-The Idea-

A developing trend is the use of virtual spaces and reality, which libraries can adopt as a burgeoning technology to foster creativity, learning, and fun. By investing resources to create an open space with virtual reality headsets available connected to adequate computers the library can draw in community members to experience a new world as well as invent new ways to interact that haven’t been thought of since access to these tools is typically restricted by a large upfront cost to interact with such a new device.

-Action Brief-

The Placer County Library System should invest resources into the acquisition of Virtual Reality Headsets as well as open areas to utilize for these devices which will provide poorer families the chance to interact with a new technology that requires space and money not everyone has access to, because it can be a useful learning tool for everyone, an advanced option for creativity, as well as a exciting new device that can be fun for people who haven’t experienced it before.

Examples of how the community can engage with the technology are as follows: It can allow those unable to travel abroad to experience distant sights in depth, it can be used as a digital storage space for archives of not just spaces but visual works such as art. Designers and engineers can experiment with a 3D space to see if their concept will work in practice, which is easier to understand than working in a 2D environment to create references. Providing this access can invite further exploration of the new medium as there isn’t a full understanding of what the future of this technology will look like. Libraries should help foster possible futures, but also be a place communities can express themselves in new and fun ways. Games are another obvious way this experience can be useful to users, but it can also foster long distance connections with others using online 3D applications. There are many possibilities that can develop or be suggested by community members which the library system should encourage.

-Who will you help-

As was previously mention there are many possibilities of how this technology can be utilized. Families or individuals living in small apartments that cannot establish their own virtual reality space as well as those who cannot afford the technology required to establish the creative space will benefit the most from this program. The headsets can be come in many variants, such as cheap headsets with little ability to track the user or high end devices. As a test run for this program the libraries should seek to utilize a small amount of the more expensive versions which would be difficult to afford casually. This also gives the Placer County community the ability to see if they would like to purchase these devices for their own projects at home.

-Where did you find inspiration-

To show the value in gaming experiences, such as how these fun experiences promote learning and immersion I read some articles from the National Literacy Trust which reported a majority of children write and read messages in games, which helps develop their reading skills (2021).

As for how creative pursuits are shown to be valuable I looked towards an article on Slate which writes about the changing purpose of libraries as they are not just places for books, but adapting areas that help grow the skills of patrons while letting them express themselves in what they call maker-spaces that can be used by anyone (Agresta, 2014).

For a reference on how I should plan and implement this program I took inspiration from the Library Journal which focused on how libraries should be ready to experiment with new programs, fail, and as Sandlian Smith was quoted in the article as saying “it’s our job to help communicate the vision of the future or provoke that conversation with our community” when referring to the role of libraries (Peet, 2016). It motivated the idea for something as experimental and new as VR which the community could help develop as a program.

To understand the uses and applications of VR I read an article by Program Ace which discusses many options the headsets can be used for, from the obvious educational and entertainment value, but it also mentions how it encourages social interaction in the digital sphere (2023).

-Guidelines and Policies-

The policies should be implemented by the board of supervisors Board of Supervisors. However they should seek to hold a public inquiry as to the public’s interest in the technology as well as suggestions on the policies for the program. Obviously the rules should follow the basics outlined with the libraries current rules, restricting obscene or offensive content.

The policies should be implemented with a strict requirement that one must be in good standing with the library and they must have a library card to ensure the technology isn’t abused. Users will be able to reserve the devices for up to an hour, then if another patron wants to try out the device it must be relinquished, otherwise they can use the technology for an extended time in the event they are working on a long term project such as 3D modeling a mechanical part or art piece. The virtual reality space should be separate from other areas in the libraries for safety so they don’t accidentally disrupt other patrons, but have a glass wall to ensure the user is not abusing the technology.

-Timeline-

First the recommendation must be made to the Board of Supervisors, they should hold a meeting with the Advisory Board and Placer County Director of Library Services to gauge interest in and experience with these devices. Then a small segment of the existing librarians should be trained for a few months to understand the virtual reality devices as well as the programs that will be installed on the computers so they can help patrons with setup and errors. Then when training is completed after a three month long program, the devices should be purchased and spaces should be established ahead of time. After half a year the program should be established in its beta form then over the next six months it’s use should be constantly monitored to record use and application. If wide spread adoption is seeing positive, sustained results then the library system should invest in more spaces as well as additional VR headsets. Otherwise this can be relegated to a novelty until it sees a decline in usage. After another full year further investment should be monitor to increase the resources more, but the program must remain flexible.

-Marketing-

This shall be marketed to the supervisors and community as a new opportunity to experience whole new worlds of possibilities. This is as close to experience another dimension as our technology has ever reached before. It can be a science fiction experience like the holodeck from Star Trek, but it can also be compared to stepping into a novel of any kind to express creativity or play a game. It will be cheaper than traveling and easier to 3D model a piece than trying to physically build a prototype to your next project. Since it will be beta tested first, the library system won’t have to over invest in resources and the space can be reallocated to other projects if this program doesn’t seem to remain popular.

-Staff Training-

Staff training will be over a two or three month period as the library system shall rent space and equipment to test the software off-site spending one day a week learning while other librarians maintain the libraries normal operation during. This slow steady training will not detract from normal library functioning and assist with a deeper memorization with the equipment. Only one staff member at each library needs to be trained as long as they work full time to help with the implementation of the project. After the equipment is established they can assist other librarians in learning the new technology on-site so if they move away from the program someone else can take up the task.

Training will be led by a committee created by the Board of Supervisors. This will ensure the training is standardized and simplified. It can also lead to connections being created between each library that can help with learning the new equipment. Finally it can help if staff needs to be moved from one library to another since the training will be understood by someone who can train others which will spread the skills required to operate the program instead of it disappearing with the original staff that was trained.

-Evaluation-

Benchmarks will be important as was mentioned in the timeline section. First an evaluation will be made by a simple poll of those in the community, not just those currently using the library to test if more people will visit the library if this program is established.

Then after the program is established whenever someone uses their library card to access the program it should be recorded as usage and their total time spent with the program should be monitored. If there is a group the number of attendants watching the virtual reality display screen should also be recorded so an accurate attendance statistic can be kept. Over six months these statistics can tell a story of how many community members are interested in the technology as well as how much they like it. Their enjoyment can be measured by polls as well as total time spent using the equipment.

As a way to show the possibilities present with this new technology users will be encouraged to share their projects as well as store them in the system for others to access so information and art can be shared. By understanding how users utilize Virtual Reality the library can know what aspects to expand on in the future as well as show others what they can do with it.

-References-

Agresta, M. (2014, April 22). What will become of the library? Slate. https://slate.com/human-interest/2014/04/the-future-of-the-library-how-theyll-evolve-for-the-digital-age.html

Loginov, M. (2015). Render the metaverse 3rd entry [Photograph]. Behance. https://www.behance.net/gallery/28885925/RENDER-THE-METAVERSE-3nd-Entry

National Literacy Trust. (2021, August 9). Children and young people’s video game playing and literacy in 2021. https://literacytrust.org.uk/research-services/research-reports/children-and-young-peoples-video-game-playing-and-literacy-in-2021/

Peet, L. (2016, September 13). The future of futures designing the future. Library Journal. https://www.libraryjournal.com/story/the-future-of-futures-designing-the-future

Pickett, D. (2016). Oculus Rift [Photograph]. Behance. https://www.behance.net/gallery/38496929/Oculus-Rift

Program Ace. (2023, December 26). Top 5 virtual reality trends of 2024: The future of VR. https://program-ace.com/blog/virtual-reality-trends/