Thanks Mike.

We're taking a slightly modified approach I think.  We too see VR as an opportunity to pilot communities but we're not waiting to see if there is a justifiable need, we're showing and defining the need.  We see VR (and 3D printing and understanding electronics, software and informatics) as pathways to the creation of new knowledge, based on existing knowledge.  Thus we're positioning this as a natural extension of what libraries have always done and thus must continue to be involved in.  Since we're building a large Innovation Hub in our Research Park here at OU, we've positioned the Innovation Edge (and the OVAL within and which are located in the Library at the center of the campus) as a logical connection to the larger, more richly resourced Innovation Hub.  But we're showing the Library as the place to go to learn how to use the tools of the Hub in creating entrepreneurship, innovation while also supporting research and instruction across all domains from the Humanities to STEM.  We believe it's critically important for libraries to tie their existing resources and knowledge into those environments so they can define this as a yet another way to express knowledge and to create it based on existing knowledge (think CD's->DVD's->iTunes->Streaming in the music industry).  The formats knowledge is created in, and expressed in, will continue to evolve.  Positioning your library at the forefront is a an ever evolving task as well.  We see VR as just one more way to do that, therefore we feel we must help to lead the way, not just follow (I guess I'm a fan of Steve Jobs thinking: "They don't know what they want until you show it to them"!).

More videos of what we're doing are listed below;

Electronics workshop:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOmfNjfiMts
Data management:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bw-9_Mnq4jQ
Geovisualization:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ad7i5bNtc8
Informatics/Software Carpentry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEXvNwRQ5Lk

Carl

Carl Grant
Associate Dean, Knowledge Services & Chief Technology Officer
University of Oklahoma Libraries
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On Mar 24, 2016, at 11:40 AM, Mike Nutt <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Cool work, Carl!
> 
> We're using a somewhat inductive approach to VR support, first gathering information about campus needs.
> 
> Along with our distance education unit, we have piloted a community of interest on campus around VR. Right now this is taking the form of a Google Plus Community and face-to-face, interdisciplinary meetups. Data collected through discussion is helping us determine our direction, including whether or not there is a justifiable need for shared VR infrastructure on campus.
> 
> If you have a tech lending program, you could dive right in and start lending devices. We have/have had AR/VR devices in our Tech Lending Beta Program (http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/techlending/techlending-beta-program). A reservation form allows us to capture information from users (e.g., their department) and their intended uses.
> 
> If you are at a big research school, you may have a searchable database of funded research projects. We've used our sponsored research portal to search for projects that have "virtual reality" and similar terms in their titles. This helped us identify faculty to target for the interest group and what kinds of devices faculty are interested in.
> 
> Thanks,
> Mike
> 
> Mike Nutt
> Director of Visualization Services
> Digital Library Initiatives
> NCSU Libraries
> 919.513.0651
> Join the Code+Art community
> 
> Exchanges with me at this address can be disclosed to third parties.