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Auditorium
Most OPAL programs are held in the Auditorium. Enter any username. Leave the password blank.

Schedule
The complete schedule of upcoming OPAL public online events.

Archive
If you missed an OPAL live online event, look for a recording of the program in the OPAL archive.

Getting Started
If you're new to OPAL, this page provides info and tips on getting started.

Podcast
If you want to listen on your computer or favorite MP3 player to an audiorecording of a previous OPAL event, visit the OPAL Podcast blog.

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Chronological List of All Upcoming Programs

    Note: All OPAL public events are free of charge and open to everyone worldwide. Most OPAL online programs last about an hour.


  • Tuesday, February 9, 2010 beginning at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time, 10:00 Central, 9:00 Mountain, 8:00 Pacific, and 4:00 p.m. GMT:
      Trendy Topics One-Day Online Conference on Social Networking

      Over the course of the day a group of presenters (Meredith Farkas, Lauren Jensen, Joe Murphy, Beth Duttlinger, Rhonda Trueman, Rebecca Teasdale, Alison Miller, Matt Gullett, and Cynthia Hart) will explore and discuss with participants how libraries and librarians can use the plethora of social networking tools to build and sustain communities of interest.

      Please Note: Participants are required to register for this one-day conference and pay a small registration fee. This is the first of nine monthly one-day Trendy Topics conferences that will be held throughout 2010.

      Conference Website (includes registration info): Trendy Topics Conference Website

      Co-Organizers: Alliance Library System and TAP Information Services
  • Thursday, February 11, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time, 1:00 Central, noon Mountain, 11:00 a.m. Pacific, and 7:00 p.m. GMT:
      How Green Is My Library: A Conversation with the Co-Authors Ned Himmel and Sam McBane Mulford

      How green is your library, anyway? While there is a broad spectrum of ecological sophistication within libraries nationwide and some regions are at the forefront of sustainable design and operations, others are just beginning or have yet to integrate materials recycling into their daily practice.

      Ned Himmel and Sam McBane Mulford are the authors of the recently published book, How Green is My Library?, published by Libraries Unlimited. Join us for an informal discussion with the authors about their book and the ideas, information, and recommendations it contains.

      Host: TAP Information Services

      Location: OPAL Auditorium
  • Tuesday, February 16, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time, 1:00 Central, noon Mountain, 11:00 a.m. Pacific, and 7:00 p.m. GMT:
      FiLBeRt Roundtable Discussion: The Future of Libraries, Books, and Reading

      The shared futures of libraries, books, and reading seem very hazy at present. Join us for a monthly, lively, informal discussion of new developments, challenges, and opportunities. It'll be a roundtable, so everyone is welcome to chime in. If it's a FiLBeRt discussion, it's going to be nutty!

      Host: TAP Information Services

      Location: OPAL Auditorium
  • Tuesday, February 16, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, 7:00 Central, 6:00 Mountain, 5:00 Pacific, and 1 a.m. Thursday GMT:
      American Short Stories with Professor Loren Logsdon: The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe

      In high school or college did you have an English teacher who really made literature come alive for you? Well, Professor Loren Logsdon of Eureka College in central Illinois is better than that! Throughout 2010 we'll be meeting monthly to discuss classic American short stories.

      First published in 1846, "The Cask of Amontillado" tells a tell set in Italy during the carnival celebrations. Montresor feels that he has suffered a thousand injuries from Fortunato and decides to seek revenge.

      Host: TAP Information Services

      Location: OPAL Auditorium
  • Tuesday, February 16, 2010 at 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time, 9:00 Central, 8:00 Mountain, 7:00 Pacific, and 3 a.m. Thursday GMT:
      A Discussion of the novel American Rust by Philipp Meyer (Monthly Meeting of the "Waiting for the Other Gumshoe to Drop" Book Discussion Group)

      In this first novel from Philipp Meyer, Isaac English and Billy Poe, recently graduated high school friends from Buell, a rusting and dying town in western Pennsylvania, decide to head out for California. Mayhem and death ensue. Frustrated hopes and small-town secrets are revealed. This novel was named a Notable Book for 2009 by the New York Times Book Review.

