Virtual Reality and Libraries – Erika Westrich
When you think
of virtual reality, you think gaming - shooting zombies, crashing cars and fighting
bad guys; but what if you could do more? What if you could walk through a book;
see images played out all around you as an audio version of the book creates words
and surround-sound in your ears? How about taking a trip, to a faraway land
without ever leaving the comfort of an armchair in an air-conditioned library?
These things
and many more could be in our futures as virtual technology advances. Companies
such as Google and Facebook are creating or acquiring apps, programs and
virtual technology devises to expand their portfolios’ and our lives. Websites/Apps
like With.in (and their new, kid-friendly “Wonderscope”)
are paving the way for content that will support and evolve the way we use a
library. Every month With.in is adding new content to their site. Currently,
the content is all new and original but it is just a matter of time before
books, new and old, evolve into the virtual reality world; which book would you
like to step into?
Works Cited:
Lambert, Troy. “Virtual
Reality in the Library: Creating a New Experience.” Public Libraries Online. Public Library Association. 2019. www.publiclibrariesonline.org.
Accessed 19 April 2019.
Roettgers,
Janko. “A sense of Wonder: How Within Is Evolving Storytelling in Augmented
Reality.” Variety. Variety Media,
LLC. https://variety.com/2018/digital/features/within-wonderland-ar-storytelling-1203020435/.
Accessed 19 April 2019.
Within. 2019. www.with.in. Accessed 19 April 2019.
As a kid who loved reading books, I used to want to walk into them, just like Gumby and Pokey used to do! :) Wouldn't that be crazy if that becomes the norm?! Remember Viewfinders? The viewfinder users of yesterday are making the virtual reality mechanisms of today. Crazy stuff! What a wild ride!
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