How do you MUVE?

In this post I am going to talk about Multiple User Virtual Environments (MUVE). So what are some examples of MUVEs? Well they can be anything from things like Second Life to video games like Minecraft and Call of Duty. The defining feature of MUVEs is that they are Virtual places where people can meet and interact with other people in a Virtual environment. This definition is broad but within it there are Virtual Spaces that are more about meeting and getting to know other people, such as Second Life. There are others that focus mostly on playing a game with other people, such as Overwatch and Call of Duty. And then there is the middle ground ones like World of Warcraft and Minecraft which focus on meeting people and working together to play a game.

I personal have a lot of experience in MUVEs that focus on the games. I usually play the games that are more focused on completing objectives, such as Overwatch, but I have played a good amount of Minecraft and World of Warcraft. The reason that I have used MUVEs so much is that I am able to meet new people and make new friends. Additionally, I am able to keep in contact with friends that live far away from me. This past month I have spent about 5 hours a week hanging out with a friend that lives across the country from me by using MUVEs.

So how are libraries using MUVEs? Well that depends on the library but a lot of them don't really use MUVEs. However, the libraries that do are use MUVEs, such as Fairland County Public Library, Minecraft to help draw more patrons into the library as well as promote creativity in the patrons that already come. Of the libraries that use it, they all say that it is a positive thing for the youth to use there. The library I work at is currently thinking about adding a Minecraft server to the services they offer.

So what do you think? Should libraries use MUVEs or not?