Lincoln Township Public Library recently received an Improving Access to Information Grant from the Library of Michigan’s Institute of Museum and Library Services, through the Library Services and Technology Act. With this grant, the library has purchased eight Meta Quest 3 virtual reality (VR) headsets.
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VR headsets have been around for over 30 years and have progressed a lot recently. Today, they are being used for many entertainment and educational purposes. They offer many of the same functions that computers and smartphones have, including connecting with friends, playing games, and watching videos. Yet the experience with VR headsets is unique because they allow users to become much more immersed in the virtual environment. Imagine watching a video about prospecting for gold in Alaska in the 1890s or the first flight by the Wright Brothers in 1903 on your computer or smartphone. It’s already interesting enough. Now imagine watching it in 3D with a VR headset on, with stunning graphics all around you and captivating sound, making it feel much more like you’re actually there!
In the near future, the library will be making these headsets available for patrons to use. It may seem a little intimidating at first to try relatively new technology like this, but we believe it can be a great experience for patrons of all ages. If you’re not sure about this and want to test them out, we currently have three different monthly book groups going where participants can give it a try:
- Ageless Adventures at the Senior Center: Every fourth Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. at the St. Joseph-Lincoln Senior Service Center
- Ageless Adventures at LTPL: Every fourth Wednesday at 10:00 a.m.
- VR Book Discussion at LTPL: Every fourth Thursday at 4:30 p.m.
To participate in any of these groups, patrons can pick up a copy of the next book selection at the library (or the Senior Center for the one there) and come on the date of the program prepared to discuss the book. But we’ll also be using the Meta Quest 3 headsets to learn more about the topics in the books. If you want to discuss some good books and expand your mind in new and exciting ways, we hope you’ll want to participate in one of these groups this year!
