Virtual Reality Tools in the Library: Oculus Education/California State Library Pilot Kicks Off in 90 California Libraries

From Oculus:

Books, like VR, open the door to new possibilities and let us experience worlds that would otherwise be beyond reach. Today, we’re excited to bring the two together through a new partnership with the California State Library. This pilot program will place 100 Rifts and Oculus Ready PCs in 90 libraries throughout the state, letting even more people step inside VR and see themselves as part of the revolution.
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The 90 participating locations span nearly half of the state’s 184 library jurisdictions—with the possibility for future expansion. Ultimately, the goal is to support equitable access to new and emerging technology.

Read the Complete Announcement
Additional Coverage from The Mercury News:

Califa Group, a San Mateo nonprofit, is overseeing the program.
VARLibraries — a network of libraries sharing best practices for implementing virtual and augmented realities — will run daily operations and deployment of the equipment.
The Oculus Rift and touch controllers cost $598 and an Oculus-ready laptop costs more than $1,000, according to the tech firm’s website.

Direct to VAR Libraries Web Site
Direct to List of Participating Libraries (via Oculus)

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