Virtual Reality Comes to Media Libraries

On September 11, a training day dedicated to virtual reality was held at the Espace multimédia Gantner (Bourgogne-Franche-Comté), organized by the Belfort Departmental Library. The session, led by two members of Unframed Collection, Julie Brault from the distribution team and Julien Déis from the technical team, brought together several professionals from the region’s library network. The objective was twofold: to present Unframed Collection’s immersive content offer and to introduce participants to the use of VR headsets through a hands-on workshop.

For the past year, the Gantner Multimedia Space has been providing its visitors with several headsets to explore a carefully curated selection of eight works from the Unframed Collection catalog (Battlefield, Gloomy Eyes, Biolum, Champollion, the Egyptian, Claude Monet – The Water Lilies Obsession, Our Fantastic Worlds, A New Odyssey Around the World, and Kinshasa Now). This pioneering initiative has not only expanded access to immersive storytelling but also fostered fruitful exchanges and shared experiences between institutions. A notable example is the Châtenois Media Library in Bas-Rhin, which recently benefited from a loan of virtual reality equipment. This opportunity allowed the team to test both the technical setup required for integrating virtual reality within its spaces and to observe firsthand how diverse audiences responded to this very promising new medium.

Feedback from Adeline Bernardin, Head of the Châtenois Media Library

For Adeline Bernardin, head of the media library, the project was a first encounter with VR. She shares her impressions enthusiastically:

It is with great pleasure that I share my feedback. It was a wonderful experience to bring this project into my library. The headsets are easy to use, and the content is varied enough to appeal to a wide range of users, from ages 9 to 102! The immersion in the films is total, it’s an incredible experience! I highly recommend it and would not hesitate to do it again! Adeline Bernardin, Head of the Chatenois Media Library

Two Models of Implementation : Event-driven and Permanent

At the Châtenois Library, two diffusion models were tested. The first consisted of a one-day session with eight headsets available during the Les yeux-doc event, which welcomed groups of children from a leisure center by age cohort. The second involved providing two headsets in open access for three weeks. This latter format proved particularly valuable, generating regular returns and sustained enthusiasm, especially among teenagers, who were particularly drawn to works such as Champ de Bataille and Biolum.

The Role of Mediation

Adeline Bernardin also emphasized the importance of human mediation. A systematic introduction to the experience for each visitor, combined with 30-minute session limits, ensured a smooth rotation and allowed everyone the opportunity to fully enjoy the discovery.

Spotlight on the Claude Monet – The Water Lilies Obsession VR Experience

Among the works presented, Claude Monet – The Water Lilies Obsession left a lasting impression for its intergenerational appeal and evocative power. Shared with a wide variety of audiences, it was unanimously praised for its realism, poetic aspect, and ability to demonstrate the relevance of VR as a cultural tool.

VR: A Promising Tool for Libraries and Media Centers

These feedbacks highlight the relevance of implementing VR programming in libraries and media libraries: as a tool for intergenerational mediation, a means of cultural experimentation, and a driver of local attractiveness. Easy to use, it broadens the institutions’ offerings and renews their practices, reaching both seasoned audiences and first-time users alike.