A Night with the Stars at the Info Archipelago

A Night with the Stars
Enjoy a night with the stars on Saturday, February 7, from 5-7 pm SLT as the Alliance Virtual Library Archipelago and RezLibris Magazine celebrate library and education achievements in the virtual world of Second Life during 2008! Award winners will receive the prestigious Golden Leaf award designed by Krull Aeon and enjoy music and dancing to the music of Gabrielle Riel of Riel Radio. The sparkling red carpet event will be held at the Crystal Ballroom at the Cinesphere, especially designed for this special event on Eduisland 4. If you would like to attend, please RSVP by Feburary 1 to Lorelei Junot in world or by email lbell927@gmail.com. Space is limited. Formal attire is requested.

Rez Libris will host a pre-party cocktail hour from 4 - 5 pm SLT at their office on Cybrary City at the RezLibris office http://slurl.com/secondlife/Cybrary%20City/164/133/24. There will be dancing, music and refreshments.

Second Life is many things, but ultimately it is about the cultivation of creativity expressed in multiple forms to attract, enchant, inform and educate its residents. The evidence of this is everywhere. The untold hours devoted to the AVL may go unrecognized. That is about to change. The "Golden Leaf" award has been established to honor unique and innovative applications of library sciences, education, and the partners who support these efforts.

Virtual world continuing education courses for educators and librarians

UIUC GSLIS and Alliance Library System are pleased to offer a series of non-credit continuing education courses for librarians, educators, and others interested in libraries, museums, learning and teaching in virtual worlds such as Second Life. Classes available include: Second Life 101, Second Life 102, Virtual World Librarianship, Setting Up an Educational Presence in Second Life, Working with a Class in Second Life, Setting up your Library or Museum in Second Life: An Applied Approach, Instructional Tools For Second Life, and a seminar on Virtual Worlds and Libraries seminar. Courses meet for 4-6 weeks and everyone is welcome! For more information and to register, go to http://www.lis.uiuc.edu/programs/cpd/VW/. For more information, contact Marianne Steadley at steadley@uiuc.edu, or call 217-244-3302. Course descriptions are on the website.

Virtual Communities and Libraries Member Initiative group meeting at mid-winter

The Virtual Communities and Libraries Member Initiative Group will be meeting onsite in Denver at the Auraria Library of the University of Colorado, Denver on Saturday January 24th at 3:00 pm (Denver time) / 2 pm SLT as well as inworld on the ALA Island. For those of you going to Midwinter the meeting number is 281554

Meeting Agenda
I. Welcome and introductions
II. Update
III. Update on AASL in SL - Lisa Perez
IV. Update on ACRL in SL - Rhonda Trueman
V. Update on LIS Educators group in virtual worlds
VI. Demonstration of Goweb3d virtual environment - Dave Elchoness
VII. Update on Library Technology Working Group with Media Grid - Jerome Yarovkovsky and Aaron Walsh
VII. Discussion of MIG activities at ALA annual conference
VIII. Update on Salon Huron weekly events in SL
IX. General discussion

Please contact Lori Bell at lbell927@gmail.com if you would like to go to dinner following
the meeting. That will give me a specific number and I can make reservations.

Directions
Address:

Room 245
Auraria Library (second floor)
1100 Lawrence St.
Denver, CO 80204

Here are directions for walking from the Convention Center to Auraria Library:

The campus is just west of the Convention Center, across Speer Boulevard (and Cherry Creek). There are a number of streets that cross Speer Boulevard and go over the Creek.

From the Convention Center, walk west on Champa , crossing Speer and over Cherry Creek. As soon as you cross Speer, turn slightly to the right into the central part of campus. You will see a church, St. Elizabeth. The church is on St. Francis Way (11th Street on Google Maps) and is a distinctive landmark. There are parking lots and a parking station that is usually staffed. The library is next to the church. It is a two story white building. Walk past the front of the church toward the library, you will be approaching the back of the library. Turn left after the church to get to the front of the library.


This is an easy walk or one could take the light rail.

link to directions and Google Maps: http://library.auraria.edu/info/maps/directions.html

Call for Papers: 2nd annual Virtual Worlds: Libraries, Museums and Education conference

Call for Presentation and Paper Proposals and Topics

The second annual "Virtual Worlds: Libraries, Education, and Museums (VW LEM)" Conference will be held in Second Life on Friday and Saturday, April 24 & 25, 2009.

Purpose of the Conference:To provide a gathering place for librarians, information professionals, educators, museologists, and others to learn about and discuss the educational, informational, and cultural opportunities of virtual worlds.
Please note: Although the conference will be held in the virtual world Second Life, presentation and paper proposals about LEM developments in other virtual worlds are encouraged.

Possible Topics for Presentations, Papers, and Participatory Events:· Virtual world events and exhibits as the drivers of attendance and engagement· Immersive learning environments· Reference service possibilities and practicalities in virtual worlds· Corporate and special librarianship in virtual worlds· Educational tools and resources· Enterprise uses of virtual worlds· Tours of LEM locations in Second Life· Gaming and virtual worlds· VW LEM opportunities for children, tweens, and teens· Dreams and visions for LEM activities in virtual worlds· Assessing LEM initiatives in virtual worlds
· Sustainability issues and opportunities for LEM activities in virtual worlds· Other topics pertinent to the broad topic of LEM activities in virtual worlds are welcome!

