I'M GOING TO GET OUR RECORDING STARTED AND INTRODUCE OUR PRESENTERS FOR TODAY. WE'RE SO EXCITED TO HAVE WITH US JEN BISHOP WHO COMES TO US FROM THE CARROLL COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY IN MARYLAND. AS THE ONLINE SERVICES AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGY SUPERVISOR. AS WELL AS LIZ SUNDERMANN-ZINGER WHO COMES TO US FROM THE BALTIMORE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY AS THE VIRTUAL AND MEDIA SERVICES MANAGER. THEY HAVE TOLD SOME OF THEIR STORY IN A WEBJUNCTION ARTICLE AND THERE WAS SO MUCH INTEREST IN WHAT THEY WERE DOING THAT WE WANTED TO ASK THEM TO COME TELL A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THEIR WORK AND HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH YOU ALL. I'LL POST A LINK TO THAT GREAT ARTICLE. WELCOME, JEN AND LIZ. WE'RE SO EXCITED TO HAVE YOU HERE. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US THIS AFTERNOON OR WHATEVER TIME IT IS WHEREVER YOU ARE. I WANTED TO WELCOME EVERYONE. >> JEN BISHOP: I'M JEN BISHOP AND I'M THE ONLINE SERVICES EMERGING TECHNOLOGY SUPERVISOR. AND I'M GOING TO HAVE LIZ BRIEFLY INTRODUCE OURSELVES SO AS YOU GO BACK AND FORTH, YOU'LL KNOW WHO IS TALKING. >> LIZ SUNDERMANN-ZINGER: I'M LIZ. I DON'T KNOW IF OUR VOICES ARE THAT DISTINCT. I'M THE VIRTUAL AND MEDIA SERVICES MANAGER AT BALTIMORE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY AND RUNNING TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION GRANT FOR THE STATE. SO YOU'LL HEAR ME TALK ABOUT SOME STATE-WIDE ACTIVITIES WE'RE DOING AND LOCAL COUNTY ACTIVITIES WE'RE DOING. >> JEN BISHOP: GREAT, THANK YOU, LIZ. SO WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED. I'M GOING TO START BY DEFINING WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT. SO THERE'S A LOT OF TERMS THAT ARE FLOATING OUT THERE. WE HAVE VR, AR, MR, XR AND IT'S A LITTLE BIT CONFUSING. THESE TECHNOLOGIES FALL ON A SPECTRUM. AND THEY RANGE FROM REAL REALITY ON ONE SIDE, SO YOU ARE GROUNDED COMPLETELY IN THE PHYSICAL WORLD TO VIRTUAL REALITY ON THE OTHER END OF THE SPECTRUM WHERE YOU ARE SITUATED IN A COMPLETELY DIGITAL ENVIRONMENT. TODAY WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON VIRTUAL AND AUGMENTED REALITY. YOU ARE GOING TO HEAR THE OTHER TERMS AS YOU EXPLORE THE ENVIRONMENT. MR IS MIXED REALITY. YOU HAVE XR WHICH IS CROSS REALITY AND THE NEW TERM THAT'S HITTING THAT TYPE OF ENVIRONMENT IS SPATIAL COMPUTING. THEY DO HAVE DISTINCTIONS. WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT EACH ONE IS JUST TO KIND OF GROUND YOU IN THAT CONTEXTUAL LANGUAGE. SO MR IS MIXED REALITY. IT'S REGARDED AS MICROSOFT'S TERM OF DESCRIBING THEIR CONTENT WITH A HALLOW LENS. AUGMENTED REALITY WITH INER-ACTIVITY PIECE. YOU'LL FIND OTHER AR COMPANIES ALSO USE THAT MR TERM AS WELL FOR THEIR HEAD SETS. AND THEN XR STANDS FOR CROSS REALITY. IT'S KIND OF RISEN UP AS THIS ALL ENCOMPASSING TERM FOR ANYTHING THAT'S VR, AR OR MR. SO WE DIDN'T HAVE TO KEEP HAVING ALL OF THESE LETTERS FLOATING AROUND. PEOPLE JUST STARTED SAYING XR. WHAT WE'RE STARTING TO FIND IS WITH THE LAUNCH OF THE iPHONE XR, THE AR/VR WORLD DECIDED THAT'S CONFUSING. IF YOU DO A GOOGLE SEARCH FOR XR, THE iPHONE IS THE FIRST THING THAT'S GOING TO POP UP. WHAT DO WE CALL WHAT WE'RE DOING? YOU ARE STARTING TO SEE SPATIAL COMPUTING RISE TO THE TOP. IF YOU ARE CONFUSED, KNOW THAT'S NORMAL. THE AR, VR, MR, XR COMMUNITY IS EVOLVING. AND THERE'S NO CONSISTENT STANDARD. THERE IS SOME INCONSISTENCY IN TERMS. THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY. SO VIRTUAL REALITY FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVEN'T TRIED IT OR EXPERIENCED IT, IT'S ONE END OF THE SPECTRUM. IT'S PLACING YOU IN AN IMMERSIVE, COMPUTER-GENERATED WORLD. YOU ARE COMPLETELY BLOCKING OUT