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October 24, 2008
Kickoff: JJ Jacobson and The Alexandrian Free Library
JJ Jacobson is a University of Michigan alumnus of the School of Information who is, perhaps, better known as Sir JJ Drinkwater, Knight of Caledon and Head of the Alexandrian Free Libraries, a chain of libraries associated with the Caledon historical sims in Second Life.
Sir Drinkwater extended regrets due to an unavoidable last minute conflict, and offered these words.
"In the virtual world of Second Life, libraries have become integral parts of many online communities yet still have a number of unique challenges. Some arise from the nature of the virtual environment, others from the fact that all our patrons are highly sophisticated computer users. This session describes the role of libraries in the Second Life, focusing on the Alexandrian Free Library System which is a consortium of community-based libraries operating in Second Life, including the communities of Caledon and Steelhead. Caledon is a large community where the library system resembles a real-life public library system with several neighborhood branches. Steelhead is a small town that recently decided to open its own public library. Using "images from the field" we show show the libraries' presence: how the libraries were created; how their online collections are selected and organized; and how their reference service, online exhibits, book groups, poetry readings, storytelling, and other activities have become an integral part of these online social networking communities."
Posted by pfa at October 24, 2008 07:56 PM