My Upcoming Activities at CAL '08

Gearing up for several events at the Colorado Association of Libraries (CAL) Annual Conference has me speeding around in a blur!

Besides collaborating on a presentation for the conference (Everybody Needs a Second Life!) with Eileen Dumas of the Aurora Public Library, we are preparing a proposal to the CAL board to start a Second Life Interest Group (SLIG). The general buzz behind the scenes sounds good, so we are very hopeful. Eileen and I are starting a new model for a Second Life library - a state association backed library! As far as we know, there are no other state library associations out there owning their own virtual world library. Also, within Second Life, our library is a new concept. The Sustainable Living Library will focus on all things 'green' and sustainability. While there is one sim in SL focused on the environment, and various exhibits scattered around, there is no one library focused on sustainable living.

If the Interest Group is formed, CAL will be partnering with the Alliance Library System of Illinois and TAP Information Services, a library consulting firm from Missouri. CAL, Alliance, and TAP will be working together to form the Emerald City sim, and entire island in Second Life devoted to all things 'green'. The Sustainable Living Library will find it's home on Emerald City, and will be the main library on the sim.

Exciting prospect!

While in Denver, I will also be participating in the inaugural "CAL Leadership Institute" (CALLI). 25 CAL members were chosen for this year long institute; sessions will be held in person and virtually. Wo0T! This makes it possible for participants like me in a rural area (8 hours away from Denver) to attend and benefit. The first session begins the day before the conference. Looking forward to learning and meeting all my fellow CALLI members!

And if that ain't enough, I'm actually going to have to squeeze in attendance at the various conference sessions... lol

National Gaming Day @ MPL!

At the Mancos Public Library, it has been decided to participate in the ALA's National Gaming Day!

Currently, we have a Dungeons and Dragons club that plays the game weekly in our meeting room; however, the library has not hosted any kind of gaming event for our community.

We're really looking forward to participating in the National Gaming Day event on Saturday, November 15. We will be playing games at two venues, the Library and the Mancos Community Center, from 10 am to 3 pm.

Games to be played tentatively include:

• Wii


• Twister


• Monopoly


• Akoha


• Various card games, and


• a Second Life demo!

I am really excited about this event. For a while, I've been trying to go beyond the Dungeons and Dragons gaming, but I hadn't quite figured it out. Once the ALA NGD was announced, I formulated a quick proposal, and everyone said yes when I presented the idea at our weekly staff meeting.

To organize the day, we are collaborating online, on our staff portal. All interested staff will list what game they would like to host, and any other ideas or comments that they have about the project.

Photo: Thanks, ALA!