Literature in Virtual Worlds Conference
On August 4th, 2008, and again on August 6th, Alliance Library System,
in cooperation with LearningTimes, will offer a one-day conference
exploring the possibilities of using virtual worlds to teach literature
and to promote its appreciation for people of all ages. The conference,
titled "Stepping into Literature: Bringing New Life to Books through
Virtual Worlds" will be held entirely in the virtual world of Second
Life, allowing participants to attend from any location with a computer
and a broadband internet connection. Cost to attend the conference is
$65 USD per person. Go to the registration form at
http://www.learningtimes.net/shop/cgi-bin//cp-app.cgi?pg=prod&ref=SLCONF
2008
<http://www.learningtimes.net/shop/cgi-bin/cp-app.cgi?pg=prod&ref=SLCONF
2008> and to the conferene website at www.steppingintovirtualworlds.org
<http://www.steppingintovirtualworlds.org/> .
"Books have been with us for millenia, from Homer to Beowulf to Harry
Potter" notes John Howard, conference director and Special Projects
Coordinator for Alliance. "Great literature doesn't change, but our ways
of interacting with it do. What possibilities do virtual worlds offer us
in sharing a love of literature? Is there value in building worlds that
previously existed only in print, or in our imaginations? How can we use
3-D experiences to enhance our experience of literature?"
The conference will not be solely lecture-based, according to Howard.
Instead, participants will take take part in a virtual book discussion,
and take field trips into literature-based locations that have been
created in Second Life. Participants may find themselves in an Edgar
Allen Poe poem, visiting a "secret garden" or learning about gothic
literature in an authentically spooky Gothic mansion. "They may even
fall down a rabbit hole!" notes Howard. The conference will also feature
one or more authors who have used virtual worlds to create, refine or
promote their works. The day will conclude with a panel discussion
including experts from a number of disciplines, and a social event.
"By doing this conference in Second Life, we can do more than just talk
about ways to promote a love of literature in virtual worlds," says
Howard. "We can see and interact with some creative and educational
applications in person."
Beth Ritter-Gluth/Desideria Stockton is Second Life will be the keynote
speaker and her talk is on "A Vision for Making Literature Come Alive in
VIrtual Worlds.". She is the creator of Literature Alive in Second Life
and teaches English and Women's Studies at Lehigh Carbon Community
College in Schnecksville, PA. She is the creator and director of
Literature Alive! in Second Life, founding co-chair of hte 2007 SL Best
Practices in Education International Conference: Teaching, Learning, and
Research, Co-Founder of the SL Virtual Orphanage and Child Sponsorship
program, and co-founder of Open SLedware
The keynote author is Kim Rufer-Bach who will speak on "Using Virtual
Worlds to Promote Real Life Literature." Kimberly Rufer-Bach (Kim Anubis
in Second Life) is Owner, Designer and Producer of The Magicians, a 3D
interactive software development company that specializes in creating
innovative Second Life content. Some of her clients include the British
Council, University of California Davis Medical Center, Global Kids,
NASA, University of Queensland, and New York Law School. Kimberly is
co-author of Creating Your World: The Official Guide to Advanced Content
Creation for Second Life (Sybex, October 2007) and is currently at work
on The Second Life Grid: The Official Guide to Communication
Collaboration, and Community Engagement. Her online community management
experience includes the roles of Community Forums Coordinator for There,
and special events moderator and Editors Forum Host for iUniverse.com on
AOL and the Web. She was on the team that
created the best-selling educational computer game First Men in the Moon
Math
(Fisher-Price) in the mid-1980s. Publishing credits include articles,
columns, non-fiction for children, and fiction. Kimberly garnered
recommendations for the 1995 Bram Stoker Award for the novella "Daddy's
Girl," which appeared in Adventures in the Twilight Zone (Ed. Carol
Serling, DAW Books, Inc)
Alliance has partnered with LearningTimes to put on this conference. In
addition to helping organize the conference, LearningTimes is setting up
the technology for individuals and groups to participate in the
conference without having to create a Second Life account. "For those
who haven't done it, Second Life can take a little getting used to"
notes John Walber, CEO of LearningTimes. "We have had great success this
year in providing 'simulcasts' of events in second life, essentially,
looking over the shoulder of a participant." Walber notes that this
should make attendance easier for more people. While not quite as
"immersive," the solution is highly interactive, and creates a recording
for later playback Conference organizers will also provide an
orientation for those who would like to attend the conference in Second
Life, but have no prior experience with the program.
LearningTimes and Alliance have created an ongoing on-line community for
participants in this and future conferences. Within this community
registrants will have access to conference recordings, contribute to
on-going discussions, and network with other interested people from
around the world after the conference is over.
Full conference schedule and registration information is available at
the conference website, www.steppingintovirtualworlds.org
<http://www.steppingintovirtualworlds.org/> or people may contact John
Howard directly at 309.694.9200.
Lori Bell
Director of Innovation
Alliance Library System
600 High Point Lane
East Peoria, IL 61611
(309)694-9200 ext. 2128
Systems Build Community
The Alliance Library System is one of nine multitype systems
cooperating to provide essential services to the citizens of Illinois.
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