[Web4lib] Announcement: Free Online OPAL Programs in February

[Tom Peters]

Greetings!

Pasted below is the current schedule of free online programs to be offered by OPAL in February.  These programs are free and open to everyone worldwide.

A streaming audio version of this announcement can be heard at the following URL:

http://www.opal-online.org/OPALpromo200802/  (runtime 5:32)

To access these and all the upcoming OPAL online events, as well as the archive of previous programs, please visit:

http://www.opal-online.org/progschrono.htm

Sunday, February 3, 2008 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time, 2:00 Central, 1:00 Mountain, noon Pacific, and 7:00 p.m. GMT/UTC/Zulu:

"City of Light: The 1901 Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo," by Lauren Belfer, part of the Flagler Museum Whitehall Lecture Series on The Great Expositions of the Guilded Age 

Host: Flagler Museum 

Link to the Flagler Museum's online room 


Author Lauren Belfer will discuss the 1901 Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. Illuminated by millions of new electric lights, the exposition is forever regarded as the "City of Light." Belfer’s book of the same name is a national hit. 

During its six month run, the Exposition attracted over 8 million visitors to exhibits that celebrated the monumental scientific, technological and artistic accomplishments of the time. The principal theme of the Exposition was, "to celebrate the achievements of civilization during 100 years of development in the Western Hemisphere." However, like most world’s fairs, the organizers were unified in the desire to show their vision of the great American civilization, and the artistic and technological prowess of the age. 

NLS Audiobook number: RC 37128 

Upcoming Lectures in the 23rd Annual Whitehall Lecture Series: 


Feb. 10: "Celebrating Enterprise and Exploration: The 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition," by Dr. Gray Brechin. 

Feb. 17: "The Great Extravaganza: The 1905 Lewis and Clark Centennial and American Pacific Exposition and Oriental Fiar," by Carl Abbott. 

Feb. 24: "French Architecture and Nationalism: The 1889 Exposition Universelle," by Kristin Cooley 

March 2: "Meet Me in Saint Louis: The 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition," by James Gilbert 
Friday, February 8, 2008 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time, 1:00 Central, noon Mountain, 11:00 a.m. Pacific, and 7:00 p.m. GMT/UTC/Zulu:

A Casual Conversation with Lori Bell 

Lori Bell is the innovative and energetic Director of Innovation at the Alliance Library System. Lori has been instrumental in bringing librarianship to Second Life and other virtual worlds. She also is interested in electronic books, digital audio books, Library 2.0 tools, and other cool stuff. Lori also is a Library Journal Mover & Shaker. 

The Casual Conversations series is designed to be up-close and personal from a respectable online distance. While there are many conferences (in-person, online, and in-world) where librarians can hear leaders in the field make formal presentations about interesting projects, there are few opportunities to hear these same leaders discuss informally what they currently are working on, their future plans and goals, the challenges and opportunities facing librarianship, their personal pet peeves, etc. 

Watch for more information about these upcoming Casual Conversations: 

Friday, Feb. 15, 2008: Michelle Boule 
Friday, March 28, 2008: Marshall Breeding 
Friday, April 11, 2008: Jenny Levine 
Friday, May 16, 2008: Stephen Abram 
Friday, June 6, 2008: Michael Stephens 
Friday, July 11, 2008: Greg Schwartz 

Host: TAP Information Services 

Link to the OPAL Online Auditorium 
Sunday, February 10, 2008 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time, 2:00 Central, 1:00 Mountain, noon Pacific, and 7:00 p.m. GMT/UTC/Zulu:

"Celebrating Enterprise and Exploration: The 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition," by Dr. Gray Brechin, part of the Flagler Museum Whitehall Lecture Series on The Great Expositions of the Guilded Age 

Host: Flagler Museum 

Link to the Flagler Museum's online room 


Author and lauded historian, Dr. Gray Brechin, discusses the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition. It was the most complex project ever undertaken by the people of San Francisco, who erected glittering palaces, parks, and exhibition halls from the ruins of the 1906 earthquake. The city proved itself the “Paris of the West” as it celebrated the completion of the Panama Canal, and also commemorated the 400th anniversary of the discovering of the Pacific Ocean by the explorer, Balboa. 

Every state in the Union had a building represented at the exposition, and even though there was a World War in progress, almost every major nation in the world was able to construct an exhibit. The tallest most well-recognized building of the World’s Fair was the Tower of Jewels. The 43 story building was covered by more than a hundred thousand colored glass "jewels" that dangled and reflected light. Never before had there been a fair who's architectural focus had been so all-encompassing. The fair sprawled 635 acres showcasing art, fashion, food, technology and cultures from around the world. 

Upcoming Lectures in the 23rd Annual Whitehall Lecture Series: 


Feb. 17: "The Great Extravaganza: The 1905 Lewis and Clark Centennial and American Pacific Exposition and Oriental Fiar," by Carl Abbott. 

