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Owl's Bay Library: a resource to hoot about |
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by BLUEANGEL LUNGU
Owl’s Bay Library (http://slurl.com/secondlife/Owls%20Bay/36/19/28 ) is a place to relax, enjoy a good read, and discuss new and old ideas with friends while listening to good music. This place is the result of a group of friends’ work that like reading and think literature is one of the most important ways to reach knowledge and travel around the globe and other worlds.
Located in Owls Bay, a non-profit and non-commercial sim, the library offers various kinds of literature - from the classics to the great master of English theatre, William Shakespeare. The place has two floors: on the first floor one can find the books to read and choose which one(s) to read and enjoy; on the second floor there are several places to sit and enjoy the reading of the book chosen.
This place is also used for meetings where discussions about books or other themes can be held. There’s also a desk to use for inspiration in writing articles, poems, short or long stories or creative drawings. The ambiance is cosy and very welcoming since all the walls are surrounded by books that make us feel we are in a real life library.
Short Stories Contest
Every month Owls Bay celebrates a theme incorporating the phrase “Once upon a time….” Last month the theme was China, and the celebration included a Short Story Contest with a prize of $L1000. The big winner was Poulana Tokyoska with “The Invented Hours.” The award ceremony took place on the October 25 and was followed by a big ball, and Ms. Tokyoska received the Golden Owl.
New month, new contest, and November theme is "Once Upon a Time in a Fairy Tale. Anyone with more than three months in Second Life may participate. All the rules and information can be found at http://owlsbay.wordpress.com/2008/10/26/new-short-stories-contest-fairy-tales/#respond .
The Surrounding Area
After visiting the library we invite you to see other interesting places nearby. Next to the library it the Owl’s Eye Art Gallery. Here you can see exhibitions dedicated to the month’s theme. The China exhibit is on its last days, and the owners of the sim are preparing the new one.
We have all heard about drama and big scenes in SL that happen in the wrong places. Thinking of that, this sim offers you the “Drama Zone.” It´s the perfect place to argue, yell and be mad at someone.
At the end of the day if you like a little chat and looking at the sea while preparing for the next day, then join the group of people who always gather around the fire near the landing point. Nights there are always nice and cosy.
If you like to have a nice chat while drinking, then you must visit “A Tasca do Imso," or Imso’s Tavern. It has a nice atmosphere and it a place to play jambe (an African drum), or dance with your friends. The tavern is also the place where the monthly trivia game takes place. |
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Come ye, come ye to Renaissance Island |
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Written by Verde Otaared
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According to an notecard available to sim visitors:
"Renaissance Island was created in Feb 2007 by a group of dedicated historians that envisioned what life during Tudor times would be. They collaborated to form a group that would take on roles of parish members that in this era would have lived such as what you will see. They created objects to allow visitors to interact and feel how life would have been in Tudor times. Don't be surprised if you see King Henry VIII, or Queen Bess, herself, as our sim covers the entire 16th period . Of course, you shouldn't see them at the same time, but depending on our events, one or the other shall bestow their graces and blessings to their parish."
There are many events and fun activities on Renaissance Island. Appropriate dress is encouraged, and period clothing is offered so visitors can be an active part of the festivities. Some of the events offered are: Theatre workshop in the London Globe (a replication of the London Globe originally built 1599 by the Thames River), United Enguarde Fencing Tournaments, Jousting Tourneys and Ren Faires with dancing, music, storytelling and traditional foods.
Step into the past, visit Renaissance Island today!
SLURL to Renaissance Island |
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The R.F. Burton Library of New Babbage |
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Written by Satori Marat
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Located in the Babbage Canals, the R.F. Burton Library sits amidst the bustling city of New Babbage. New Babbage, originally created as a community for Steampunk roleplay, has grown since its inception to become a vibrant celebration of this particular Victorian aesthetic. The new library, which opened on October 3, offers its residents the literary background and history of Victorian Steampunk, along with a community area for meetings and recreation.
Canolli Capalini, the creator of the library, feels that the library was "one of the first places that doors were opened for me, the idea that there was something bigger in the world, was a library Growing up, on hot summer days, it was a cool, quiet retreat where I could lose myself. When I obtained that plot of land, it just seemed natural that I would build a library there.”
