Educators in VR is proud to announce our first Educators in VR Librarian Team October 4, 2023, in ENGAGE XR.

Librarians are the gateway to technology in schools and communities, often the innovating pioneers. They offer workshops and training for teachers and students on new technology, often finding the grant money before other departments, and supporting the entire campus for access and resources.

Librarians have been teaching and working in the metaverse for over 20 years, and we are excited to bring them together to discuss the challenges and opportunities for immersive learning.

Librarian leaders, such as the Community Virtual Library group, have set up virtual libraries in Second Life and on platforms across the metaverse. Their members have published some of the most extensive research on teaching techniques and educational virtual world building. We are eager to be working with them again.

The concept of metaliteracy, coined by Tom Mackey and Trudi Jacobson, describes a set of competencies individuals need to develop to participate fully in today’s information and technological environment. Metaliteracy is essential for librarians and their users to learn to navigate the metaverse and interact with vast amounts of information in the virtual world.

Librarians honestly don’t need much incentive to justify exploring and teaching in the metaverse, but if you are new to this, consider this.

• Enhanced Accessibility: The metaverse offers libraries opportunities to reach out to a wider audience, including those who may not have access to physical libraries or resources. Libraries may leverage the virtual space to provide information, resources, and services to people from around the world.
• Innovative Learning Immersive learning in the metaverse provides unique opportunities for libraries to create learning experiences not possible in a traditional classroom or library, expanding their reach but also their curriculum and offerings. Libraries can create interactive exhibits, simulations, and other educational resources that engage learners in new and exiting ways.
• Collaboration: If there is one term that describes the metaverse, it is collaboration. Libraries using the metaverse may collaborate easily with other institutions, organizations, and individuals from around the world to share resources, knowledge, and expertise with others.
• Future Proofing: Technology is advancing quickly. The current state of the metaverse, a mix of computer generated virtual platforms and apps, is a bridge between traditional teaching and the future of AI and immersive learning where borders and fences of all kinds are broken through daily. By exploring and teaching in the metaverse, librarians stay ahead of the curve and prepare themselves, and their institutions, for whatever the future may bring.

Librarians are already exploring and teaching in the metaverse. Educators in VR wants to bring them together to create the synergy we know is possible for enhanced accessibility, innovative learning experiences, collaboration, and preparing ourselves for the future by offering valuable resources and services to their communities from within the virtual spectrum.

Our Educators in VR Teams are special interest groups that meet regularly to explore an XR industry vertical through the eyes of academia and business, hosting discussions and events that dive deeply into the specialty.

If you miss the October meetup, join us November 8, 2023, for our next EDVR Librarian Team Meetup.