and symbolism in Ireland, and a donation box for War Child, a nonprofit that helps children of war all over the world. The collection here has some offerings I haven’t found elsewhere in Second Life, including a in-depth paper on T.S. Eliot and a copy of The Book of Kells. An elegantly conceived library, I look forward spending long hours here, browsing the shelves and enjoying the readings.
If the future of the library is a virtual one, then the libraries I visited are a hopeful sign that the written word won’t be lost, only digitized. I’m deeply impressed by the librarians who manage these collections. I hope they invite me to their next flashmob.
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