Reflection Blog: The Library of the Future is Here, and it’s Virtual
Feature Image Source: Senior VR Group, Milton Public Library
In Module 8: Rethinking Library Service for a Connected World, Michael Stephens emphasizes the need to rethink traditional library services to meet the ever-changing needs of the community. There is a need for new models of service that foster curiosity, equity, and life-long learning. After all, libraries are whatever the community needs, when it needs it. The Anythink Staff Manifesto upholds and empowers staff as:
“the gateway into the mind of the idea people who come to our facilities to find or fuel a spark”.
I love this idea of library professionals as the gateway: to new ideas, to curiosity, and to the world, large and small. One step through, and library users can enter a whole new universe.
This idea of the library and its staff as a gateway led me to thinking about the implementation of Virtual Reality (VR) in a variety of library services. VR programs are immersive, interactive, and world-building. They are endlessly customizable, and can break down barriers of access with a single doorway. Imagine being able to check out an entire world! At cost only to the library itself, VR services embedded in public libraries are free to users, enabling underserved communities to access education and exploration that they may not otherwise have access to.
In 2019, the Milton Public Library developed a program to introduce VR to seniors in their community to help reduce social isolation. They used VR to develop local experiences, such as walks down Main Street and rides on antique streetcars, that seniors could view through VR headsets. The San Jose Public Library invites users weekly to learn to use VR equipment to access educational and entertainment experiences. Nevada’s public libraries launched a VR workforce development initiative, where users can go on virtual “field trips” to explore different careers and skillsets, or study for different competency certificates and standardized tests.
At Western Michigan University Library, students can reserve VR headsets and technology to visit the Anne Frank House, float through space on Apollo 11, receive training on how to use a fire extinguisher or operate a crane, walk through nature or visit the Notre Dame in Paris, and play all sorts of games in virtual reality. At Georgetown University’s Lauinger Library, students can simulate surgery, receive military training, and walk on Mars.
These are just a few examples of how public and academic libraries are creating new, deeply human models of education and service to expand access to their users and communities. They are leveling the playing field for creativity and exploration, empowering users to build skills, invest in themselves, and broaden their worlds.
At the heart of these innovations lies the staff – part wizard, part genius, part explorer – whose knowledge and creativity transform technology into real community value. Their ability to curate, guide, and support users through new experiences is what ensures libraries will always be more than just their resources, but a never-ending gateway for possibility.
Resources
Anythink Libraries. (n.d.). Anythink staff manifesto [PDF]. https://www.anythinklibraries.org/sites/default/files/imce_uploads/Anythink_Staff_Manifesto.pdf
Be Inspired. (n.d.). Programs through the years. New Horizons for Seniors Program. https://beinspired.ca/new-horizons-for-seniors-program/programs-through-the-years/
Georgetown University Library. (n.d.). Virtual reality. https://library.georgetown.edu/vr
Library Journal. (2023, October 16). Nevada libraries launch workforce development program with VR, librarians in residence. https://www.libraryjournal.com/story/nevada-libraries-launch-workforce-development-program-with-vr-librarians-in-residence
San José Public Library. (n.d.). Virtual reality experience event. https://sjpl.bibliocommons.com/events/676de63f59163a2f0036fb39
Stephens, M. (n.d.). Module 8: New models. The Hyperlinked Library. San Jose State University. https://287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu/module-8-new-models/
Western Michigan University Libraries. (n.d.). Virtual reality in the library. https://wmich.edu/library/vr#tools
3 Comments
Becky Steenburg
I love this use of VR! So exciting for elderly to visit old places or new places and step out of their everyday lives for a bit.
SJSUDon
Hi Chandler,
This is quite an inspirational and eye-opening post! The link to the Western Michigan University page fascinated me with all of the options available. “Dreams of Dali” would be an amazing (and slightly terrifying!) excursion here!
In particular, I can see immense value with VR in education or workforce training in instances where the “real life” training aspect can be dangerous, costly, or wasteful. For example, in the WMU resources list, they have an option for fire extinguisher training. That, to me, seems like a perfect fit for the tool. Something through which users can ‘get the gist of it’ in a manner that is highly repetitive without wasting thousands of dollars on actual fire extinguishers, much less having to clean up the material.
Meanwhile, the “Titanic VR” one could be heartbreaking and scary, but also immersive, educational, and enchanting. The possibilities with this are almost endless, and I wonder what might be available next. I sure hope that these tools become widely accessible and not only available to the super-rich, and libraries can play a key role in that provision.
Michael Stephens
@chandler I really like how you took the Anythink manifesto and used it as a framework to explore what libraries are doing with VR opportunities. It just makes so much sense and I love all those examples of things you can do and see via virtual reality.