For Capalini, the library is more than simply an information resource. Especially in New Babbage, a roleplaying community built on an reimagining of Victorian history, a library was a needed resource. She states "There is always something new, the imagination of the residents is beyond what one would expect and there is always something trying to push the envelope of limits. A town this size, with this many people, would naturally have a library as a resource; For inspiration, research, entertainment.”
Three levels house a large collection of works related to Steampunk and Victorian literature and history. While many libraries focus on providing readers with information regarding steam-powered technology and the works of Nikola Tesla, the R.F. Burton Library has expanded that view immensely. Roleplaying residents, along with those new to Steampunk, can find something of interest. The collection of the library spans a wide array of subjects, including Victorian history, domestic science, and spiritualism. In addition, the builders have included fiction and poetry of the time and classics such as Shakespeare and Whitman.
When you walk among the stacks of the R.F. Burton Library, you will find the shelves divided by subject or type of work. For example, there are areas dedicated to travel literature, non-fiction, and technology. Clicking on the shelves provides a drop-down menu with a list of books included in that area. After choosing a title, the library adds a notecard to your inventory with the table of contents, which supplies you with the contents of that book. Rather than simply giving you a link to an online source, the library is truly a fully functional in-world library.
In addition to its collection, the library’s many specialized areas provide the library with artistic value as well as a comforting feel. As you enter the library, you will notice a large pendulum that perpetually traces a path along a circumscribed area. To the right is a roaring fire surrounded by comfortable chairs and free hot drinks for warmth and enjoyment. Toward the back, a door provides access to a large tree with plenty of room for sitting and thinking about steam power or the latest intrigue of New Babbage. Upstairs, on the third floor, a hidden room allows a group of people to rouse the spirits and read the Tarot during dark, moonlit nights. As Capalini says, these special features were tributes to some of her favorite books. For example, the tree could have been found in one such book, "The Secret Garden."
The R.F. Burton library, the public library of New Babbage, will contribute much to the Second Life of both the average resident and the dedicated Steampunk enthusiast. In addition, as a member of the Alexandrian Library in Second Life, it will provide a valuable service to the larger community as well. As the head librarian, Serafina Puchkina, states, “It is important to me to give back to a community that has become my home here in Second Life. The library will be my focus as I endeavor to make Miss C's vision a reality.”
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Exploring with Pia: Libraries “Around Town” |
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Written by Pia Klaar
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East Meets West
It is easy for one to spend hours and hours exploring the unique and entertaining places that are available here in Second Life. Yet, it seems that no sooner have I explored one sim than I have another one to add to my list. The possibilities are endless. Where to start is often the question.
Libraries might be a good place to begin.
Welcome to the Crane Hall Library! A Chinese library in the midst of a virtual world with a focus in providing English language instruction to Chinese persons, in sharing information about Chinese culture with an international audience, and in promoting opportunities for conversational English using voice features in Second Life.
The Crane Hall Library, located on the second floor of the China Café, has a variety of resources to facilitate learning and collaboration:
* A central meeting table
* A file cabinet with notecards of China Cafe lectures and information
* Computer monitors on the four corners with recommended Internet links
* Ongoing exhibitions with information about Chinese culture
* A bookshelf full of poems
* A bookshelf with select classic books on notecards
* Selected Chinese traditional music
* Work combining traditional and digital techniques
This library is operated by Elaine Tulip, China Cafe Librarian (in real life, Lisa Perez, Area Library Coordinator for Chicago Public Schools Department of Libraries).
One of the many exhibits that Crane Library has featured in the past month is “Land of Illusions." This exhibition is a virtual reality project on Chinese folklores and literature created by a team of artists from Boston, MA. The artists combine an interactive digital multimedia of sound, music, images, text, and video so that the viewer interacts with the environment and the artifacts.
The fundamental concept of the exhibition is described as
“a symbolic space incorporating image, motion, text and sound to reflect on eastern philosophy. Land of Illusion enables dialogue and discussion focusing on the relationship between cultural heritage and today's society.”
Presenter: Lily Jun SL/Xiying Yang RL, Lecturer of Digital Media, Emerson College, Boston, MA
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Immersion
