Virtual Reality and Libraries Carwell

 

    As librarians strive to include a wide variety of tools and strategies to enhance their digital collections and libraries, eventually they will be drawn to the prosect of VR. VR or virtual reality is a software that creates a three dimensional environment that attempts to emulate a realistic depiction of reality that can be directly interacted with through the use of a screen in a helmet and gloves or control sticks. One particular way virtual reality can be used to enhance the library is through the replication of the classroom environment. By creating a virtual classroom librarians would be able to emulate the atmosphere of classroom in order to replicate the "student's efficiency" that is present in in-person classrooms (pg. 2). Through the use of VR librarians and teachers will be able to keep students and visitors engaged with their content as if they were at the library or in class in person.

    The current hold ups to the spread of VR in libraries and as an education tool have to do with expenses of buying VR technology and an environment that has constant access to high speed internet connection. As VR becomes more widespread and made more affordable to the public, it will become a tool that librarians and teachers can use to help create a conductive environment for learning for remote study.

Works Cited

• Shi, Zhixing, and Junjie Ma. “The Prospect and Introspection of Technology Educational Innovation.” Online Submission, vol. 5, no. 8, Jan. 2021, pp. 144–47. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=ED619854&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

• Library, Langley. “VR Comes to Langley Library.” Langley Advance Times, 30 Oct. 2017, www.langleyadvancetimes.com/home/vr-comes-to-langley-library/.

•