Gamelab, a gaming studio in New York City, is set to relaunch this summer. Some of the new features will include:

  • Gamelab.com new site with blog-style content
  • Institute of play-playing and making games=media literacy
  • Gamestar Mechanic-McArthur funding for game design through game creation

Sign up on their mailing list here. Add your library to the LibSuccess: A Best Practices Wiki for libraries creating games here.

Posted by Kelly Czarnecki

Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.usWhen you sign up for Second Life, it is said that your avatar is born. Today, Michele Gorman teleported to the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library open house that happened to be going on at the time and her avatar was ‘born’ today.

While YALSA is indeed the fastest growing division of ALA, we could be the fastest growing division of Second Life avatars!

I’ve started a link on the LibSuccess: A Best Practices wiki here for YALSA members to list their avatar name and whatever other information they would like to include.

Today when I was on Second Life, a teen came to the information desk and said, ‘wow, what is that’? I found out that he was into drafting/architecture. Second Life will help teens with building skills. Also, teens that are attracted to MySpace because they can manipulate and customize their environments, might be attracted to Second Life as well.

The 3D environment is an interface that will be a skill we will need to know how to navigate in. If you purchase clothes online for example, knowing how to size your avatar to figure out if they will look good in a certain outfit can translate to you and whether you want to purchase it or not.

Posted by Kelly Czarnecki

Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us

Anastasia Goodstein reports in this week’s BusinessWeek how and why teens are experimenting with their identity in virtual environments such as Teen Second Life and Meez.

Also, check out Mediasnackers podcast with Global Kids. They talk about bringing a youth development model to digital media, particularly Teen Second Life.

Is your library involved in a virtual world with teens? Consider adding it to the Library Success: A Best Practices Wiki Page or check YALSAs Teen Tech Week wiki.

btw, you might catch a glimpse of Santa at the Cybrary City opening tomorrow in Second Life at 2:30p PST, where librarians can showcase their local resources.

Posted by Kelly Czarnecki