Virtual World Librarianship?

I don't know quite what to think about this. On the one hand, I do think the skills this workshop looks to engender are transferable and will only be more in demand in the future. A big push in public librarianship is the link to children/teens and gaming skills and how we can serve and reach that demographic.

But geez louise, everything I hear about Second Life is just freakin' creepy. And emotionally dangerous--kind of like the end of the relationship with the ex and the eyebrow raise I got from Dr. Marti on the subject of all that LARPing. I mean, my First Life is somewhat unfulfilling, but I know that. I'm just not quite at the fix-it stage yet. I know that ignoring reality to concentrate on fantasy is dangerous--doesn't stop me from doing it, but I realize that finding a date, learning Spanish, finishing the degree, fixing the house, etc. would make me happier. Online's not real life.

Note to self: Check out Kit Reed's @expectations again.

Oh wait, there's another reason Second Life irks me --because to play games you have to know rules, and I'm just a no-rules, minor criminal activity sort of girl. God bless my white, intellectual, matronly self. I couldn't even play SimFarm because there was no organic option.

See the following press release:

Avatars! Linden Dollars! Librarianship!

Librarianship? What ARE they talking about?

To discover how avatars, Linden dollars, and librarianship relate to
one another, come join us in a continuing education course on
librarianship in the virtual world of Second Life. Second Life is a 3-D virtual
world entirely built and owned by its residents, including real life
librarians on Info Island.

The Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the Alliance Library System of
Illinois have partnered to offer a six week online (in Second Life) course
to introduce you to libraries and information services in a virtual
world. The course starts May 25 and is open to all library and information
professionals.

Week One: Introduction to Libraries in Virtual Worlds
Week Two: Second Life 101
Week Three: Collections, Resources, and Exhibits in Virtual Environment
Week Four: Reference and Information Services in Virtual Worlds
Week Five: Managing and Working in a Virtual Library or Department
Week Six: Skills Needed by 21st Century Librarians in Virtual Worlds