THE REAL WORLD. YOU ARE IMMERSED IN A DIGITAL WORLD. THIS IS A MORE DIGITAL EXPERIENCE TO A HIGHLY INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE BASED ON YOUR LEVEL OF TRACKING AND THE CONTROLLERS THAT YOU ARE USING. CAN RANGE ANYWHERE FROM A PHONE-BASED EXPERIENCE SO YOU ARE USING YOUR SMART PHONE AND A HEAD SET THAT USES LENSES TO A STAND-ALONE UNIT TO A CONSOLE LIKE PLAY STATION VR OR THE PC. WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT ALL THESE PLATFORMS A LITTLE MORE IN A MOMENT. BUT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHEN WE'RE USING VIRTUAL REALITY. AUGMENTED REALITY IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT. WHAT YOU ARE DOING WITH AUGMENTED REALITY IS YOU ARE OVERLAYING THAT 2D OR 3D DIGITAL CONTENT ON TOP OF THE REAL WORLD. DEPENDING ON THE MRALT FORM, THERE ARE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF INNER ACTIVITY. SOME YOU MAY HAVE NO INNER ACTIVITY. OTHERS YOU CAN INTERACT WITH THAT DIGITAL OVERLAY. MOST OF THE APPLICATION INSIDE LIBRARIES ARE GOING TO BE MOBILE DEVICE BASED AT THIS POINT. I WANT YOU TO BE AWARE THE BUSINESSES AND ENTERPRISE ARE ACTIVELY UTILIZING AR HEAD SETS OR GLASSES FOR HANDS FREE AR. THAT'S WHERE AR BEGINS TO SHINE WHEN YOU HAVE THE HANDS-FREE ENVIRONMENT AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO HOLD THE DEVICE IN FRONT OF YOU TO SEE THAT DIGITAL CONTENT. WHAT I WANT YOU TO IMAGINE IS A DOCTOR THAT CAN TAKE AN X RAY OR MRI DATA AND DIRECTLY MAP THAT VISUALIZATION ON TO A PATIENT'S BODY SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO LOOK FROM SCREEN TO PATIENT AND TRY TO DO THAT MAPPING. OR IN MANUFACTURING, WHICH IS KIND OF WHAT THIS IMAGE IS PORTRAYING, IS BEING ABLE TO USE A DEVICE OR AR HEAD SET TO OFFER STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS DIGITALLY OVERLAID ON TO A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT OR A PART AND WALKING THAT PERSON THROUGH A REPAIR OR AN INSTALLATION AND EVEN HAVING OFF-CYTOTEC -- OFF SITE TECHNICAL EXPERTISE AVAILABLE. >> LIZ SUNDERMANN-ZINGER: I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT AS MANY PEOPLE EXPERIENCE TECHNOLOGY AS POSSIBLE, ALL THE PUBLIC LIBRARIES IN MARYLAND BELIEVE IT'S CRUCIAL EVERYONE HAS ACCESS TO ENGAGE WITH TRADITIONAL AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGY REALLY IN MEANINGFUL WAYS. WE BELIEVE THAT THIS ENGAGEMENT LEADS TO INDIVIDUAL EMPOWERMENT AND IMPROVED EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, INCREASED JOB OPPORTUNITIES, BETTER AND MORE DIVERSE WORKFORCE WHICH LOCAL BUSINESSES CAN RECRUIT. INDIVIDUAL USERS, BUSINESSES, WE'RE WORKING WITH UNIVERSITIES. WE WANT EVERYONE TO ACCESS THIS TECHNOLOGY. WE THINK LIBRARIES ARE A GREAT PLACE FOR THIS. WE HAVE SUCH A RICH HERITAGE OF INTRODUCING AND CONNECTING COMMUNITIES WITH NEW INFORMATION RESOURCES. SO TO GET STARTED INTRODUCING ALL OF THESE GREAT THINGS TO EVERYONE AROUND YOU, WE THOUGHT WE'D GIVE YOU A QUICK OVERVIEW OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE. WE HAVE GOOGLE CARDBOARD, SAMSUNG GEAR VR. THESE ARE PHONE BASED AND WE MOVE UP THROUGH THE OCULUS GO. AND THERE'S WINDOWS HEAD SETS NOW. THE LENOVO THAT'S ALSO AN HP AND SOME OTHER COMPANIES ARE COMING OUT WITH THESE. THE CONTENT IS NOT REALLY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT YOU CAN FIND ON THE PHONE BASED VR. YOU CAN BUY IT ALL IN ONE PACKAGE AND DON'T NEED A PHONE FOR BETWEEN 2 AND $500. I THINK THAT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT WHEN YOU ARE STARTING OUT THAT YOU ASSESS WHERE YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU ARE TRYING TO ACHIEVE. YOU SHOULDN'T BUY ANY TECHNOLOGY GEAR BECAUSE THE LIBRARY DOWN THE ROAD HAS IT OR BECAUSE JEN AND I ARE TALKING ABOUT IT. YOU HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHY YOU WANT IT. HOW IS IT GOING TO HELP IMPROVE YOUR COMMUNITY? AND, OF COURSE, IT'S IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT YOUR BUDGET AND I-T SUPPORT. WILL YOUR LIBRARY STAFF BE DOING THIS ON YOUR OWN? I KNOW A LOT OF LIBRARIES HAVE USED THIS TO BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE FRIENDS WITH I-T. THE PEOPLE IN YOUR I-T DEPARTMENT, PERHAPS, WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE TO EXPERIMENT OUT OF THESE TECHNOLOGIES AND GIVING THEM THE OPPORTUNITY ON DO THAT AND SUPPORT IT MIGHT HELP BRING THEM OUT AND ENGAGE WITH THE STAFF A LITTLE BIT MORE. YOU WANT TO LOOK AT YOUR AUDIENCE. REALLY YOUNG AND REALLY OLD PEOPLE TEND TO DO BETTER IN A PURELY VISUAL EXPERIENCE. SO MAYBE SOME OF THESE PHONE BASED EXPERIENCES THAT ARE ON THE SCREEN NOW. WHEREAS THOSE IN BETWEEN TEND TO PREFER MORE INNER ACTIVE EXPERIENCE. SO YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH A LOT WITH THE LOWER-END PRODUCTS. BUT WE FEEL LIKE, IF YOU CAN, IT'S GREAT TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO INTERACT WITH THE HIGH END TOO. SO I THINK YOU SHOULD REALLY TRY THEM OUT. IF THERE'S ANYWAY YOU CAN GET TO A MEET UP OR A PLACE WHERE THEY ARE DEMOING VR, EVEN AT BEST BUY AND OTHER PLACES WILL HAVE DEMOS. IT'S REALLY GREAT IF YOU CAN GO AND CHECK IT OUT. SOME THINGS ARE JUST GOING TO WORK BETTER FOR YOU AND YOUR LIBRARY AND YOUR CUSTOMERS AND OTHERS. THE VIBE HAS THE SUPER TALL LIGHT HOUSES. IF YOU HAVE LOW CEILINGS, THAT'S NOT GOING TO WORK WELL FOR YOU. WE WENT OUT AND GOT A HALLOW LENS. WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW CASE A DIFFERENT KIND OF TECHNOLOGY. IT IS EXCEPT IT'S TERRIBLE TO DEMO. IT'S REALLY NOT IDEAL FOR A DEMOING SITUATION. GOING TO GO THROUGH THE HIGHER END ONES. IT'S A GREAT EXPERIENCE IF YOU ALREADY HAVE A PLAY STATION 4. IT'S AN ADD ON. AND KIDS JUMP RIGHT INTO IT. THEY UNDERSTAND IT, IT'S INTUITIVE. YOU CAN'T DO AS MUCH WITH IT AS YOU CAN WITH THE HIGHER END ITEMS. THEY ARE JUST MORE IMMERSIVE. THERE'S MORE THAT THEY CAN DO AND MORE THAT'S INTERACTIVE. AND ON THE OTHER END AS WE TEACH PEOPLE WE'LL GET INTO LATER, TEACHING PEOPLE HOW TO DESIGN THEIR OWN 3D ENVIRONMENTS, IT'S A LOT EASIER TO DO WHEN YOU CAN HAVE THE HIGHER END HEAD SETS. I'M GOING TO TURN IT BACK TO JEN. >> JEN BISHOP: GREAT. SO I'M GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT GETTING STARTED WITH AUGMENTED REALITY. AND WHERE I THINK MOST LIBRARIES AND WHERE WE ARE IN CARROLL COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY ARE STARTING IS WITH MOBILE DEVICES. SOME OF THE ISSUES WITH SOME OF THE AR HEAD SETS LIKE THE HALLOW LENS OR THE MR HEAD SETS. SO MOST OF THE MOBILE DEVICES YOU ARE WORKING WITH AN IMAGE MARKER OR A TARGET. SO YOU HAVE AN IMAGE. IT'S GOING TO GENERATE A POINT CLOUD TO DETERMINE WHAT AUGMENTED REALITY IMAGE TO LAUNCH. SO IT'S KIND OF LIKE LOOKING AT A CONSOLATION MAP. IT KNOWS WHAT CONTENT TO LAUNCH. AND IT WILL DROP AN ANCHOR SO IT CAN -- SO YOU CAN TURN THAT OBJECT. IT KEEPS THE ORIENTATION. WITH THE AUGMENTED REALITY SUPPORTED DEVICES WITH SOME OF THE NEWER KNOWNS AND TABLETS THAT SUPPORT ANDROIDS, AR CORE, THEY ALSO CAN UTILIZE PLANE TRACKING. IT'S DETERMINING PLANES IN YOUR ENVIRONMENT, AND ORIENT THAT CONTENT. IT'S REALLY NICE AS AN ADD ON TO THE IMAGE MARKERS. OUR LIBRARY, PERSONALLY, WE DO NOT OWN ANY OF THESE NEW AR SUPPORTED DEVICES FOR ANYTHING BEYOND THE IMAGE MARKERS. WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE PERSONAL SMART PHONES THAT WILL DO THAT. DON'T BE DETERRED IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE NEWEST MOBILE DEVICE. YOU CAN STILL DEMO AR CONTENT WITH THE IMAGE MARKER OR TARGET TECHNOLOGY. THE AR HEAD SETS KIND OF WHAT LIZ MENTIONED. THEY ARE