Be sure to visit Info Island to keep up with all the exciting programs, services and exhibits. Saturday night January 6, pianist Louis Volare drew 60 people to the Pantheon Performance Center for a wonderful presentation. The art show at the gallery on Info Island I brought 59 people. The exhibition willl go through February. Please contact Abbey Zenith or Bucky Barkley for more information.

STATE LIBRARY OF KANSAS EXHIBIT

The State Library of Kansas has put together a January exhibit around our virtual building on Second Life promoting the state of Kansas for SL-ers who might happen by. January 29th will be the 146th anniversary of Kansas’ admission to the U.S. Union of states.

Among the items on display are satellite photos of various locations in Kansas, donated for the exhibit by a Fort Hays State University instructor who is also on Second Life. Photos of variuous aspects of Kansas life can be viewed with note cards providing resources for further information.

Stop by and take a look. The “SLURL” for the Kansas virtual library is: http://slurl.com/secondlife/CybraryCity/192/67/24

MySpace is Your Library’s Space! Reference, Programming and Promotion
Description: Walk behind a row of computers at any public library and what will you see on the screen? Myspace. This site has at various times been the most visited U.S. website and has captured nearly 80% of online social networking site visits. What does this mean for libraries? Join the Michigan Library Consortium’s virtual speaker series to learn about how sites like Myspace can serve as a resource for public libraries. Topics will include developing social networking policies, using Myspace as a promotional tool and information resource, and programming opportunities for libraries. This program will be held at the Cybrary City auditorium on Thursday January 11 at 6 pm sl.

Caldeon
The Caledon brqanch will inaugurate its new premises in Caledon VictoriaCity with an art exhibit. “En Plein Air: the Plein Air painting of Kris Shanks will run through March, 2007. The opening party for the exhibit will be January 14th, 5-8pm SLT. The artist, KrisShanks Tadanori, will be present to discuss the paintings and other topics artistic and philosophical. Kris Shanks’ artwork can be see at http://www.shanksart.com/

Young Adult Discussion Group
The Young Adult Library Services Association Gaming Discussion Group will be meeting on InfoIsland at the Open Air Auditorium on Saturday, January 20, 1:30p-3:30psl. While the focus will be on libraries and tabletop gaming, bring your gaming questions and share your stories.

HealthInfo Island
HealthInfo Island is going to offer you every week a special place on the Island, a spotlight on one of our partners or volunteers, a particular resources or tool related to our Theme of the Month ánd the latest news and developments.

HealthInfo Island’s Gardener: Isa Goodman by Carolina Keats, Consumer Health Library

There’s a resemblance to Robin Hood, from the tunic laced with leather thongs to the organic colors and the longish hair, to the preference for green and growing things, even in this artificial world. From real life, New Zealand’s Aaron Griffiths, now an online educational courseware designer, also brings 15 prior years as a landscaper to his HealthInfo Island task.

How does one move from greenspace to virtual space? Not being a natural traditional artist, modeling in 3D was a gift, he feels, to his creative nature. HealthInfo Island benefits from his hands-on way of learning in the Second Life environment, shown in the new additions as the garden grows nightly. Yesterday, a new dock with gracefully arched lamps; before that, settings scripted to appear only when an avatar approaches. Overall, the environment he’s sculpting is becoming precisely what is intended: HealthInfo Island is the antithesis of sterile or alienating terrain. Instead, the visitor finds meandering paths, space for contemplation orquiet meetings. Still to come are medicinal herb gardens (themselves, information objects) and an entire island full of gathering spaces intended for support groups and health information events – collaborative fairs, workshops, and more private consultations.

In a different sense, being here is like coming home for Isa, reminiscent of his earlier work with Bryce 3D, an early modeling program and Isa’s first ever software. After landscaping in RL, he’d taught horticulture as a rehab tool for people with disabilities – intellectual, then psychiatric, then physical. While doing that, he says, ‘I “discovered” computers.’

Increasingly active with SL’s many educator groups, Isa’s RL research work on EduForge (http://eduforge.org/projects/gameflashobjs/) begins to blend and merge with large questions about how MUVEs and gaming environments in general can maximize the educational experience. It’s not enough, he feels, to simply move existing ideas into the virtual environment. “I’m very uninterested in putting learning into these environs for the sake of it.” For one thing, the needs of learners differ. “In certain demographic groups, gaming is a natural learning environment. Games have objectives. Skills to learn, mastery to get to the next level. So the patterns are the same. In some ways my journey in SL is about discovering how to do that well.”

SL Health and Wellness Center
We here at the SL Health and Wellness Center are dedicated to providing a supportive, educational, friendly atmosphere by taking the resources available at HII one step further. Featuring a RL message board, support groups, topic chats and guest speakers we hope to bring you a community of people who truly understand.

The SL Heath and Wellness Center is committed to the patient’s understanding of the information presented through offering various support meetings throughout the week. Please check the schedule posted for a list of upcoming meetings. If you are interested in hosting your groups chat here at the SL Medical Center, please contact Goodwillstacy Stindberg or Synergy Devonshire for scheduling and availability.

We would also like to invite medical professionals interested in becoming involved to contact anyone here at HII. Those wishing to integrate their specialty should contact Goodwillstacy Stinberg or Synergy Devonshire directly.

Goodwillstacy and I are very grateful to Carolina Keats and HII for embracing our project, and offering us the space to see this to fruition. Should you have any questions, please contact us directly.

Healthy
On the roof of the SL Medical Lbrary you will find Healthy, the newest version of our chatbot on the Island. She will be placed at the Welcome Center as soon as most functions are trained to our satisfaction. Most spectacular element in Health is her capability to answer most specific “What is?” questions with a definition of the asked subjects. Healthy uses a Google define: search for this and presents the result in chat to the patron. Have a look and talk to her. When finished she will offer also specific images, url’s and even teleport options. Contact Namro Orman for more details on Health. http://infoisland.org/health_info/

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 7th, 2007 at 11:47 am and is filed under Caledon, Discussion, Exhibits, Medical Library, Programs. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.