Asia-Pacific Library and Information Conference 2018, 30 July - 2 August 2018 Gold Coast: Roar Leap Dare
This conference poster presentation outlines the experience of the National Institute of Education Library, Singapore (NIE Library) in the implementation of a virtual reality (VR) library tour.
Virtual reality (VR) provides a computer generated 3D environment that surrounds a user and responds to that individual’s actions in a natural way. Organisations are using VR solutions for training, space visualization and product evaluation as VR solutions have become increasingly accessible while offering a scalable, user friendly and an immersive experience for users.
Leveraging on the accessibility of such technology solutions, the NIE Library experimented with 360-degree digital camera and VR software tools to create a VR library tour experience for library users. While NIE Library has been providing an overview of the Library facilities and resources through the Library website, users may merely be getting snapshots of the Library through images and textual descriptions of Library facilities and resources. To excite library users in getting to know the library better, the NIE Library explored the use VR solutions with the objective of providing an immersive VR library tour experience for library users.
This poster presentation describes NIE Library experience in implementing a VR library tour, including the process of capturing 360-degree VR views of the library using 360-degree digital camera and the incorporation of media elements such as photos, annotations, textual descriptions and contextual floor plans using VR software tools. As part of the poster presentation, NIE Library will show case the VR library tour using tablets onsite and share observations, impacts, techniques, challenges, benefits, experiences and key learning points with other libraries who are considering employing VR solutions in their library.
