New Book: Virtual Worlds, Real Libraries

Hot off the press -- scheduled release, Oct. 2008.

Bell, Lori, and Rhonda B. Trueman, eds. Virtual Worlds, Real Libraries: Librarians and in Second Life and Other Multi-User Virtual Environments. (Medford, NJ: Information Today, Inc., 2008).

See publisher.

See amazon.

Blurb:

Eighty percent of Internet users are expected to engage in some form of virtual world activity by 2011 (Gartner Research Group), and librarians and educators are already there. This fascinating book — the brainchild of two pioneering virtual world librarians — is designed to help libraries and schools recognize the importance of multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs) and consider ways of getting involved as they proliferate.

The editors and 24 contributors describe library, educational, and cultural projects they have undertaken. They recount their experiences working together to succeed in Second Life and other virtual worlds and explain how traditional library services such as reference, teaching, collections, discussion groups, and young adult programs can be applied in a virtual environment.

Setting Up a Library or Museum in Second Life

UIUC GSLIS (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Graduate School of Library & Information Science) with the Alliance Library System are offering the following two, new, non-credit course to be held in the virtual world of Second Life.

Setting up Your Library or Museum in Second Life

• "This course is intended for those interested in creating their library or museum presence in SL. Each participant will be lent a small plot of land on which to develop a prototype for their SL library or museum. Instructors will focus on the information, skills, and SL utilities necessary to accomplish that task. Participants will also be given the opportunity to reinforce their learning through hands-on experiences that will result in a model for their SL library."


• Wednesdays, October 22, 29, November 5, 12, 19 and 26 from 4:00 - 6:00 pm SL (U.S. Pacific) time.


• Instructors include Krull Aeon, Daisyblue Hefferman, and Sonja Morgwain.


• For more information, contact the in-word group: UIUC-GSLIS.

Intro to Museums in Virtual Worlds

• "What is it like to work as a museum professional in the virtual world of Second Life (SL)? What skills and knowledge are needed? What resources are available? This is a hands-on course that will introduce you to building collections and exhibits in Second Life, to planning programs and events, and to the skills needed for the 21st century museum professional in a virtual world."


• Mondays, October 27, November 3, 10, 17 from 5:00 - 7:00 pm SL (U.S. Pacific) time.


• Instructors include John Walber from Learning Times, librarian Rhonda Trueman, consultant Tom Peters and Consultant John Howard.


• For more information, contact the in-word group: UIUC-GSLIS.

Kuna Panama Indian Art, Illustrated Lecture

Mola Art among the Kuna People of Panama
Illustrated Lecture in SL
Saturday September 27
3:00 pm SLT
Museum of Music

An illustrated lecture -- "Mola Art and Aesthetics among the Kuna People of the Republic of Panama: a Unique Native American Art Form" -- will be presented by Nexus Dot, on Saturday September 27, at 3:00 pm SLT, in the Museum of Music in Second Life. Abbey Zenith and the Museum of Music are hosting the presentation.

The Kuna people of the Republic of Panama have created a unique sort of Native American art using the reverse applique technique. A selection of these art works called Molas will be displayed and available to the participants attending the program.

Nexus collected the Molas and will be the primary presenter of the illustrated lecture that will take us on a journey through this culture and art. Rusalka Nemeth, who visited the Kuna tribe, will also share some of her experiences.

Send an IM to Brianna Beresford or Abbey Zenith in-world for more information regarding the program.

To view the Mola collection in an exhibit organized by Brianna Beresford, visit the Tranquil Textile Museum in Second Life.

ANTH theories in NY Times article describe micro-blogging

The link to the following article has been circulating around Second Life:

Thompson, C. (2008, September 5). "Brave New World of Digital Intimacy." New York Times Magazine. Retrieved September 7, 2008, from http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/07/magazine/07awareness-t.html

The online New York Times Magazine article uses anthropological and other social science theories to describe some of the micro-blogging, or social networking, services that have become so popular recently.

Those services allow people to publish a constant stream of activities, thoughts, and photos in the world-wide-web through computers and now also through mobile phones for their friends and sometimes even strangers to view from moment to moment. They are like instantaneous diaries, not only day by day, but moment by moment, instant by instant: incessantly.