      Note: This discussion also will occur at Mystery Manor on Info Island in Second Life. Feel free to join the discussion in OPAL or in Second Life.

      Host: TAP Information Services

      Location: OPAL Auditorium
  • Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time, 1:00 Central, noon Mountain, 11:00 a.m. Pacific, and 7:00 p.m. GMT:
  • Friday and Saturday, March 5th and 6th, 2010:
      The Future is Now: Libraries and Museums in Virtual Worlds

      Libraries and museums are becoming very active in three-dimensional virtual worlds. Over the course of this two-conferrence there will be keynote speeches, presentations, panel discussions, tours, demonstrations, and social events in OPAL, Second Life (esp. ALA Island), and in other virutal worlds.

      Please Note: Participants are required to register for this two-day conference and pay a small registration fee.

      Conference Website (includes registration info): FIN10 Conference Website

      Co-Organizers: The ALA VCL MIG (Virtual Communities and Libraries, Member Initiative Group), the ACRL VW IG (Virtual Worlds Interest Group), the Alliance Library System, and TAP Information Services

      Sponsor: LearningTimes, an open community of education and training professionals
  • Wednesday, March 17, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, 7:00 Central, 6:00 Mountain, 5:00 Pacific, and midnight GMT:
      ALSC Student Session: "Getting Your First Library Job: Tips from Library Directors" Presented by Therese Bigelow, Chesapeake (VA) Public Library & Gene Nelson, Provo (Utah) City Library

      With today's economy, you'll need an extra edge to land that first library job. Let ALSC help. Join us for a discussion about the skills that make new librarians more marketable, new technologies that directors will hope you know how to use, and most importantly, how you can stand out in a sea of new graduates. Session will include ample time for Q&A.

      About the ALSC Student Session Series: ALSC invites student members to interact, network, and learn virtually through this free online series of presentations and discussions. Each one hour session gives students the opportunity to discuss hot library topics with ALSC members across the country without having to leave home. Everyone is welcome to attend.

      Host: ALSC: Association for Library Service to Children

      Location: ALA OPAL 100-Seat Online Room
  • Wednesday, March 24, 2010 at 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time, 11:30 a.m. Central, 10:30 a.m. Mountain, 9:30 a.m. Pacific, and 4:30 p.m. GMT:
      Let's Get Social: Twitter

      We'll talk about library-related uses of Twitter and your favorite Twitter applications. Everyone is welcome to attend this live online event, which will last approximately 90 minutes. If you live outside of Illinois, there is no need to register. Illinois librarians, please register online at Library Learning.

      About the "Let's Get Social" Series: Join your library colleagues for a series of lunchtime programs on various aspects of online social networking. Hear from librarians at DuPage Library System libraries, and share your own experiences. All sessions are from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Central Time. The programs are open to all, but Illinois librarians are asked to register online at Library Learning.

      Host: DuPage Library System The DuPage Library System is one of nine regional, multitype library systems in Illinois that support local library services. It serves 132 member libraries, including academic, public, school, and special libraries in the western suburbs of Chicago.

      Location: OPAL Auditorium
  • Tuesday, July 20, 2010 at 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time, 11:30 a.m. Central, 10:30 a.m. Mountain, 9:30 a.m. Pacific, and 4:30 p.m. GMT:
      Let's Get Social: Social Bookmarking

      Social bookmarking lets you share your favorite websites with others, as well as giving you access from any computer. We'll talk about how and why libraries are using various social bookmarking sites, such as delicious, digg, and StumbleUpon. Everyone is welcome to attend this live online event, which will last approximately 90 minutes. If you live outside of Illinois, there is no need to register. Illinois librarians, please register online at Library Learning.

      About the "Let's Get Social" Series: Join your library colleagues for a series of lunchtime programs on various aspects of online social networking. Hear from librarians at DuPage Library System libraries, and share your own experiences. All sessions are from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Central Time. The programs are open to all, but Illinois librarians are asked to register online at Library Learning.

      Host: DuPage Library System The DuPage Library System is one of nine regional, multitype library systems in Illinois that support local library services. It serves 132 member libraries, including academic, public, school, and special libraries in the western suburbs of Chicago.

      Location: OPAL Auditorium

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