Virtual Reality

The SJSU School of Information is located in the heart of the Silicon Valley, and it is important that our students are exposed to various emerging technologies impacting the library and information science field. According to the American Library Association, virtual reality is an important current and future trend. One of the emerging technologies the iSchool is actively exploring is browser-based virtual environments. 

Browser-based virtual reality is also one of the easiest VR technologies to learn to use and no special equipment is needed. These three-dimensional environments can be accessed using a computer or you can access it with a VR headset. 

iSchool Student Hangout - This large public space has multiple restricted audio zones for private conversations and an easy teleport system to different locations. There are areas for small group meetups, presentations or talks, exhibits areas, and an AI librarian chatbot.

The iSchool’s VR initiatives allow students, faculty, and staff to explore and use alternative meeting spaces, or to learn at their own pace how to build these highly customizable environments.  Originally we hosted Mozilla Hubs open-source code on our own servers, but when Mozilla discontinued that project, we pivoted to using FrameVR and Spatial, which are similar platforms.

Browser-based virtual environments an alternative to Zoom for meetings (with similar features), but the possibilities are endless. Users can also collaborate with others to create joint projects. To learn more about how VR is being used in libraries, check out our own King Library’s KLEVR Lab. 

KLEVR Lab at the King Library

San José State University’s King Library has an experiential virtual reality lab (KLEVR). They’ve had several virtual reality exhibits on different browser-based platforms that work much like Hubs. The KLEVR Lab is always exploring new devices and they have space for people to get hands-on experience with using a range of augmented reality (AR) as well as VR devices to experience exhibits like this one in a fully immersive way.  The Festival of Lanterns (below) is a beautiful example of a browser-based VR exhibit. Previous browser-based exhibits included a tour of ofrendas (altars) for Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) and a 3D tour of San Jose State University’s most iconic locations.

Festival of Lanterns

This exhibit was built in Mozilla Hubs and celebrates Asian Pacific Heritage Month and features Chinese brush painting on hanging lanterns. Visit the different rooms to see 60 different painted lanterns created by the Chan Lim family of artists. Explore and learn more about the symbolism of this art form and the artists. View the room from the page at https://library.sjsu.edu/festivaloflanterns