Send us your innovative proposals! If you have a topic you really would like to see addressed at this conference but don't know of a speaker who can address the topic, please send us the topic and we'll try to find a speaker.
Proposal Guidelines and Deadlines:· Each session will be 45 minutes long.· All sessions will begin on the hour.· All proposals are due by 5:00 p.m. SLT on Saturday, February 28, 2009.· Please send proposals to Tom Peters (tpeters@tapinformation.com) with "VW LEM proposal" in the subject line.·

For presentations, please send a paragraph about your proposed presentation, the intended audience, and any pertinent URLs or SLURLs.· For papers, please send an abstract of your paper.· Notification of acceptance will be sent by Friday, March, 2009.· Proposals from students and general citizens are welcome. You do not need to be a member of the LEM professions to present at this conference.
Conference Schedule (tentative):· Friday, April 24, 2009, from noon to 4:00 p.m. Second Life Time (U.S. Pacific Time):o
noon to 12:45 p.m.: Keynote Panel (no conflict)o
1:00 to 1:45 p.m.: First group of sessionso
2:00 to 2:45 p.m.: Second group of sessions
3:00 to 3:45 p.m.: Third group of sessions
4:00 to 4:45 p.m.: Social event·
Saturday, April 25, 2009 from 8:00 a.m. to noon Second Life Time (U.S. Pacific Time):o
8:00 to 8:45 a.m.: Keynote Panel (no conflict)o
9:00 to 9:45 a.m.: First group of sessionso
10:00 to 10:45 a.m.: Second group of sessionso
11:00 to 11:45 a.m.: Third group of sessions·

Note: Pre- and Post-Conference conversations, announcements, and documents will be available in the "Virtual Words: Libraries, Education and Museums" group in Facebook.Conference Sponsors:· Alliance Library System (http://www.alliancelibrarysystem.com/)· Talking Communities (
http://www.learningtimes.net)· TAP Information Services (http://www.tapinformation.com)

Conference Organizers:· Lori Bell (Lorelei Junot in Second Life) from the Alliance Library System: lbell@alliancelibrarysystem.com· John Walber (Wilbur Wood in Second Life) from Talking Communities: john@learningtimes.net · Hope Kandel (Rye Checchinato in Second Life) from Talking Communities: hope@learningtimes.net · Tom Peters (Maxito Ricardo in Second Life) from TAP Information Services: tpeters@tapinformation.com

STepping into Science in Virtual Worlds

Dear Educators:
Alliance Library System and LearningTimes are pleased to announce an exciting conference featuring science and virtual worlds. On January 30th we are "Stepping Into Science" and taking the day to explore the possibilities of using virtual worlds to learn about and teach science. The conference will be taking place entirely in Second Life and will feature a keynote and panel discussion as well as small breakout sessions, field trips and an opportunity participate in "Science Friday", NPR's live broadcast from Second Life

For more information and to register, click here:http://www.steppingintovirtualworlds.org/
Speakers and field trips will include:
- Troy McConaghy (Scientist and Educator who has been involved with Second Life for over three years)
- Dr. George Djorgovski (Caltech and Meta Institute for Computational Astrophysics (MICA))
- Joanna Scott (Writer for Nature and manages Second Nature on Second Life)
- Adrienne J. Gauthier, M.Ed. (Instructional Technology Specialist, Steward Observatory)
- Tony Crider (Elon University)

This online conference provides a great opportunity for anyone interested in exploring the latest in science education using 3D, immersive, virtual worlds.It is ideal for anyone who might be at any stage of implementing education projects using virtual worlds.There will be many opportunities to ask questions and discuss ideas with our speakers and guides as well as others attending the conference.Those new to Second Life are encouraged to attend! We'll even be offering Second Life orientations before the 30th so if you've been meaning to check out Second Life, but haven't quite gotten around to it this is a great and structured opportunity to learn about some fantastic projects and also take Second Life for a spin.

The conference will be held live online in Second Life on January 30th. The registration fee is $65 per person. (Group rates are available.)For more information on the conference, please visit:http://www.steppingintovirtualworlds.org/

Warm regards,Alliance Library System and LearningTimes

Please freely distribute this invitation to those you might thing would interested in attending!

Something New for 2009

2009 marks the start of a new discussion series on Info Island. Real Librarians in Second Life. Each month we will explore the diversity of library careers by having a librarian speak about their real life library jobs, experiences, and involvement in Second Life.

Biblio Latte, military librarian with over 20 years experience will kick off this series. She has worked in academic and post libraries all over the United States and been deployed to Hungary and Bosnia. This is an excellent opportunity for librarians and library students in Second Life to learn about different career paths and to ask questions.

Please join us at the Info Island Auditorium on January 20th, 2009 at 6:00 PM SLT (Pacific time) for the first of this exciting new series!