Feb. 24: "French Architecture and Nationalism: The 1889 Exposition Universelle," by Kristin Cooley 

March 2: "Meet Me in Saint Louis: The 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition," by James Gilbert 
Wednesday, February 13, 2008 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time, 1:00 Central, noon Mountain, 11:00 a.m. Pacific, and 7:00 p.m. GMT/UTC/Zulu:

The History of Chocolate in the United States 

Watch for further information about these upcoming events in the Library of Congress online series of programs: 

Mar 12 - Early scrapbooks and the women who created them 
April 9 - Poetry 
May 14 - Jefferson's Library 
June 11 - All History Is Local in a Digital World 

Host: Library of Congress 

Location: OPAL Online Auditorium 
Friday, February 15, 2008 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time, 1:00 Central, noon Mountain, 11:00 a.m. Pacific, and 7:00 p.m. GMT/UTC/Zulu:

A Casual Conversation with Michelle Boule 

Michelle Boule is an academic librarian, a blogger at A Wandering Eyre and at the ALA TechSource Blog, an organizer of Five Weeks to a Social Library, an LJ Mover and Shaker, and much more. Plus, she is married to a real-life rocket scientist, owns a Nebolish Mastiff named Pullo, and is about to have a baby. 

The Casual Conversations series is designed to be up-close and personal from a respectable online distance. While there are many conferences (in-person, online, and in-world) where librarians can hear leaders in the field make formal presentations about interesting projects, there are few opportunities to hear these same leaders discuss informally what they currently are working on, their future plans and goals, the challenges and opportunities facing librarianship, their personal pet peeves, etc. 

Watch for more information about these upcoming Casual Conversations: 

Friday, March 28, 2008: Marshall Breeding 
Friday, April 11, 2008: Jenny Levine 
Friday, May 16, 2008: Stephen Abram 
Friday, June 6, 2008: Michael Stephens 
Friday, July 11, 2008: Greg Schwartz 

Host: TAP Information Services 

Link to the OPAL Online Auditorium 
Sunday, February 17, 2008 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time, 2:00 Central, 1:00 Mountain, noon Pacific, and 7:00 p.m. GMT/UTC/Zulu:

"The Great Extravaganza: The 1905 Lewis and Clark Centennial and American Pacific Exposition and Oriental Fair," by Carl Abbott, part of the Flagler Museum Whitehall Lecture Series on The Great Expositions of the Guilded Age 

Host: Flagler Museum 

Link to the Flagler Museum's online room 


Esteemed author and professor, Carl Abbot will discuss the 1905 Lewis and Clark Centennial and American Pacific Exposition and Oriental Fair. For 137 days Portland, Oregon, hosted the first exposition held on the Pacific coast. The event attracted 1.6 million visitors, and featured exhibits from twenty-one countries. Exposition organizers’ goal was to promote Portland as the commercial hub of the Pacific Northwest. The centennial of Lewis and Clark’s nation-building journey across the continent in 1805 provided a perfect theme. 

For an admission charge of 50 cents the fair offered attendees a slice of the world –- entertainment, enlightenment, novel inventions, and unique experiences awaited each visitor. It showcased the natural resource bounty of the region and offered Portland up as the gateway to commercial opportunities in and with Asia. 

Upcoming Lectures in the 23rd Annual Whitehall Lecture Series: 


Feb. 24: "French Architecture and Nationalism: The 1889 Exposition Universelle," by Kristin Cooley 

March 2: "Meet Me in Saint Louis: The 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition," by James Gilbert 
Sunday, February 24, 2008 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time, 2:00 Central, 1:00 Mountain, noon Pacific, and 7:00 p.m. GMT/UTC/Zulu:

"French Architecture and Nationalism: The 1889 Exposition Universelle," by Kristin Cooley, part of the Flagler Museum Whitehall Lecture Series on The Great Expositions of the Guilded Age 

Host: Flagler Museum 

Link to the Flagler Museum's online room 


Highly accomplished scholar Kristin Cooley will discuss French Architecture and nationalism at The 1889 Exposition Universelle. Regarded as the most prestigious World's Fair, the Paris Universal Exposition of 1889 illustrated the French government’s support of progress and stability. Paris saw thirty million people attend the Exposition, one of the few that made a profit. World’s Expositions were opportunities for the host country to strengthen its patriotism and the Exposition Universelle showcased French technological, colonial, and artistic superiority. 

The Eiffel Tower and the “Galerie des Machines,” two of the most famous engineering constructions of the 19th Century, were built at the same time for the Paris Exposition. In the massive “Galerie des Machines” visitors could enjoy a symphony of steam engines and stand in awe of the latest technology. Other popular attractions were dances performed by natives of far-off countries, and the Palace of Liberal Arts. At the time it held the largest exhibit of art at an exposition and most extensive display of American art in Europe. For the first time, the people of Europe were exposed on a massive scale to foreign cultures and foreign “worlds.” 

Upcoming Lecture in the 23rd Annual Whitehall Lecture Series: 


March 2: "Meet Me in Saint Louis: The 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition," by James Gilbert 
Wednesday, February 27, 2008 at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time, 8:00 Central, 7:00 Mountain, 6:00 Pacific, and 2:00 a.m. Thursday GMT/UTC/Zulu:

Book Discussion of the detective novel The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler 

Chandler is the master of the hard-boiled detective novel, and The Big Sleep was his first novel. Follow private investigator Phillip Marlowe around 1930's Los Angeles as he tries to make sense of a world filled with drugs, pornography, bribery, blackmail, and murder. 

This discussion is part of the ongoing series of casual book discussions called "Waiting for the Other Gumshoe to Drop," focussing on American and British hard-boiled detective fiction. 

This discussion will also be held in Second Life at Mystery Manor on Info Island. You may participate in OPAL, in Second Life, or both! 

NLS Audiobook number RC 32657. 

Host: TAP Information Services 

Link to the OPAL Online Auditorium 

 
Tom Peters, OPAL Coordinator
 
TAP Information Services
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