“Stepping into Health” becomes Third in Popular “Stepping into Virtual Worlds” Series

Using virtual worlds to promote health and healthcare is the topic of the next installment of the popular “Stepping into Virtual Worlds” conference series, to be offered October 7th, 2008 in Second Life. Hundreds of people have attended this series, which began with “Stepping into History” in June and continued with “Stepping into Literature” in August. The series is sponsored by Alliance Library System and LearningTimes. The day-long conference is open to the public, with more information available at http://www.steppingintovirtualworlds.org. It will take place entirely in the virtual world of Second Life.

During this conference, participants will make virtual “field trips” to some of the best and most creative locations that are using virtual worlds to promote health. During these field trips, they will be able to speak with those responsible for creating the simulations, and have time to explore them on their own. Among the field trips for this conference are Healthinfo Island, a health education simulation where visitors can test their knowledge of strokes by walking through a giant artery and destroying clots by correctly answering questions, and ToxTown, a typical American town where potentially dangerous chemicals can easily be seen.

In addition to the field trips, the conference includes:
Keynote presentations by Randy Hinrichs, founder of 2B3D and developer of the “Medipelago,” a group of health related simulations in Second Life; and Ramesh Ramloll, creator of Play2Train, a virtual world simulator used to prepare healthcare professionals and others for crisis situations
•Table Talks on subjects such as “Healthcare Education and Advocacy in Virtual Worlds,” “Virtual World Health Librarianship” and “Using Virtual World for Training Medical Personnel.”
•A panel discussion, allowing participants to question and interact with a variety of experts in the use of virtual worlds in health and healthcare.

Alliance Library System, co-sponsor of the “Stepping Into” series, is a multi-type library system headquartered in East Peoria, Illinois. Alliance has been a leader in developing ways for libraries to expand their missions and serve patrons in virtual worlds. Alliance is on the web at www.alliancelibrarysystem.com.

LearningTimes, the second co-sponsor, is the leading producer of online communities and online conferences for education and training. Their clients and partners include educational and cultural institutions, non-profit organizations, associations and membership groups. LearningTimes provides the training, platforms, applications and expertise these organizations need to make their conferences a success. More information about LearningTimes can be found at www.learningtimes.net.

The cost for this day-long conference is $79, and participants may register for the conference at www.steppingintovirtualworlds.org

Tom Boellstorff (SL Name: Tom Bukowski) author of “Coming of Age in Second Life: An Anthropologist Explores the Virtually Human” speaks at Alliance Virtual Library on Info Island in Second Life.

Tuesday, September 9th, 2008, a group of 36 SL residents enjoyed a discussion of Tom’s anthropological research in Second Life and his new publication. This voice chat allowed the audience to ask Tom questions that ranged from how and why residents create certain avatar looks and features, to the potential for research and education in SL. Tom shared how in anthropological circles virtual worlds were not thought of as a culture ripe for research but often thought of in the light of gamers, slackers, and losers. (A parallel perhaps to the attitude sometimes encountered in library circles?). Tom said he tried to avoid the use of the term “real life” as in SL vs real life. Second Life IS real life, just taking place in a virtual environment. The group discussed how people are able to use SL to explore and discover aspects about themselves, Bryan Mnemonic, of Virtual Harlem (Associate Professor of English at the University of Central Missouri) agreed saying that one of his students voiced this process as getting to “know” one’s avatar.

Many thanks to the attendees for a lively discussion and to Tom for speaking on Info Island. We are looking forward to hearing him again–he’s agreed to come back when his schedule allows.

What is it like to work as a librarian in the virtual world of Second Life (SL)? What skills and knowledge are needed? What resources are available? This is a hands-on course that will introduce you to providing reference services and building collections and exhibits in Second Life, to planning programs and events, and to the skills needed for the 21st century librarian in a virtual world.

Week One: Introduction to Course and Reference in SL
Week Two: Collections, Resources, and Exhibits in SL
Week Three: Management and Programs in SL
Week Four: Skills for 21st Century Librarians in Virtual Worlds

Instructors: S. Thompson (Hypatia Dejavu), Rhonda Trueman (Abbey Zenith), Bill Sowers (Rocky Vallejo), and JJ Jacobson (JJ Drinkwater)

Audience: Open to anyone interested in learning more about libraries and other information resources and services in Second Life. Students should feel comfortable in Second Life.