Certifcate Program in Virtual worlds

Announcement: Certificate Program in Virtual Worlds
The University of Washington's Information School, in partnership withUniversity of Washington Educational Outreach, is excited to announcethe start of a new certificate program in Virtual Worlds. The programis a series of three consecutive courses, each 10 weeks and 3 credits,the first of which begins on January 8th, 2009. The program continuesthrough the Summer quarter, completing August 27th, 2009. Enrollment isopen to graduate students, undergraduates, and working professionals.The classes will all meet weekly on Thursday evenings from 6-9pm SLT(PT). Students will participate synchronously in virtual environments.The first class session meets in Second Life; students will also havethe opportunity to explore different Virtual Worlds platforms in use ineducational and business domains. Classes will include a combination ofexperiences including lecture, guest speakers, "field trips", andhands-on interactive activities. Each course includes a unique focus ondifferent facets of the implementation and use of virtual environments,and each successive course builds on the concepts of the previous. Theprogram objectives include both practical application of virtual worldsand an increased academic insight. Non-matriculated students whosuccessfully complete the three consecutive courses will receive a UWEOCertificate in Virtual Worlds. For additional information or to register:http://extension.washington.edu/ext/certificates/vir/vir_gen.asp
Or contact:Kristi PalmerProgram Manager, Academic ProgramsUniversity of Washington Educational Outreach206.221.0299kpalmer@EXTN.washington.edu
Program information:The courses in this program will combine enrollments of workingprofessionals seeking to apply Virtual Worlds inline with professionaldevelopment, and matriculated graduate and undergraduate students fromthe University of Washington's Information School. Program information may be found:http://extension.washington.edu/ext/certificates/vir/vir_gen.asp
Admission requirements:Participation in the program is restricted to students who have a) completed at least one year of college- or university-level study, b) attained computer literacy and are able to download and installsoftware from a website, c) experience in the use of basic internet applications (e.g., e-mail,web browsers and search) and computer operating systems (e.g., Windows,Mac OS, and Linux), and d) a valid e-mail account for the duration of the program.
English Proficiency: Students who are non-native English speakers are expected to haveadequate English language proficiency. Recommended Second Life skills:In order to gain the most value from your initial experiences in thevirtual classroom, we recommend that you establish a Second Lifeaccount, create an avatar, and become familiar with some basic skills inSecond Life, including:* Ability to comfortably walk, sit, turn, fly, and teleport * Ability to control the SL camera view* Ability to change your avatar's appearance and dress * Ability to use Second Life communication tools including IM, textchat, and voice chatSystem requirements:
For general guidelines on system requirements, seehttp://secondlife.com/corporate/sysreqs.php
This program will rely on in-world voice chat; a headset with microphone is required for voice/audio participation.
Course information:Selecting and Using Virtual WorldsWinter Quarter Schedule: (10 sessions) Thursdays, 6-9 p.m. SLT, Jan. 8-March 12, 2009, $789. 3 credits. Reg # 97795
Instructor: Randy Hinrichs
Description:Apply and combine concepts, processes, issues and skills frominformation management techniques, technology design and digital cultureformation to virtual worlds. Requires understanding of 3D systemsconcepts, Web markup languages, and end-user programming tools. Studentsanalyze three virtual world platforms, examining design methods anduser-centric design for human-information interaction. This is an integrative course that provides problem-solving opportunities andhands-on development for information students, requiring utilization ofknowledge gained from previous information technology studies.

Designing and Building Virtual Worlds Spring Quarter Schedule: (10 sessions) Thursdays, 6-9 p.m. SLT, April 2-June 4, 2009, $789. 3 credits. Reg #97796
Instructor: Janice Cowsert Description:Examine and apply concepts, strategies, and skills related to the lifecycle of virtual world planning, design, and product development. Focus on concepts of usability, architectural design, knowledge management andurban community factors. This course involves conceptual frameworks indesign, graphic relevance, and social networking practices that ensurethe scalability, reliability, and availability of 3D immersiveenvironments. Emphasis us given to Internet-based services for storingand accessing information to be used in integrated virtual worlddevelopment. This is an integrative course that builds onproblem-solving techniques learned in the Winter course and examinescomprehensive factors for designing and building immersive informationplatforms, requiring utilization of knowledge gained from previousinformation technology studies and organizational experience.
Virtual Worlds Interactivity and Metrics
Summer Quarter Schedule: (10 sessions) Thursdays, 6-9 p.m. SLT, June 25-August 27, 2009, $789. 3 credits. Reg. #97797
Instructor: Randy Hinrichs
Description:Examine methods for interactivity and use evaluation techniquesinvolving human factors, cognition, gaming strategies, performancetracking and feedback systems that ensure the 'stickiness' and definedvalue in virtual worlds. Ensure strategies and tool selection processfor interactivity factors and evaluation methods. Focus on databasemanagement techniques and programming for storage, retrieval, networkbalance and transactional interchange. This is an integrative coursethat builds on design and delivery techniques learned in the Springcourse and examines comprehensive factors for creating interactivity andmetrics in immersive information platforms, requiring utilization ofknowledge gained from previous information technology studies and organizational experience.