SirsiDynix Sponsors Alliance Library System’s Second Life Library 2.0; will fund the two main islands in the Info Island project on Second Life

SEATTLE, Jan. 19, 2007 – SirsiDynix, the global leader in strategic technology solutions for libraries bringing knowledge to people and communities, announced today its 2007 sponsorship of the two main islands in the Alliance Library System/Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County partnership project on Second Life and Teen Second Life.

Second Life is a 3D virtual world entirely built and owned by its residents. Since opening to the public in 2003, it has grown explosively and today is inhabited by more than 2.5 million people from around the globe.

The two Second Life islands sponsored by SirsiDynix are Info Island and Teen Info Island, which is named “Eye4YouAlliance.”

Alliance Library System – the lead agency for Info Island, the adult library island in Second Life – has been described as “one of the most innovative regional library systems in North America.” Located in East Peoria, Ill., with 253 library members of all types, Alliance offers continuing education, consulting, resourcesharing and delivery service to members. The purpose of the Second Life Library 2.0 is to provide real library services to Second Life residents.

The Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County, located in Charlotte, N.C., is the lead agency on Eye4You Alliance. Founded in 1903 as a Carnegie Free Library, the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County has become one of the premiere libraries in the country with 24 locations, 1.6 million volumes and 28,000 videos, DVDs and CDs. The library sponsors a variety of communitybased programs –from computer and Internet education workshops to the awardwinning Novello Festival of Reading, a celebration that accentuates the fun of reading and learning.

The goal of Eye4You Alliance is to create an interactive and informative space for young adults within the Teen Second Life virtual world and to collaborate with other educators who serve youth and are already present in Teen Second Life and in real life.

Kitty Pope, executive director of the Alliance Library System, said of the Second Life project: “Last April, we knew we were taking a chance. We did not know if the residents of Second Life would want a library or what a library in a virtual world would mean. Now almost a year later, we have expanded from a rented building to an Info Archipelago with eight collaborative islands and many groups working together to continue the expansion. The international group of volunteers we have had has made this happen.” Pope (known as Kitty Phillips in Second Life) is the executive director of Second Life Library/Info, Barbara Galik (Puglet Dancer in Second Life) is the president of the advisory board, Lori Bell (Lorelei Junot in Second Life) is the director and Rhonda Trueman (Abbbey Zenith in Second Life) is the assistant director. The directors of the Teen Second Life Library are Matt Gullett (Ray Lightworker in Second Life) and Kelly Czarnecki (BlueWings Hayek in Second Life).

Stephen Abram, vice president of innovation for SirsiDynix, said: “SirsiDynix is so thrilled to partner with Alliance Library Systems and the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County on this exciting project. They are leading the charge as libraries expand into the virtual world. They have proved to the world that libraries are not only capable of remaining relevant in today’s quickly evolving world, but that they will be a major player as information continues to become more available and more in need of hepherding than ever before.”

This announcement was made today at the American Library Association Midwinter Meeting in Seattle.
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About SirsiDynix
SirsiDynix is the global leader in strategic technology solutions for libraries – vital institutions whose primary mission is to make sense of the vast world of information for people and communities. This is an exciting role as libraries assist people in discovering and using knowledge, resources and other valuable content for their educations, jobs and entertainment. In concert with key industry partners, SirsiDynix supports this strategic role for libraries by offering a comprehensive integrated suite of technology solutions for improving the internal productivity of libraries and enhancing their capabilities for meeting the needs of people and communities. SirsiDynix has approximately 4,000 library and consortia clients, serving more than 300 million people through more than 20,000 library outlets in the Americas, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and AsiaPacific.
For more information, please see www.sirsidynix.com.

About Alliance Library System
The Alliance Library System, a regional library system, is headquartered in East Peoria, Ill., and is a hightech
training and continuing education center. It represents a combined client base of nearly 1 million customers encompassing more than 250 school, academic, public, medical and corporate member libraries throughout 31 counties in central and west central Illinois. The state of Illinois is divided into nine regional library systems. Funding for Illinois library systems is provided through the Illinois State Library and the secretary of state with funds appropriated by the Illinois General Assembly. Additional information regarding ALS is available at www.alliancelibrarysystem.com.
Blogs on Alliance’s Second Life library project are at http://secondlifelibrary.blogspot.com/2006/10/plcmcpartnerswithalliancelibrary.html
and http://www.infoisland.org.

About the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenberg County
The roots of the Public Library of Charlotte Mecklenburg County can be traced to 1891. In the last years of the 20th century, the library system grew to over 20 locations (including five regional libraries offering expanded services) serving people in neighborhoods and towns across the county. From a grand total of 2,526 books when the Carnegie library opened in 1903, today’s library system contains more than 1.5 million adult and children’s classics, favorite paperbacks, modern best sellers, videos, CDs and DVDs, with more than 500 employees countywide helping to make information available to virtually anyone who wants it. As the county and region grows, the library reaches out in traditional and new ways. As a public library, Charlotte & Mecklenburg County is dedicated to its mission of expanding minds, empowering individuals and enriching its community. More information about the library is available at http://www.plcmc.lib.nc.us/.
A blog on the Eye4You Alliance project is at http://eye4youalliance.youthtech.info.

About Second Life
Second Life is a 3D virtual world entirely built and owned by its residents. Since opening to the public in 2003, it has grown explosively and today is inhabited by more than 2.5 million people from around the globe. For more information about Second Life, visit http://secondlife.com.

© 2007 SirsiDynix. All rights reserved. SirsiDynix and the SirsiDynix logo are registered trademarks of SirsiDynix or its subsidiaries in the United States and in other countries. Other brands and product names are trademarks of their respective owners.

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