STILL REALLY EARLY IN DEVELOPMENT. I THINK THEY ARE VERY EXCITING AND HAVE A HUGE PLACE IN ENTERPRISE AND BUSINESS FOR DESIGNING, MANUFACTURING, COLLABORATIVE WORK. BUT IN THE CONSUMER MARKET, THEY STILL HAVE A VERY LIMITED FIELD OF USE. SO IT'S LESS THAN WHAT YOU WOULD TYPICALLY EXPECT. THEY ARE GETTING BETTER. AND THERE'S ALSO TRACKING AND INNER ACTIVITY ISSUES OCCASIONALLY. PERSONALLY, WHERE I AM AND WHERE I'VE RECOMMENDED FOR OUR LIBRARY IS I'M NOT READY TO INVEST IN THE AR HEAD SETS. THEY ARE EXPENSIVE AND DIFFICULT TO DEMO AND THEY DON'T QUITE HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE THAT I'M READY TO CONNECT THE PUBLIC TO. SO HALLOWHALLOW -- HOLOLENS IS COMING OUT WITH ONE THIS YEAR. THIS IS THE PICTURE OF THE VUZIX BLADE. A COLLEAGUE WAS ABLE TO -- A FEW OF US WENT TO THE ELECTRONIC'S SHOW AND WE WERE ALL ABLE TO TRY THIS. THIS IS A COLLEAGUE OF MINE TRYING IT OUT. IT'S DEFINITELY GETTING BETTER. I'M NOT QUITE READY TO INTRODUCE IT IN LIBRARIES BUT COMING SOON. IF YOU GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO TRY ONE, I DEFINITELY RECOMMEND IT. SO WHERE DOES ALL OF THIS FIT IN LIBRARIES? WHAT ARE THE APPLICATIONS FOR VR AND AR? THEY ARE BECOMING INCREASINGLY COMMON. LIKE I SAID, IT'S BECOMING A BIG PLAYER IN ENTERPRISE AND BUSINESS APPLICATIONS. WE'RE STARTING TO SEE IT ENTER INTO EDUCATION AND EVENTUALLY, IT'S GOING TO ENTER CONSUMER ADOPTION. WHEN THAT IS IS REALLY UNCLEAR. IT'S STILL UNKNOWN. THERE REALLY IS NO HERO DEVICE OR APPLICATION FOR VR AND AR RIGHT NOW IN THE CONSUMER WORLD. SO THINK OF THE iPHONE AS KIND OF THE HERO DEVICE. THAT PUT SMART PHONES IN THE HANDS OF EVERYONE. THERE REALLY HADN'T BEEN THAT HERO HARDWARE OR HERO APPLICATION THAT HAS TIPPED VR AND AR INTO THAT MAINSTREAM WORLD. WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS I SUGGEST YOU START WITH ACCESS AND INTRODUCTION. MOST PEOPLE HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED VIRTUAL AND AUGMENTED REALITY. THEY ARE REALLY UNCLEAR WHAT THE DIFFERENCES ARE. WHAT IT CAN HOLD FOR THEM, WHAT THE PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS ARE. SO BY INTRODUCING IT, WE ARE BEING AMBASSADORS TO EMERGING TECHNOLOGY AND CONNECTING OUR COMMUNITIES TO THESE TECHNOLOGIES AND SHOW CASE WHAT THE TECHNOLOGY IS. UNTIL YOU PUT IT ON YOUR HEAD AND EXPERIENCE IT, YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS COULD BE. AND THEN, ALSO, I THINK, LIBRARIES HAVE A ROLE TO SHARE WHAT ARE SOME OF THE APPLICATIONS WE EXPECT TO SEE IN THE BUSINESS EDUCATION AND CONSUMER APPLICATIONS? SO HOW COULD IT PROVIDE A VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP IN EDUCATION OR SHOW A MODEL IN A DIFFERENT WAY THAN TRADITIONAL 2D CONTENT? WHAT ARE THE APPLICATIONS IN MANUFACTURING? WHAT ARE THE APPLICATIONS IN HEALTHCARE FOR VIRTUAL SURGERY PRACTICE OR TRAINING OR FOR ANXIETY AND PAIN RELIEF. A LOT OF JOB TRAINING ACROSS THE NATION. AND THERE ARE A LOT OF EXAMPLES. IF YOU SEARCH ONLINE, THOSE ARE GREAT TO SHARE WITH THE COMMUNITY WHAT ARE SOME OF THE PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS OF THESE TECHNOLOGIES. AND ONCE YOUR COMMUNITY AND STAFF FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN DOING IT A WHILE, LIZ AND I HAVE BEEN SHARING VR WITH OUR COMMUNITIES FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS OR SO ONCE THE PLATFORMS REALLY CAME OUT. WHERE DO YOU GO FROM THERE? WHERE DO YOU GO ONCE YOU GO BEYOND A DEMO AND PROVIDING ACCESS? THAT'S IMPORTANT BUT HOW DO YOU EXPLORE CONTENT CREATION? WE'RE REALLY SEEING A NEED FOR NONDEVELOPER EDUCATION FOCUSED CONTENT CREATION PLATFORM. WE WANT PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO CREATE SIMPLE AND BASIC CONTENT AND NOT HAVE TO HAVE A DEVELOPER LEVEL SKILL SET. A LOT OF THINGS ARE STARTING TO