Virtual Worlds Interest Group

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Charge: An opportunity for academic librarians with virtual world interests and responsibilities to have a place in ACRL to network, share information, ask questions, and work on special projects and programs relevant to academic libraries.
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ACRL Virtual Worlds Interest Group (ACRL VWIG) joint meeting, Midwinter Conference. Dallas, January 22, 2012 Meeting Summary for ALA Connect 

Jan 25, 2012 11:57 AM

ACRL Virtual Worlds Interest Group (ACRL VWIG) joint meeting, Midwinter Conference.  Dallas, January 22, 2012
Meeting Summary for ALA Connect

Meeting video from Second LIfe with voice, taken by Miguel Mimoso Correia (Clark Abismo in SL):  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQ8bveIh330&feature=youtu.be

Photos from the Second Life meeting will be uploaded.

The ALA Midwinter joint meeting of the ALA VCL MIG (Virtual Communities and Libraries Member Interest Group) and the ACRL VWIG  (Virtual Worlds Interest Group) in Dallas was convened in Dallas by Valerie Hill, incoming convener of the ACRL VWIG.   The joint meeting of the virtual worlds two interest groups had a virtual connection with participants in the virtual world of Second Life through Valerie's avatar's presence in Second Life.  In Second Life there were 25 in attendance.  In Dallas there were a few in the room.  

The ALA VCL MIG held a pre conference meeting on January 15 in Second LIfe which 23 people attended; this group also included members of the ACRL VWIG as the group’s have similar interests and overlapping membership.   Questions for the ALA liaison were prepared, and a list of potential program ideas was compiled in preparation for the ALA Midwinter Conference meeting.

One of the main topics for discussion at midwinter was a question and answer session with Tina Coleman (Kay Tairov in SL) about discontinuing ALA's Second Life Island.  The Island was not renewed in January, 2012 and it no longer exists.  Tina is the ALA liaison to the VCL MIG and has been the coordinator of ALA’s Second Life island.  Tina said that closing the island was not an easy decision to make.  She'd rather think of it as a postive; while we no longer have that space, ALA still believes in SL and what we're doing in virtual communities.  The money spent on the island can go to other projects.  She wants ALA to maintain a space (smaller than an island), possibly on Community Virtual Library's Info Island.  Member interest groups do not charge for memberships, so there few funds for projects.  We can do projects in Second Life that show what a member interest group can do, for example, the conferences and programs of the past.  We can also work through our ALA divisions to further interest and activity in Second Life and promote it as a meeting space.  She wants to hear from us about what we need, and how we are using the space and the resources.

The discussion then turned to many ideas for programs and events for both groups.    

Following a question from a member of the audience in Dallas, the librarians in Second LIfe provided examples of the work and projects they have done in Second Life, and the reiterated the value for professional development.  Below are some of the examples mentioned.  

  • SL is important for library school students; instructors are bringing groups into SL for programs, and training in virtual environments.
  • SL is a compelling platform for meetings and professional development, without the need for expensive travel.
  • other virtual worlds have many members also, eg. OpenSim has many educators working there; however, SL remains the most ubiqitous
  • immersive learning opportunties
  • many things are directed now to children, a new generation will expect virtual environments
  • Historical societies and groups do museum displays and immersive environments
  • Portuguese Center is developing
  • teaching how to use virtual worlds is important for librarians and educators
  • historical environments, eg., Antiquity Texas
  • Book exhibits, library collections
  • LIS students build interactive exhibits for sharing information in a virtual world
  • Future is now conference was an entire conference conducted in Second Life in 2010
  • Community Virtual Library, a non-profit organization with international membership from all types of libraries provides reference, exhibits, discussions, and collections
  • MLIS students visit and network with working librarians in SL
  • Archives and archivists present displays and programs
  • book discussions, live readings, exhibits
  • role play and historical libraries
  • university courses and collaboration with faculty
  • library conferences, professional development are increasingly important with travel expenses high
  • presenting research and reviewing articles in international journal clubs
  • interactive exhibits on various topics
  • theater, acting, storytelling
  • museum exhibits and collections



Membership summary:

Second Life groups:  (Note:  these are groups within the virtual world of Second Life and do not necessarily reflect membership in ALA or ACRL)

ACRL in SL:      116
ALA VCL MIG:  110
ALA SL-Events: 431
Librarians of Second Life:  813
Second Life Library 2.0    1568

ACRL VWIG membership (per ACRL site):  207

Meeting Summary for 2011:

The ACRL in SL group had program meetings in Second Life in September, October, November and December 2011.  Meetings were also held during ALA midwinter and annual conferences.




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