National Book Week

It's National Reading Group Month. I just received a message about it and thought I should post something, but then I started thinking, "Ya know, every month is National Book Month in my world." Then I went back and saw "National Reading Group Month" not "National Book Month" so then I explored a bit more.

I'm into books every month anyway. But here's a logo and a link for those interested in more than I can say...

Also, I went to metup.com and checked out all the Meet Up Groups in my area. There are lots of groups involving photography and a few about writing, for writers, etc. I might sign up and go to one, some day.

LIBRARY

Is a blog just an attempt at self-fulfillment through self-deprecation? Maybe that has been a misconception on my part, in fear that is what I would have to offer if I took myself seriously.

Collecting information is the easy part. Dispensing it is difficult at times, with new challenges. Communication is the missing link. Usually it's the only link. Good communication is either being killed by the Internet, or creating a brand new form of interaction in the absence of any good face-to-face encounters. In regards to Second Life... It's interesting.

WOW! from CompuServe, was a project I worked on, in Columbus, Ohio, circa 1996-1997, and we had an entire land of avatars and "rooms" and merchants and the whole 9-yards. Even though you could "buy" a house or condo or rudimentary box to "live" in, and build up property, and interact with others from around the world, there was always this sense the thing would just shut down. And it did. AOL bought CompuServe and I sold my stocks and moved to NYC for a few years.

So, the whole time I'm in Second Life I'm wondering to myself, "How far does this go? How far does this take me... Before it shuts down?" I'm not sure I can answer yet, but doesn't everything have to "shut down" eventually? I have not spent enough time in Second Life to fully judge, I mean, the telephone was an idea that isn't going anywhere. So is Second Life as good as the telephone? Anyway, I digress, I'm glad good ideas don't die.

The more authoritative resources found in Second Life give the project some serious "pull" to say the least. Islands of big-name organizations abound, and its membership is growing at an exponential rate. Major library systems, professional associations, and universities make up SL, to name only a few aspects to this virtual world of information exchange.