COME OUT. THEY ARE NOT PERFECT. THEY ARE STILL EVOLVING. WE DID SHARE SOME THINGS IN THE LEARNER GUIDE. THESE ARE THINGS TO BE EXPLORED. AND KIND OF PROCESSED TO SEE IF MAYBE ONE'S A FIT FOR YOUR LIBRARY. YOU HAVE AN OUTSIDE EXPERT THAT CAN COME IN AND SHARE THESE THINGS. >> LIZ SUNDERMANN-ZINGER: SO TAKING EVERYTHING THAT JEN JUST SAID INTO CONSIDERATION. WHEN I WAS WORKING FOR THE STATE, THE MARYLAND STATE LIBRARY FELT WE REALLY NEEDED TO FIND A WAY TO FAMILIARIZE BOTH LIBRARY STAFF AND CUSTOMERS WITH ALL OF THESE TECHNOLOGIES. AND WHAT WE CAME UP WITH IS SOMETHING CALLED VR ROADSHOW. WE STARTED IN 2015. THERE'S A PIONEER OPEN SOURCE VR DEVELOPER NAMED GREG ERRING. HE HELPED US FIND A WAY TO GET THE OPEN SOURCE VR HEAD SETS. THIS WAS BEFORE THEY WERE AVAILABLE ON THE MARKET. WE SET THEM UP IN A MEETING ROOM IN A LIBRARY IN PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY. AND THE RESPONSE WAS OVERWHELMING. WE HAD OVER 300 PEOPLE THAT DAY. WE WERE NOT EXPECTING OVER 300 PEOPLE THAT DAY. AND AT THIS POINT, THE LEVEL OF IMAGES IN THE VR HEAD SETS WASN'T EVEN REALLY THAT GREAT. PEOPLE WERE JUST SITTING THERE LOOKING AT A GIANT TRIANGLE FLOATING AROUND OVER THEIR HEAD AND IT WAS AMAZING TO THEM. SO WE THOUGHT WOW, WE'VE GOT TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO GET THIS TO MORE PEOPLE. WE USED MONEY THAT WE GOT FROM A GRANT FROM IMLS. AND WE PARTNERED WITH A LOCAL EDUCATION COMPANY CALLED FUTURE MAKERS. AND WE WENT AROUND TO EVERY COUNTY, ALL THE LIBRARIES IN MARYLAND AND CAME UP WITH THIS TEMPLATE THAT CAN REALLY BE REPLICATED, MAYBE NOT GOING AROUND YOUR WHOLE STATE. BUT IN YOUR COMMUNITY OR OWN LIBRARY SYSTEM, WE WOULD GO IN THE MORNING AND SET EVERYTHING UP. AND WE WOULD HAVE LIBRARY STAFF WHO ARE INTERESTED AT THAT PARTICULAR LIBRARY COME AND GIVE THEM A QUICK RUN THROUGH ABOUT THE HISTORY OF VR AND SOME THINGS ABOUT VR AND WE WOULD SHOW THEM HOW TO SET IT UP AND USE IT, HOW TO INTERACT WITH IT AND HOW TO PLAY GAMES. AND WE WOULD TEACH THEM HOW TO INTERACT WITH THE PUBLIC IN VR. AND THEN WE WOULD TAKE A LUNCH BREAK AND THEY WOULD HAVE A PUBLIC FACING PROGRAM WHICH THEY, THE PEOPLE JUST TRAINED, RAN THE EXPERIENCE FOR THEIR OWN PUBLIC. AND MYSELF AND THE OTHER TRAINERS WOULD JUST HANG BACK AND DO SOME BASIC TECH TROUBLESHOOTING. IF A CONTROLLER RAN OUT OF BATTERIES, WE WERE THERE TO CHANGE THE BATTERIES, THAT BASIC LEVEL. BUT THAT REALLY GOT LIBRARY STAFF AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC VERY COMFORTABLE VERY QUICKLY. SO WE DID THAT FOR A FEW YEARS. AND WHEN IT BECAME NO LONGER PRACTICAL TO TRAVEL, I STARTED WORKING IN A COUNTY LIBRARY AND I NEEDED TO STAY CLOSER TO HOME. SO NOW WE'VE ESTABLISHED A STATEWIDE VR LENDING PROGRAM THAT I RUN OUT OF MY LIBRARY AND WE HAVE OCULUS AND TAPE AND EXTENSION CORDS AND WI-FI HOT SPOT AND EVERYTHING YOU COULD REALLY POSSIBLY NEED TO RUN A VR DEMONSTRATION. AND WE LET LIBRARIES ALL AROUND THE STATE CHECK THEM OUT. AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS, WE'VE LENT THEM TO BUSINESSES AND OTHER UNIVERSITIES AS WELL. THEY CAN CHECK THEM OUT FOR TWO WEEKS AND THEN THEY SHIP THEM BACK. WE USE THE SAME CRATES WE SHIP BOOKS IN. SO THERE'S NOT A PROBLEM TRANSPORTING THEM. AND IT'S WORKED OUT REALLY WELL. WE'VE HAD A HUGE RESPONSE. WE OFFER TRAININGS LOCALLY SO PEOPLE CAN COME AND BE TRAINED EITHER IN GROUPS OR INDIVIDUALLY. WE HAVE BIG TRAININGS TWICE A YEAR AND SMALLER ON AN AS-NEEDED BASIS TRAININGS PROBABLY EVERY OTHER MONTH. SO THAT HAS BEEN REALLY SUCCESSFUL AND I THINK EITHER THE PHYSICALLY GOING AND TRAINING PEOPLE OR JUST TRAINING PEOPLE AND SENDING THEM SOME EQUIPMENT. THEY'VE BOTH WORKED REALLY WELL. ANOTHER STATE-WIDE PROGRAM WE LAUNCHED WAS GOOD THE GOOGLE EXPEDITION KITS. THESE ARE REALLY JUST REALLY STURDY. YOU COULD THROW THEM ON THE FLOOR AND THEY DON'T BREAK. YOU PUT A PHONE INTO THEM AND YOU CAN EXPERIENCE SOME VR. IT'S PRETTY BASIC. YOU CAN DOWNLOAD OTHER APPS. THE GOOGLE EXPEDITIONS THEMSELVES ARE GUIDED FIELD TRIPS. IT'S REALLY JUST SLIDE SHOWS. SORT OF WHAT YOU'D SEE IN A VIEW MASTER EXCEPT IT'S 360 DEGREES. 