Manga Club Room
Kali Gifford, 2021 Showcase
Manga Club Room: I created a VR room that I would have used and may use again, in a public library for teen programming. I did a majority of the teen programming at my last library, and one of those programs was a Manga/Anime club, for teens and tweens to get together and share their favorite manga and discuss why they liked it. We had different themed meetings and even cosplay days. I would teach them about different elements of Japanese culture, and we would occasionally watch an episode of an anime they chose (and I approved). I thought having this virtual environment would be great to meet in, during the pandemic, or even after. It would allow more teens to join in on the meetings, even if they couldn’t get to the library. Using technology, especially fun tech like this is a great way to reach out to a demographic that historically libraries have a hard time with. This room can be customized for each meeting, with different elements to match the theme, or left generic to always work no matter the theme.
Kali Gifford: “I just completed my first semester in the MLIS program at SJSU, and I am excited to see where this program will take me. I have worked in libraries for the last 4 years, and prior to that was in the retail and customer service industry for 10 years, 5 of which were at the management level. My goal is to work in either public libraries or archives. I love learning new technology, and pushing the boundaries of what is expected or currently done in libraries, so this work in Mozilla hubs is something I plan to take with me into my future career. On a personal note, as a Navy spouse, being able to be in this online program while we move around the world has been invaluable to me.”