Virtual world librarianship
Librarians and book-lovers have a community going on Second Life, and real-world library science programs are taking notice. The Library Science program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will be offering a course on Second Life librarianship, with class meetings held in Second Life.
Meetings on-line are held for two hours on Friday mornings (May 25 - July 13) with further discussion and assignments taking place through forums. More info and registration are available on the course webpage.
Disclaimer: As of this summer, I will be a UIUC library science student through their on-line program.
Book-loving avatar image by Travelin’ Librarian, as seen on Flickr.
April 20th, 2007 at 1:42 pm
Thanks for posting this. Technology has had a huge impact on libraries. Not only have libraries had trouble keeping pace but library schools have even a harder time incorporating these new technologies into their programs. I am glad to see UIUC offering this class.
Now if only libraries would get involved in helping establish e-book standards.
April 20th, 2007 at 2:53 pm
Hi, Ed. I’d LOVE to see more input from librarians and academics, who, beyond being less interested in short-term commercial matters, can appreciate the glories of interbook linking, etc. Librarians at their best can add considerable value to e-books. If nothing else, stable archives can help linking—to the benefit of librarians and publishers alike. - David