[LM_NET] Author Summer Series for Teens on Second Life

[Lisa Perez <leperez333@GMAIL.COM>]

All – Please share the attached press release about upcoming author events
in Teen Second Life with interested teens and young adult librarians.

Thanks,
Lisa Perez, Area Library Coordinator
Chicago Public Schools Department of Libraries & Information Services

For Immediate Release: July 9, 2008* *

*"Summer Author Chats" Event in Teen Second Life(R) – Summer, 2008*

The Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County (PLCMC),
TeachingBooks.net, and Chicago Public Schools Department of Libraries and
Information Services are pleased to announce a very special series of three
events, *"Summer Author Chats"*, discussions that will take place in Teen
Second Life. These programs will give selected authors and teens the
opportunity to interact online in a safe and creative way on PLCMC's virtual
island, Eye4You Alliance.

Kelly Czarnecki, Technology Education Librarian at PLCMC shares, "Having
authors interact with teens in the medium of a virtual world is not only a
great way to bring stories to life, but connects youth with authors in ways
they might not have the opportunity to otherwise."

"This series merges the traditional "Author in the Library" summer reading
event with the exciting technology of Second Life," says Lisa Perez, the
Area Library Coordinator, Chicago Public Schools Department of Libraries.
"We're bringing authors to where the teens are, and enabling them to
interact and learn from each other."

Teen Second Life (http://teen.secondlife.com) is a 3D virtual world where
teens can learn valuable 21st century skills and build a variety of
developmental assets as they engage with their peers from all over the
world, communicate in multiple media formats, and express their identities
through their own virtual appearances.

Teens have helped construct a space for author presentations with author
liaison support provided by PLCMC, TeachingBooks.net and Chicago Public
Schools Department of Libraries. Teens have assisted in the planning of
these events, participated in an avatar design contest, created web-based
support materials, and advertised these programs to the Second Life teen
community. Writing, role playing, and anime/manga groups are just some of
the teen-driven, literary-related groups within Teen Second Life.

The three participating authors, who are volunteering their time for this
program, are extraordinarily well known and acclaimed. They have received
dozens of awards and distinctions, and have never participated in a Second
Life program before.

Authors of young adult literature will participate as avatars, digital
representations of themselves.

To learn more about these events, how to log onto Teen Second Life (must be
13 – 17 years old), how to visit a companion educator's event (18 years +)
and to download a flyer, visit *http://www.libraryloft.org/secondlife.asp*


Adults may watch and listen to a live stream of each author presentation at:
http://www.libraryloft.org/secondlife.asp and select "View Eye4YouAlliance
Island Live Streaming Video".

*Schedule of Summer Author Chats*

Jacqueline Woodson
Friday, July 18
5pm ET/2pm PT/2pm Second Life time

Jack Gantos
Thursday, July 24
7pm ET/4pm PT/4pm Second Life time

Meg Cabot
Friday, August 8
4pm ET/1pm PT/1pm Second Life time

Attention Book Clubs: If you wish to have your reading group members
participate and hang with these authors, please email Kelly Czarnecki to
arrange access. kczarnecki@plcmc.org

*About the event organizers**:*

Founded in 1903 as a Carnegie Free Library, PLCMC 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
community-based programs – from computer- and Internet-education workshops
to the award-winning Novello Festival of Reading, a celebration that
accentuates the fun of reading and learning. As a public library, we are
dedicated to our mission of expanding minds, empowering individuals and
enriching our community.

TeachingBooks.net is an online collection of book and author resources for
schools, libraries, and home use that brings books to life and generates
enthusiasm for reading. Used by 21,000 schools nationwide, it offers easy
access from one website to tens of thousands of multimedia resources for all
K-12 children's and young adult books, fiction and nonfiction, with original
content to introduce the work of popular award-winning authors.

The Chicago Public Schools Department of Libraries and Information Services
supports the district's schools in developing and improving library programs
that are integral to teaching and learning and provides support for
effective teaching, curriculum integration, professional development,
collection development, library automation, use of online resources,
coordination of library technology with other technology in the school,
grant applications and implementation, and coordination of school and public
library resources and services.

*Questions: *

Lisa Perez, Chicago Public Schools Dept of Libraries, leperez1@cps.edu,
(773) 553-6212

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