When is a library event a non-library event...?

...when it involves this much tango and salsa!

I just popped into SL for a few minutes this afternoon, and there was an invitation waiting for me from Puglet Dancer of Librarians of Second Life to attend a concert celebrating Bradley University's new exhibits - Bradley University, Info Island II (98, 128, 24). Just as I was leaving UCD, Hal Parnall from our class arrived. He said he'd come too, so I went on ahead and teleported him.

The concert was on the roof of the student centre. I had a ball tangoing with Fredje Ruska. I was joking and said that all we needed was a long-stemmed red rose to clamp between our teeth. Next thing you know, offers of a rose appeared on screen from Fredje and another chap. Very smooth operators, these Librarians of Second Life!

The main performer was Professor Believeau (SL) or Dr Ed Lamoureux (RL). I googled Bradley University when I left the party, and it's amazing how involved in SL they are there. Dr Lamoureux teaches a Field Research Methods in Virtual Worlds course. Students have to carry notecards which are Human Subjects Protection Procedures (like our ethics forms) to give to any avatar who asks about their reseach work in SL. They are forbidden from copying or saving transcripts of talk from avatars who haven't given permission, and they have to block out avatar names and faces in photos - all exactly as you would expect in RL research...

The RL library at Bradley University received an Innovative Teaching grant recently to set up an island and explore education and outreach opportunities. All manner of academic departments got involved - History; Health Sciences; Engineering... It seems like a very vibrant project.

It really is worth joining Groups to keep up with events and initiatives. Every time I log on, there are invitations waiting for me. The only real problem is time difference. Some have sounded absolutely brilliant, but getting up at 3 a.m. is going above and beyond the call of duty!