Dates and times: Thursdays, September 11, 18, 25, October 2 from 6:00 - 8:00 pm SL (U.S. Pacific) time
Location: Info Island, Second Life
Cost: $125

Register - https://www.eventville.com/catalog/eventregistration1.asp?eventid=1004413

BRADBURY CLASSIC FAHRENHEIT 451 SELECTED FOR “THE BIG READ” IN WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND THE VIRTUAL WORLDS OF SECOND LIFE AND TEEN SECOND LIFE

(East Peoria, IL)—Ray Bradbury’s classic science fiction novel Fahrenheit 451 has been selected for “The Big Read”, a campaign involving the Illinois State Library, Alliance Library System, west central Illinois libraries, schools and other community organizations joining together to read, discuss, and celebrate the book and promote the importance of reading.

Fahrenheit 451, which has become a worldwide literary classic since its 1953 release, is a cautionary tale about a media-obsessed society where citizens have stopped reading. It has become required reading in most high school classrooms, and occasionally turns up on lists of “banned” books because of its controversial themes related to freedom of expression. The book was chosen to honor Bradbury, an Illinois native who is one of 35 Illinois authors whose names are engraved on the fourth floor frieze of the State Library.

The campaign in the virtual world of Second Life kicks off on Monday, September 15 at 6 pm Pacific/8 pm central/9 pm Eastern with a discussion led by Maxito Ricardo of Dandelion Wine on Bradburyville Island in Second Life. On Tuesday September 23 at 6 pm Pacific/8 pm central/9 pm Eastern, Maxito will lead a discussion of the book Fahrenheit 451. A discussion of Fahrenheit 451 will also be held on Monday September 29 and an additional discussion of Fahrenheit 451 on Tuesday September 30 at 6 pm Pacific/8 pm central/9 pm Eastern. A book discussion of Dandelion Wine will be held in Teen Second Life on Eye4You Alliance at 6 pm Pacific/8 pm central/9 pm Eastern on Tuesday October 7 and a discussion of Fahrenheit 451 at 6 pm Pacific/8 pm central/9 pm eastern on October 14 in Teen Second Life. Book discussions last approximately one hour.

Dr. Loren Logsdon, an English professor at Eureka College and a lifelong Ray Bradbury scholar, will speak at several programs to be broadcast over the Internet and into Second Life and Teen Second Life. There will be three programs scheduled for Sundays October 5, 12, and 19 at 6 pm Pacific/8 pm central/9 pm Eastern. The first program is about “Bradbury The Man.” This evening will consist of personal stories about Ray Bradbury, especially his two visits to Eureka College, where he met students and gave lectures on his life and works. Dr. Logsdon will also share some of the correspondence Ray has exchanged with him. The second program is an invitation to visit Greentown, Illinois, the setting for Bradbury’s Dandelion Wine. You will meet some of the interesting people who live there: a seventy-two year old woman who never had a childhood, a human time machine, and a mysterious, shadowy figure called the Lonely One. Dr. Logsdon will tell of his experiences teaching the novel and explain why it is such an important work. The third program is a visit to the future, to the unnamed city in Fahrenheit 451, a place that is the exact opposite of Greentown. Bradbury describes a future that is not compatible with human happiness. We will follow Montag, a fireman who destroys books, and his gradual awakening to the need to seek a better way to live. If time permits, we will look at two other books: The October Country and Something Wicked This Way Comes.

Stop and visit “Bradburyville” in Second Life. Builders and creators Bucky Barkley, Abbey Zenith, Daisyblue Hefferman, and Krull Aeon have created a Fahrenheit 451 “walk-in book,” a Bradbury theater where programs will take place, a Something Wicked this Way Comes
Carnival, a Bradbury multimedia museum, and virtual sites from Greentown Illinois in Dandelion Wine. For special tours or more information on the virtual Bradburyville in Second Life, contact Lori Bell at Alliance Library System.

“We are thrilled to be a part of this exciting campaign and to partner with the Illinois State Library and other libraries,” stated Kitty Pope, Executive Director of the Alliance Library System. “We are also excited to help literature literally come to life in the virtual worlds of Second Life and Teen Second Life.”

A website with complete details of the west central Illinois campaign is located at the Illinois Center for the Book’s website at http://www.icftb.org/bigread/. Additional information can be found at www.neabigread.org.

The National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts-both new and established-bringing the arts to all Americans, and providing leadership in arts education. Established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government, the Arts Endowment is the nation’s largest annual funder of the arts, bringing great art to all 50 states, including rural areas, inner cities, and military bases. For more information, please visit www.arts.gov.