360 PHOTOGRAPHS. THEY HAVE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF LOCATIONS. SO THE TAJ MAJAL. THEY TOUR FIRE STATIONS. FROM A GREAT GLOBAL SCALE TO A TINY LOCAL SCALE, THEY HAVE THESE GUIDED FIELD TRIPS. SO YOU CAN SEE HERE SOME PEOPLE AT CARROLL COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY EXPERIENCING THEM. WHAT YOU DON'T SEE IS THERE'S ALSO A LEADER. THE LEADER HAS A TABLET AND THEY ARE CONTROLLING WHAT THE PEOPLE SEE WHO ARE PARTICIPATING. AND A LOT OF THEM COME WITH WRITTEN CURRICULUM. THERE ARE SOME TEXTBOOK PUBLISHERS WHO HAVE JUMPED ON BOARD IN THIS. AND THERE WILL BE QUESTIONS AND SOME GUIDED COMMENTARY FOR DIFFERENT AGE LEVELS AND YOU CAN TALK ABOUT THE THINGS THAT YOU ARE SEEING AS PEOPLE EXPERIENCE AND HAVE CONVERSATION, YOU CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS AS THE GUIDE. SO EVERYONE IS SEEING THE SAME THING AT THE SAME TIME. SO IT'S REALLY GREAT. IT'S GREAT FOR SENIOR CITIZENS. GREAT FOR USE AT ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. THE KITS THEMSELVES ARE PRETTY EXPENSE I HAVE BEEN. THE ONES WE GOT WERE FOR GROUPS OF 10. THE HEAD SETS, THE PHONES, TABLETS, RAPID CHARGERS. THE GOOGLE EXPEDITION APP ITSELF IS FREE. THE TOOLS THAT YOU ARE USING, YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY FOR THOSE. AND I THINK I LOOKED IT UP AND RIGHT NOW FOR THE SET OF 10 IT'S SOMETHING LIKE $7,000. BUT YOU CAN ACTUALLY MAKE IT YOURSELF A LOT EASIER AND FOR NOT VERY MUCH MONEY. YOU CAN BUY GOOGLE CARDBOARDS AND USE EXISTING PHONES. THE PHONES DO NOT HAVE TO BE THE HIGHEST END PHONE THERE IS. YOU DON'T NEED AN iPHONE TO DO THIS. YOU CAN USE AN iPHONE SEVERAL GENERATIONS OLD. AS LONG AS IT'S ANY LEVEL OF SMART PHONE, IT WILL WORK. AND THE ONES IT COMES WITH ARE FROM ASIS THAT ARE NOT TERRIBLY EXPENSIVE. AND ANY TABLET WILL WORK. SO YOU CAN CONSTRUCT YOUR OWN KITS. THEY COME IN THESE GREAT WHEELING CASES FOR CLASSROOMS. IF YOU DON'T NEED THAT, THEN YOU CAN JUST MAKE YOUR OWN. THIS HAS BEEN REALLY POPULAR WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT GROUPS. JEN, I CHANGED IT TO YOU WITHOUT CHANGING THE SLIDE. >> JEN BISHOP: THAT'S OKAY. I SEE WE HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT HOW THE TABLET CONTROLS THE PHONES. IT'S ACTUALLY ALL DONE THROUGH THE GOOGLE EXPEDITIONS APP. SO YOU CAN LAUNCH THE EXPERIENCE THROUGH GOOGLE EXPEDITIONS AS THE TEACHER. IT HAS A LOCAL NETWORK. SO IT COMES WITH A LOCAL ROUTER. AND IT CONNECTS TO THOSE PHONES AND YOU CAN CONTROL THE CONTENT ON THOSE PHONES AND POINT ARROWS TO WHAT YOU WANT YOUR PARTICIPANTS LOOKING AT. AND YOU CAN SEE ON THE PRESENTER TABLET WHERE THEY ARE LOOKING. ARE THEY LOOKING WHERE THEY SAID THEY WOULD OR OFF SOMEWHERE ELSE? SO THAT'S HOW IT WORKS. ALL RIGHT. HOPEFULLY, THAT ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION. I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT INTRODUCING AUGMENTED REALITY AND HOW WE'RE DOING THAT IN OUR LIBRARIES HERE IN MARYLAND. AND MOST PEOPLE HAVE NOT REALLY HAD MUCH OF AN INTERACTION WITH AUGMENTED REALITY. IT'S GOING TO INTEGRATE INTO MAIN STREAM AS IT EVOLVES AND GOING TO BECOME PART OF EVERYTHING WE DO. ONE OF MY EXAMPLES IS GOOGLE IS WORKING ON AN AUGMENTED REALITY FOX IN THEIR GOOGLE MAPS PLATFORM SO IF YOU ARE DOING A WALKING DESTINATION, INSTEAD OF HAVING TO LOOK AT THE DOT AND SEE WHERE YOU ARE GOING, YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE AN ANIMAL GUIDE YOU FOLLOW DOWN THE STREET. HUGELY HELPFUL. