UK Libraries Living a Second Life on World Wide Web
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LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 2, 2007) − University of Kentucky Libraries is leading another
life on the computer, they have established an exhibition of materials from The Belle
Brezing Photographic Collection on Second Life, a computer-created virtual world where
people through online versions of themselves called avatars socially interact without ever
leaving their computer desk.
The Belle Brezing exhibition is currently available for viewing at the Whitehorn Memorial Library in Caledon, Victoria City, located on an "island" devoted to the 19th century. Individuals can catch the exhibit in Second Life through May 14. While the Whitehorn Library link will only work if you are a current Second Life user, UK Libraries is presenting a sample of the tour at this video preview.
UK Libraries is excited with the opportunities Second Life offers the university. "This is an exciting new platform for communicating information, and this exhibit is the first contribution by UK in the new environment," said Beth Kraemer, a UK Libraries information technology faculty member who helped develop the Brezing exhibition.
Belle Brezing was Lexington's premier madam from the late 1870s through World War I. She is said to be a possible model for the notorious madam Belle Watling in Margaret Mitchell's book "Gone with the Wind." The exhibit on Brezing details her life and her scandalous, yet celebrated career. UK Libraries Special Collections and Digital Programs helped make the Whitehorn Library exhibition possible.
Second Life is a privately owned, partly subscription-based 3-D virtual world, made publicly available in 2003 by San Francisco-based Linden Lab. The Second Life "world" resides in a large array of servers, known collectively as "the grid," and users, known as residents, have tools to view and modify the virtual world and participate in its virtual economy. This has concurrently begun to operate as a "real" market.
Second Life has surpassed 1 million residents, including students from about 60 colleges and universities, who are using the platform for educational purposes. UK is currently considering "buying" land in this virtual world, where individuals create their own online version or avatar. These online personas can then do everything from use the site to visit ancient cities or tour modern day foreign communities where they can interact with local residents.
The Belle Brezing exhibition is currently available for viewing at the Whitehorn Memorial Library in Caledon, Victoria City, located on an "island" devoted to the 19th century. Individuals can catch the exhibit in Second Life through May 14. While the Whitehorn Library link will only work if you are a current Second Life user, UK Libraries is presenting a sample of the tour at this video preview.
UK Libraries is excited with the opportunities Second Life offers the university. "This is an exciting new platform for communicating information, and this exhibit is the first contribution by UK in the new environment," said Beth Kraemer, a UK Libraries information technology faculty member who helped develop the Brezing exhibition.
Belle Brezing was Lexington's premier madam from the late 1870s through World War I. She is said to be a possible model for the notorious madam Belle Watling in Margaret Mitchell's book "Gone with the Wind." The exhibit on Brezing details her life and her scandalous, yet celebrated career. UK Libraries Special Collections and Digital Programs helped make the Whitehorn Library exhibition possible.
Second Life is a privately owned, partly subscription-based 3-D virtual world, made publicly available in 2003 by San Francisco-based Linden Lab. The Second Life "world" resides in a large array of servers, known collectively as "the grid," and users, known as residents, have tools to view and modify the virtual world and participate in its virtual economy. This has concurrently begun to operate as a "real" market.
Second Life has surpassed 1 million residents, including students from about 60 colleges and universities, who are using the platform for educational purposes. UK is currently considering "buying" land in this virtual world, where individuals create their own online version or avatar. These online personas can then do everything from use the site to visit ancient cities or tour modern day foreign communities where they can interact with local residents.