California Library Association in Second Life!

As the new Talis Cybrary Island is opened to the public, you will see
a new resident to SL, the California Library Association (CLA). With
the assistance of Lori Bell and other members of the Alliance Library
System, CLA has begun a project in Second Life to support and enrich
the work of its Mentoring Committee, its mentors and protégés. As
part of the project, CLA members serving as mentors and their protégés
will be introduced to SL, trained in the basics of navigation and
communication, and educated about the many SL activities and programs
being developed by libraries and other educational institutions.

Once the individuals are trained in the basics of SL, regularly
scheduled meetings of all interested mentors and protégés will take
place once or twice a month at an auditorium in SL with a curriculum
built around the information needs of our protégés. This will not only
allow for more extensive sharing of the expertise of the librarian
mentors, but also open the door for protégés to train their mentors in
SL! This venue will also provide the opportunity to bring in other
knowledgeable experts and encourage the creation of a strong cohort
that can continue their professional relationships after the formal
mentorship experience is completed.

This project was developed by, and is under the coordination of,
Connie Costantino, Ed.D., Chair, CLA Mentoring Committee and Lecturer,
School of Library and Information Science, San Jose State University
(Sagamore Sands in SL) and Sandra Vella, Head, Library Instruction
Services Dept., General Library, University of California, Davis
(Agnesa Capalini in SL).