Is Your Library Ready for the Reality of Virtual Reality?

Palmer, Meghan

Grant, Carl R., Rhind-Tutt, S., "Is Your Library Ready for the Reality of Virtual Reality? What You Need to Know and Why It Belongs in Your Library" (2018). Proceedings of the Charleston Library Conference. http://dx.doi.org/https://doi.org/10.5703/1288284317070

Synopsis:  This article defines virtual reality from a basic level, as well as explores the different types of virtual reality i.e. VR, AR, and MR. Additionally, it examines the benefits of virtual reality in libraries and why more libraries should adopt the technology for regular services outside of gaming.

Evaluation: While not the longest article, I think there's a lot to gain from it if you're looking for basic information about virtual reality and how it benefits libraries. It's a persuasive piece and I think it does a great job at exploring all of the options and giving examples of how different library patrons can benefit. I like that they specifically address the issue of accessibility and point out that virtual reality is a great tool to experience learning materials or specific texts that can't otherwise be accessed in a typical public/academic library due to fragility, price, etc. Overall, I love the perspective of using VR as a more affordable way to add more to library collections and keep patron interest.