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE HAD THIS EXPERIENCE. I'VE GOTTEN OFF THE SUBWAY, NO IDEA WHERE I AM AND DON'T KNOW WHICH WAY THE STREETS ARE OR WHERE TO GO. IF I HAD SOMETHING TO FOLLOW, I WOULD BE REALLY EXCITED. WHAT WE'RE DOING IS TO DO THIS IN AN EASY ENTRY FUN WAY. ONE OF OUR FAVORITE APPLICATIONS IS HOLOTATS. THAT'S THE FROG YOU SEE. IT'S AUGMENTED REALITY TEMPORARY TATTOOS. WE ALL DO TEMPORARY TATTOOS IN THE LIBRARY. YOU PUT ON THE TEMPORARY TATTOOS THAT ARE LINKED TO AUGMENTED REALITY CONTENT AND THEN USING THE FREE HOLOTATS APP, YOU WOULD SCAN THAT IMAGE AND YOUR TATTOO COMES TO LIFE. THE FROG HOPS AROUND AND MAKES NOISE. THEY HAVE DOLPHINS, SHARKS, ALL KINDS OF SEA CREATURES, HOLIDAY PACKS. WE BUY THESE IN BULK AND USE THEM AT OUTREACH EVENTS. THEY ARE AN AMAZING WAY TO JUST INTRODUCE WHAT AUGMENTED REALITY IS. YOU'D BE AMAZED HOW MANY ADULTS WILL PUT THESE ON AND IT'S A GREAT INTRODUCTION. THE OTHER THING WE USE IS QUIVER. IF YOU GO TO QUIVER VISION, THEY HAVE AUGMENTED REALITY COLORING SHEETS. MANY OF THEM ARE FREE. THEY ALSO HAVE PAID ONES. THESE ARE JUST A GREAT -- HOW MANY OF US HAVE COLORING SHEETS? YOU CAN HAVE YOUR CUSTOMERS COLOR THESE AND THEN USING THE FREE QUIVER APP, YOUR COLORING SHEET COMES TO LIFE. AND IT INCORPORATES WHATEVER COLORS YOU HAVE USED ON YOUR DRAWING. SO YOU CAN COLOR A VOLCANO AND MAKE IT ERUPT. MAYBE YOU HAVE PURPLE LAVA ROCKS. OR THERE'S A FIRE TRUCK AND YOU CAN DRIVE YOUR FIRE TRUCK AROUND AND RAISE THE LADDER AND FIRE THE HOSE. IT'S AMAZING TO SEE WHAT THEY'VE JUST CREATED COME ALIVE. DAQRI IS ONE WE ALSO USED. IT'S A DEMO. YOU CAN SCAN THE IMAGE MARKERS THEY HAVE AND BRING THE HUMAN BODY TO LIFE AND INNER ACT WITH IT AND SEE DIFFERENT SKELETAL SYSTEMS. THEY ALSO HAVE A HEART SO YOU CAN FEEL THE HEART BEATING ON YOUR DEVICE. AND BRING ALL OF THAT TO LIFE. SO I SEE THERE'S A COUPLE QUESTIONS. I'M GOING TO HOP IN AND ANSWER THEM BEFORE I MOVE ON. HOLOTATS YOU CAN PURCHASE FROM AMAZON. THEY ARE MADE BY A COMPANY WE'LL TALK ABOUT LATER. THEY DO SELL THEM IN BULK AND YOU CAN BUY THEM THROUGH AMAZON. THAT'S USUALLY WHERE THEY ARE SOLD. YOU ARE ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS. WE'LL CIRCLE BACK AROUND. FOR SUPPORTING CONTENT CREATION, THAT'S A LITTLE BIT TRICKIER IN THAT SOMETHING THAT -- I KNOW LIZ AND I HAVE BEEN WORKING HARD ON AND SHE'S DONE AN AMAZING JOB WITH THE RESOURCES SHE'S ROLLED OUT. THEY RANGE FROM SOMETHING SIMPLE ALL THE WAY UP TO A DEVELOPER LEVEL. THAT'S WHAT WE'VE LOOKED AT. YOU CAN PAINT IN 3D. YOU CAN TAKE VIDEO OF IT AND MAKE A SHORT GIF OF IT. BLOCKS BY GOOGLE IS ANOTHER PLATFORM. YOU ARE CREATING 3D MODELS. SKETCHFAB IS ANOTHER. THESE ARE PLATFORMS YOU CAN CREATE A 3D MODEL AND EITHER BRING IT INTO ANOTHER PLATFORM OR EXPORT IT TO 3D PRINT. THIS IS AN EDUCATION PLATFORM. AND YOU CAN VIEW IT IN VR USING THE GOOGLE CARDBOARD FEATURE USING IMAGE MARKER OR PLACING IT ON TRACKER. ANOTHER ONES ARE 3B AND MORPHY. THESE ARE EDUCATIONAL TOOLS. SOMETIMES IT'S A CHALLENGE TO ADOPT THOSE TO THE LIBRARY ENVIRONMENT. THESE ARE ALL THINGS I SUGGEST YOU TRY AND PLAY AROUND WITH. WHERE WE REALLY WANT TO END UP IS OUR GOAL. SOME OF THE MORE SOPHISTICATED PLATFORMS FOR CONTENTS. WE'D LIKE TO CONNECT WITH UNITY. IT'S A FREE GAME ENGINE. UNITY EDUCATION HAS A WHOLE EDUCATION PIECE ASSOCIATED WITH IT. THERE'S ONLINE TUTORIALS. IT'S A MORE SOPHISTICATED TOOL. IT WOULD REALLY HELP IF YOU DON'T HAVE THOSE SCHOOLS TO CONNECT WITH AN OUTSIDE EXPERT TO PARTNER WITH. ANOTHER ONE THAT WE'RE INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT IS AMAZON SUMERIAN. ANOTHER AR/VR DEVELOPMENT PLATFORM. >> CAN YOU QUICKLY SAY THOSE CONTENT PLATFORMS THAT YOU STARTED WITH SO THOSE FOLKS ASKING I'LL MAKE SURE AND WE CAN GET THOSE ADDED TO THE EVENT PAGE AS WELL. CAN YOU JUST REPEAT THE ONES YOU SAID? >> JEN BISHOP: YEAH. REFRESH BY GOOGLE. YOU CAN PURCHASE IT THROUGH STEAM. AND THEN BLOCKS BY GOOGLE. CO-SPACES EDU ARE ONE WE'RE LOOKING AT AND STARTING TO PLAY AROUND WITH. 3B BEAR. I THINK CO-SPACE IS AS WELL. AND MORPHY IS ALSO ON THE LEARNER GUIDE. 