A link from the article (p. 1, widget) takes us to the article author Thompson's own "pomeranian99" Twitter page, for example.

Principally, the article describes these popular tools: Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr. The article, furthermore, mentions some other micro-blogging tools: Tumblr and Dopplr; it also mentions the location tracking software Loopt for iPhone.

While written in a lively manner for popular circulation, the article (pp. 2-5) refers to a number of anthropological and social science theories:

• “co-presence”, as formulated by the Japanese cultural anthropologist ("sociologist") Mizuko Ito.


• "modern American disconnectedness", as formulated by USA political scientist Robert Putnam.


• Dunbar's number, a "hard-wired upper limit on the number of people [any person] can personally know at one time", as formulated by British social anthropologist Robin Dunbar.


• "parasocial relationships" as described by USA social scientist Danah Boyd.


• "college-age users reacting to the world of awareness", as studied by University of Maryland sociologist Zeynep Tufekci.

The article (p. 2) also uses the catch-phrase "ambient awareness", referred to as a "social science theory". Is it?

A note (p.1) tells us that a version of this online article "appeared in print on September 7, 2008, on page MM42 of the New York edition".

Thanks to Sarasvati Kohime for circulating the link to the article through the "SL Researchers" group in Second Life.

Bukowski Discussion Published Online

The discussion led by Tom Bukowski in SL at the American Anthropologist Virtual Campus, last week, has been published online:

"Coming of Age in Second Life": Transcript of a Discussion led by Tom Bukowski

Tom Bukowski in SL is Tom Boellstorff in RL, the Editor-in-Chief of the American Anthropologist. He is the author the ground-breaking study, Coming of Age in Second Life: an Anthropologist Explores the Virtually Human (Princeton University Press, 2008).

The discussion was held in the amphitheater of the American Anthropologist Virtual Campus, Anteater Island, in SL.

Champlain College & CC International

The Champlain College campus in Second Life has an open group — CC International — attached to it. Membership in this group is open to everyone, and it gives us certain privileges. Furthermore for anyone visiting the campus, there is a display of multimedia solutions for education and presentations in SL.

As members of the group — CC International — we may apply to use the campus classrooms for our own teaching and meetings.

People can join the group by clicking a sign in the campus sandbox after this Sunday. Until then, just ask a group member to send an invitation (you can ask me: Sky Light).

Some things are available to everyone, whether group members or not. Anyone can look into the various buildings to find classrooms, conference facilities, and an auditorium, which are well worth a visit to see. There are two public sandboxes: Public Sandbox 1 and Public Sandbox 2.

And there is a display of multimedia solutions for education in SL, replete with instructions and demonstrations. You will find these in the "School Build and Class Area".

Find the campus teleporter, a bright blue square with red dots on the north perimeter of college quad at landing.

China, RMB City

RMB City is potential for education in a number of fields — including cultural (social) anthropology. It is also a good example of the creative interfacing between real life and virtual worlds.

Designed by the Beijing-based, Chinese artist Cao Fei (China Tracy in SL), the RMB City can be used by educators to stimulate thought about China and furthermore about globalization. Conceived as a metaphor by an artist, it is not overtly didactic. So, it could foster some individual reflection among students as well some lively group discussions.

RMB City will be constructed within three months. The city's grand opening is scheduled for October 2008; and the city will then remain in place for two years, until October 2010.

Already, we can use the resource in SL — and everyone can on the WWW.

Now in SL:

• The RMB City Preview Center, opened July 26, 2008 — a floating building from which we may watch the construction taking place — and where we may learn about the city through videos, photos, and text.

• A group that we can join for updates, "Friends of RMB City".

For everyone on the WWW:

• The RMB City project website — where a vivid picture of a model of the city is currently available for all to see.
  
  The project website should be finished next month, August 2008 (or so I've been told during my visit to the Preview Center).



• The Serpentine Gallery website — which will be publishing updates about the gallery's videos and perhaps even some live feeds about the construction and then the grand opening in SL.
  
  To coincide with the opening of the Preview Center in SL, an exhibit in the Serpentine Gallery was launched in London in real life last weekend: "Cao Fei: RMB City".
  
  With the Gallery's announcement, you will find two videos about the city.

RMB City, a set of evocative images, a metaphor: