TX950 - A Movable Feast of Fun

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Text and Photos by ABBEY ZENITH

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What is happens once or twice a month, but is always different? Need a hint? It is always fun, includes dancing, chatting, puns, music, and costumes by the score? It is TX950! If you are reading this in RezLibris, the electronic magazine for librarians in virtual worlds, you probably have the inside track on what TX950 means. TX950 is the Library of Congress designation for bars and taverns, so what better moniker could there be for Alliance Virtual Library’s party central? The honorable J. J. Drinkwater, esteemed librarian of Caledon, first suggested the name when planning for Info Island was just getting underway. We thought it would be great fun to have a “Cheers”-like pub where volunteers could relax and chat and so the first TX950 came to be. It was a modern style building, created by Brackish Ludwig, with a glass front facing the sea, plenty of room for dancing inside and out, and the sounds of waves crashing along the shore. Our first party there was a luau; drawing a great crowd of librarians and others volunteers who had to be reminded to dance and not just talk shop! But we were all so excited and enthusiastic about what we were doing in Second Life; it was hard to talk about anything else.

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TX950 never became the daily hangout we had envisioned, it could have been the modern look, or the location, but it was a place where people enjoyed getting together occasionally for dancing. As the AVL sims expanded TX950 found a new home on Cybrary Island, again in a modern building by the sea. It was at this location we really began to have themed parties, starting with a pajama party, and then doing a 50s theme, and many others. We learned that people would rather dance outside than inside the building, that they loved to dress up in costumes, and that Second Life made it easy to transform a space to suit a theme. By this time librarians from all over the globe were rushing into Second Life and space was needed for libraries. While TX950 was a great success, it had again proved to be more of a location for parties than constant social networking, so we decided to let the space go to libraries and TX950 ceased to exist as a permanent location.

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For a time it magically appeared once or twice a month on the top of the Bell Library Tower on Info Island, in sets built and decorated by Bucky Barkley and me. One night a country-western bar complete with bull riding and line dancing, the next night a Hollywood premiere, then again a tree house where we could all relive childhood dreams, or a forest where we could unleash our inner furries. Each party has contests for best male and best female costumes and winners include king and queen of the prom or Mardi Gras, some far-out space cadets, spaced out hippies, and even toast (think Rocky Horror). For two years in a row we managed to have a beach party complete with surf, sand, and water slides on the top of a skyscraper. Volunteers contribute great ideas for the parties. HollyJean Allen’s “Come as You Aren’t” idea had everyone scrambling for how best to express what they aren’t – a Barbie doll, a super hero, an angel or a devil! Each year TX950 visits Caledon in the form of the Bookbinder’s ball, hosted by J. J. Drinkwater, where attendees dress in elaborate costumes representing literary characters and make guesses as to each others identity. Radio Riel often provides music for these events, always perfectly matching the music to the theme. Over time TX950 grew into a monthly celebration and thank-you to hard working volunteers.

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When changes morphed the library towers into the library buildings now found on Info Island, TX950 unplugged, enjoyed the freedom to change locations with each theme, taking advantage of wide open spaces above the AVL sims or great locations on the sims. For a glimpse of the Halloween parties, visit the marvelous machinima of HVX Silverstar on YouTube (Halloween 2009 and Halloween 2008). We’ve pitched tents at a desert oasis and slid down a water faucet to enter Dr. Seuss’ birthday celebration. One month might find us in a cozy lodge jumping on beds and coloring in front of the fire in our PJs and the next hanging out at the ER wearing scrubs or bandages. No matter what the theme volunteers and visitors alike make these parties rock! We’ve had over three years of TX950 events and we’re coming full circle in November by having a luau just as we did way back in 2006! Then we will start the 2010 with a New Year’s Eve Party on December 31st and a whole new slate of party ideas. We hope that you can join us sometime for this moveable feast of fun!

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