UM-Dearborn Second Life Conference

The University of Michigan-Dearborn will be hosting a one day conference titled “Using the Virtual World to Improve Our World: A Conference on the Use of Virtual Environments and Social Networking to Effect Societal Change” on Wednesday June 3, 2009. Registration will be at 9:00 AM. Catered lunch will be at 12:00 PM and closing remarks will be at 3:15 PM. The conference will take place at the University of Michigan – Dearborn, Institute for Advanced Vehicle Systems, 1101 Borg Warner Auditorium, 4901 Evergreen Rd., Dearborn, MI.

There is no cost to attend the conference either in person at UMD or online via Second Life. RSVP to Deborah Knight-Stark by May 28th.

Conference overview: “Inspired and sponsored by the Ford Motor Company Fund’s College Community Challenge project, the University of Michigan-Dearborn is proud to host a conference dedicated to examining the issues and opportunities that technology in general and virtual environments in particular provide for addressing pressing social needs. This conference will include presenters from industry, non-profits, government, and universities who are using various forms of technology to change society. This forum and discussion will provide for the exchange of best practices and innovative ideas that can accelerate the pace of change.” 

For more information, visit http://groups.engin.umd.umich.edu/hpceep/slc/FMC3flyer.htm.

St. Mary’s Polish Country Fair!

Visit St. Mary’s Preparatory in Orchard Lake on Memorial Day Weekend (May 22-25) for their annual Polish Country Fair!  There will be music, rides, and lots of food as well as games and crafts.  For more information and maps, visit http://www.stmaryspolishcountryfair.com/.

Michigan Information Literacy Initiative

The Michigan Information Literacy Initiative (MILI) workshop will take place Friday, June 19, 2009 from 9 AM to 4 PM at Oakland Community College’s Orchard Ridge Campus (27055 Orchard Lake Rd., Farmington Hills, MI).

At the workshop, you will learn to improve library/faculty collaboration, “preplan talking points, identify prime opportunities to engage, and pinpoint library champions, all to better promote library instruction and better serve your customers.”  

The agenda will include a panel discussion on teacher/librarian collaboration and three breakout sessions titled “Information Literacy Assessment and the First-Year Experience,” “Elevator Chat: Promoting Information Literacy and Library Instruction in 5, 10, or 15 Minutes” (Caryn Noel, Library Director, Adam Cardinal Maida Alumni Library, Orchard Lake Schools and DALNET Board Member will be participating in this session), and “Insight into a Successful Librarian-Faculty Collaboration.”

Registration is $85 for members and $170 for nonmembers.  Register at http://www.mla.lib.mi.us.

Digitized Medical Books from UVA

The Claude Moore Health Sciences Library at the University of Virginia has digitized many medical works from their collection dating from the 5th century BCE through the 19th century.  Only a few pages from each book are available online, however.   Among over 40 authors whose works are included are Hippocrates, Albertus Magnus, Rene Descartes and Benjamin Rush.

See the online exhibition:  Vaulted Treasures

Read more at this blog:  American Historical Association