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The Virtual Communities and Libraries Member Initiative Group meeting for the 2009 ALA Annual Conference – taking place in the hometown of ALA Headquarters: Chicago, IL! — will take place in real life on Saturday, July 11, 2009, at 3:00 pm CT (1:00 pm PT/SLT), at National Louis University, which is located at 122 S. Michigan Avenue. Meet the members of VCL MIG in the Second Floor Atrium.
Do you have friends going to Annual Conference who would like a chance to see what SL is like? IM Oberon Octagon if interested in attending an orientation session in the ALA HQ Training Room this Friday, July 10, 2009 at 10am or 2pm CT for a chance to see your avatar on a BIG screen. Get tips on using the SL viewer, see ALA Island, or just have a group together in one room for a dual-world chat.
There will be free Second Life Librarian ribbons for your badge from Tina Coleman (ALA Island’s Kay Tairov in Second Life) at the Membership Pavilion, Booth #3034, at McCormick Place, which opens tomorrow, July 11, at 8:45 am Central Time.
Pick up your free 2009 ALA Annual Conference T-Shirt for your avatar in-world at the Main Stage on ALA Island (130, 103, 31).
2009 ALA Annual Conference Kiosk and Free Avatar Conference T-Shirt Vendor on ALA Island
For news in-world, visit the VCL MIG Twitter Screen Area on ALA Island (131, 213, 28). Join one (or both) of the Second Life online communities on ALA Connect: Virtual Communities and Libraries, Second Life Users Group.
Next week, we’ll be posting a round-up of the Cognotes issues from conference and streaming in any podcasts or video captured at various events and programs.
Our first video is already up! Go to AL Focus Video Village on ALA Island (79, 44, 44) and watch the brief interview with Paula Poundstone before she appeared as a panelist just last night before a 500-strong all-librarian audience for this week’s live taping of the NPR radio quiz show, Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! The video is titled Paula Poundstone at Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me!
2009 ALA Annual Conference — Sessions discussing Second Life and other virtual worlds
Life After 2.0
Public Library Association (PLA, a division of ALA)
Saturday, July 10, 1:30 pm-3:00 om Central Time
Location: McCormick Place West in W-190b
Track: Digital Information & Technologies
What has become of the initial push for Web 2.0 technologies and services in public libraries? Which programs have been successful? What have we learned from the failures? Blogs, wikis, Second Life, and all things Library 2.0 will be considered against the backdrop of librarian/patron satisfaction. Join our panel of Web 2.0 experts as they discuss what some libraries have done to measure the quality and impact of 2.0 services.
Speakers: Lori Bell, Director of Innovation, Alliance Library System, East Peoria, Ill.; Helene Blowers, Director of Digital Strategy, Columbus (Ohio) Metropolitan Library; Meredith Farkas, Head of Instructional Initiatives, Kretzberg Library, Norwich University, Vt.; Jed Moffitt, Moderator, Associate Director, Information Technology Systems, King County (Wash.) Library System; Michelle Springer, Project Manager, Digital Initiatives, Library of Congress, Washington, DC
Giving Maps a Second Life with Digital Technologies
Map and Geography Round Table (MAGERT)
Saturday, July 11, 3:30 pm-5:30 pm Central Time
Location: Hyatt Regency McCormick in Conf. Ctr. 23
Track: Digital Information & Technologies
Please join the Map and Geography Round Table (MAGERT) in welcoming Mr. David Rumsey of Cartography Associates who will be presenting a program entitled Giving Maps a Second Life with Digital Technologies. In this program, Mr. Rumsey will show how his increasing use of digital technologies and the Internet over the past decade has transformed his work as a historical map scholar and collector. Using imaging software, GIS, and popular applications like Google Earth and Second Life, Rumsey has given new life to old maps, both in their dissemination and our ability to analyze and understand them, thereby unlocking the information held in maps for use in a wide range of disciplines. He will discuss and demonstrate how he offers these software tools and a growing number of digitized maps themselves on his free public online map library at www.davidrumsey.com.
Web 2.0 meet the Standards for 21st Century Learner
American Association of School Librarians (AASL, a division of ALA)
Sunday, July 12, 10:30-12:00
Location: McCormick Place West in W-187
Track: Digital Information & Technologies
The panel will demonstrate five Web 2.0 tools, highlighting the features that support our new standards. At tables, groups will brainstorm and develop how these tools can be used to support inquiry learning and report out. The moderator will record these ideas in a wiki designed for future growth. We hope to be able to share this session with 2.0-style—Ustream and have others Twitter in. As a wrap up, we may go into Second life and discuss the same tools with some librarian around the country/world (pre-arranged).
Presenters: Joyce Valenza, Pam Berger, Wendy Stephens, Christopher Harris, Lisa E Perez, Jeff Hastings, and Robin Williams
Making Virtual Reality-Based Library Services Real for K-12 Teachers & Librarians
American Association of School Librarians (AASL, a division of ALA)
Sunday, July 12, 3:30 pm-5:30 pm Central Time
Location: McCormick Place West in W-175b/c
Track: Administration & Leadership; Collaboration
This program will identify and share effective professional development technologies; best practices in using a virtual reality environment to deliver professional library services; information about effective practices in administering a virtual-reality based library services program. Using Second Life, the technology and its uses will be discussed highlighting the benefits to networking, resource identification and professional development. The Chicago Public Schools Department of Libraries Second Life Project will be used to demonstrate from the project planning to implementation. This program will also discuss the future of multi-user virtual reality environments, including information on other current virtual reality environments, development of education grids, interoperability with other Web 2.0 technologies, and open
standard development.
Speakers: Lisa Perez; Christie Thomas
My Avatar Will Contact Your Avatar: Virtual Worlds, Real Opportunities
Library Leadership and Management Association (LLAMA, a division of ALA), Systems and Services Section (SASS)
Monday, July 13, 8:00 am-10:00 am Central Time
Location: McCormick Place West in W-178a
Track: Administration & Leadership; Leadership & Management
Virtual worlds are creating a new strain of librarianship, with its own set of opportunities and affordances. The number of virtual worlds and the overall citizenship of virtual worlds continue to increase. Many libraries are developing services and collections in virtual worlds. Sooner or later all libraries will need to make a decision about virtual worlds. In this program, we will explore the following questions: What are the trends and developments in virtual worlds, such as Second Life, Lively, Qwaq, Teen Second Life, and Whyville? How are they being used by libraries and library-related organizations? What factors should libraries consider in deciding whether or not to develop a virtual world presence? What is the future of librarianship in virtual worlds? What resources and skills are needed to start and sustain a virtual world library presence?
Speakers: Lori Bell, Alliance Library System; Tom Peters, TAP Information Services; Kathryn Robinson, Orange County Library System
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