SLA in Virtual Worlds

Register for the SLA Virtual Annual Conference

In her Executive Connections blog today, Janice Lachance revealed the secret promotional code necessary to get the $50 dollars off the $200 registration fee.

The code is SLA10V.  Click here to register.

Use this code and register between today and June 4, 2010.

Click here to read Janices' blog  http://slaconnections.typepad.com/executive_connections/2010/05/register-now-with-secret-code-and-save-50-on-virtual-conference.html

Virtual Worlds and Virtual Events Article

Virtual Worlds Advisory Council member Scott Brown (RL Steven Source) wrote an article for the Access-Information newsletter.  He sets the stage at the begining. "Virtual worlds (2D and 3D virtual environments where people interact through characters or “avatars”) are growing and evolving at a rapid pace, and splitting out into a variety of uses, including TV, fashion, music, sports, socializing, education and gaming. "

In the section on Libraries and and Second LIfe, Brown writes "Libraries and library associations are using virtual worlds, particularly Second Life, in a variety of ways. Both ALA and SLA are active in virtual worlds. The most common usage is for events: presentations, lectures, panel discussions and informal get-togethers.   Click here to read the complete article.

Click here to read the entire article.

RezLibris Covers Align in 09--SLA's Virtual World Advisory Council

  The avatars of the SLA VWAC met recently at the SLA site in Second LIfe to plan futue event and the future of the SLA site.

SLA Virual World Advisory Council members Cindy Hill and Christy Confetti HIggins wrote an article for RezLibris, the magazine for librarians (a virutal monthly magazine) in the, October edition.  The article includes the background on the Virtual World Activsory Council and the SLA Align in 09 initiative.  Click here to read the article.

RezLibris Covers Library Buzz

RezLibris, the Magazine for Librarians in Second Life covered SLA's first sponsored Library Buzz in the September issue.  "SLA Hosts Library Buzz on Social Networking Tools" by Sifriya Devins covers the June 30 session that Scott Brown (RL Steven Source) did on Social Networking tools.  The article includes a link fo Scott's slides.

"Brown’s session took the corporate view of marketability and applied it to the same community building needs of the library. By taking advantage of the multiple social networking tools available, Brown insists that a library’s levels of “presence and accessibility” within a community can be greatly increased. As a method of support, Brown noted that Twitter by-passed the New York Times and Wall Street Journal in overall site visitors throughout 2009."

Note:  The next SLA Buzz Session will be Thur, September 24, "The Brand is You".

Cindy Hill to recieve John Jacob Astor Award

The SLA Blog announced that Cindy Hill, past SLA president and current chair of the SLA Virtual Worlds Council, will recieve the John Jacob Astor Award   Awarded annually by the Checkpoint Charlie Foundationi n cooperation with the Continuing Education Initiative for Special Research Libraries and Related Institutions, the award enables Germans or Americans who have made a special contribution to transatlantic knowledge transfer to come to Berlin to participate in a professional meeting on the latest developments in the field.

Congratulations, Cindy!

http://slablogger.typepad.com/sla_blog/2009/05/past-sla-president-cindy-hill-to-receive-john-jacob-astor-award.html

How do you get there from here?--SL Library Directory

Sometimes getting the last few meters can be the hardest part of navigating in Second Life.  If you have a SLURL (Second Life URL) or a friend/group member who is will to teleport you to a site, then you may not have a problem.  However, if you are trying to find a specific site on a particular sim then you may be in trouble.     The Second Life search capability seems to be a hit or miss proposition.

If you are trying to find a library related site, try out the SL Directory of Libraries and Organizations:

  http://infoisland.org/directory/

The site offers a quick alphabetical list, a complete directory, a browse by type and a browse by sim.  ALA has its own sim so you could find it that way.  However, SLA has space in Cybrary City so a sim search will not work.  If you search under Professional Organization, you can find it with the following information:

Name:	Special Libraries Association
Type:	Professional Organization
Sim:	Cybrary City II
SLURL:	http://slurl.com/secondlife/Cybrary%20City%20II/59/100/22
Contact:	Jillianna Suisei (SL) / Jill Hurst-Wahl (RL)
Description:	In-world location for the Special Libraries Association
URL:	http://wiki.sla.org/display/SLASECONDLIFE/Home

 

Join our group in SL

The Special Libraries Association has a group in Second Life called "Special Libraries Assoc. in SL".  (Okay, not the most creative group name, but descriptive.)  The group is open to anyone.  You can search in Second Life to find the group, then join it.  Why join?  The biggest benefit is that we can easily send notices to you of upcoming SLA events in Second Life, including formal and informal training events, socials, and more.  We'll also use the group to announce opportunities to help us introduce Second Life to more SLA members.

So, the next time you're in Second Life, look up our group and join us! 

SLA in SL part of Abram's Top 10 Who Would Have Thought

We made 2 of the top 13 list!

From an email that SLA President Stephen Abrams sent out on the Seattle Planner's Discussion List

Let me add my thanks too.

It was an awesome conference and I got compliments on your behalf every day and often.

Who would have thought a few years ago when you started that we would have:

2.  Machinima at the Opening Session

8.  Seeing the SLA Second Life site develop

SL to be discussed as option for SLA virtual membership

Pat Alderman's initial thought of considering SLA in SL as a venue to be considered as a virtual chapter will be one of many topics the SLA Board of Directors will be discussing during their brainstorming for innovation session. It will be interesting to see where that leads. I'm sure Stephen Abram and others on the Board will keep us all informed.
Richard

Welcome to SLA's Second Life initiative!

SLA President Stephen Abram wants more SLA members to get involved in social networking tools and Web 2.0.  In January (2008), he launched several workgroups including the Second Life Workgroup.  The Second Life (SL) workgroup is comprised of a growing number of SLA members who want to introduce SL to other members of the Association.  Many in the group also see this as a way of increasing their own knowledge about SL.

The group is involved in three activities:

• Publishing -- Write articles and blog posts that will inform SLA members about Second Life, provide information on library and related activities in SL, and encourage them to explore the virtual world along with instruction for doing so.  The first article produced by the team will be in the June issue of Information Outlook.
• Training --Provide training opportunities for SLA members concerning Second Life.
• Creating Our In-world Environment -- Create an SLA presence in SL, so that SLA members have a place to go that is familiar in content.  The team has secured a space in Second Life for SLA.  If you have an SL avatar, you can teleport to our location by using the Second Life URL: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Cybrary%20City%20II/64/101/21     

Our goal is to touch SLA members in as many ways as possible with information about Second Life and the activities that special librarians are engaged in there.  While we hope that every SLA member will venture into SL, we know that will not occur, so we'll have events and information outside of SL that everyone can tap into and learn from.

We do see this as an activity that we last after Stephen's term as president. Our hope is to have activities in Second Life for SLA's Centennial.  Perhaps we could hold our own "Veranda Conference" in Second Life!

If you are interested in volunteering on this workgroup, please contact me, Jill Hurst-Wahl, at hurst {at} hurstassociates.com.  If you want to contact me in-world, my avatar is Jillianna Suisei (although I'll see the email more quickly).  We welcome every SLA member who wants to be involved!