3D BEAR AND MORPHY ARE AR. UNITY AND UNREAL ARE THE TWO MAIN GAME ENGINES IN THE GAME DEVELOPMENT WORLD AND ARE BEING USED TO CREATE VR AND AR. AND AMAZON SUMERIAN, WE HAVEN'T PLAYED WITH THAT. BUT THAT'S ONE TO CHECK OUT. >> OKAY. WE'VE DONE SOME THINGS WITH UNITY. THIS IS A PICTURE OF AN EVENT WITH DID AT THE MARYLAND LIBRARY ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE A COUPLE YEARS AGO. AND I PARTNERED WITH THE SAME TECH ED GROUPS I DID BEFORE AND THEY CREATED SOME CONTENT. HOW LONG WAS IT? FOUR HOURS? FOUR OR SIX HOUR TRAINING. >> JEN BISHOP: YEAH, I THINK SO. >> LIZ SUNDERMANN-ZINGER: SO THESE ARE LIBRARIANS AND SOME PEOPLE HAD PREVIOUS UNITY EXPERIENCE BUT MOST DID NOT. TO MAKE IT EASIER, WE HAD PRELOADED SOME ASSETS THEY COULD GRAB. SO WE JUST WALKED THEM THROUGH THE BASICS OF HOW TO USE UNITY AND MAKE A 3D WORLD. AND THEN AT THE END OF THE SESSION, EVERYONE WAS ABLE TO PUT ON A HEAD SET AND WALK THROUGH THE WORLD THEY CREATED. I THINK IT WAS A REALLY GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR EVERYBODY. SO YOU CAN GET FREE UNITY PRO LICENSES IF YOU CONTACT UNITY. IT TOOK ME A WHILE TO GET THROUGH. I HAD TO CALL THEM A LOT OF TIMES UNTIL I GOT THE RIGHT PERSON WHO WOULD TALK TO ME. THEY DID GIVE ME EDUCATION LICENSES. THERE'S A LOT YOU CAN DO. GIVES YOU DIFFERENT ASSETS AND DIFFERENT LEVELS OF SOPHISTICATION. AND NOW, WE'RE PARTNERING WITH OTHER AGENCIES AROUND THE STATE. JUST OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WHO HAVE COMPUTER SCIENTISTS AND DESIGNERS AND PEOPLE WHO KNOW DEVELOPERS. AND THEY ARE WORKING WITH ME TO HELP DEVELOP SOME DIFFERENT LEVELS OF UNITY TRAININGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO START OFFERING LIBRARIANS THIS SPRING AND THIS SUMMER SO THAT THEY CAN TAKE THAT BACK AND START TEACHING CLASSES FOR THE PUBLIC. WE REALLY FEEL LIKE IT'S GREAT FOR PEOPLE TO NOT JUST EXPERIENCE THE TECHNOLOGY BUT ALSO REALLY UNDERSTAND IT AND INTERACT WITH IT AND CREATE SOMETHING WITH IT. AND ALONG THAT SAME LINE, WE MET A DEVELOPER, HADDAR SILVERMAN. HE MADE THIS GAME CALLED MAGEWORKS. AND IT'S YOUR BASIC FIRST-PERSON SHOOTER WIZARDING ADVENTURE GAME EXCEPT THAT IN A PORTION OF THE GAME YOU CAN GO TO THIS CRAFTING HOUSE AND USE THE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE GATHERED IN THE GAME TO CREATE A WIZARDING STAFF. AND YOU CAN EXPORT THE SPL FILE AND ACTUALLY PRINT OUT THE WIZARDING STAFF YOU MAKE. SO WE WORK TO MAKE A VERSION WE COULD USE IN LIBRARIES. SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO OUT AND CUT DOWN 1,000 TREES. YOU CAN ALREADY HAVE THE RESOURCES YOU NEED. SO YOU AS THE PLAYER JUST ENTER THE CRAFTING HUT AND YOU USE REAL WOODWORKING TOOLS. YOU ARE USING A CNC MACHINE AND YOU CREATE YOUR STAFF AND THEN YOU CAN PRINT IT OUT. AND THE WHOLE PROCESS TAKES 10 OR 15 MINUTES TO CREATE IN THE VR WORLD AND ANOTHER 15 MINUTES OR SO TO PRINT. SO HE BETA TESTED THIS IN LIBRARIES. THESE PICTURES ARE FROM A PROGRAM AT CARROLL COUNTY. AND HE ALSO DID IT IN BALTIMORE COUNTY. AND WE TOOK IT ON THE ROAD AND WENT TO FORUMS. I GUESS THIS WAS TWO YEARS AGO , AND PRESENTED IT THERE. THERE'S SOMETHING PRETTY AMAZING ABOUT CREATING SOMETHING IN A COMPLETELY DIGITAL ENVIRONMENT AND THEN PRINTING IT OUT AND HAVING IT TO HOLD. SINCE THEN, WE'VE TRIED TO COME UP WITH OTHER WAYS TO DO THIS. USING TILTBRUSH, YOU CAN EXPORT FILES AS PRINTABLE FILES. THEY DO NEED A LITTLE WORK. WE'RE STILL PERFECTING THAT. MY TEAM IS WORKING ON THIS AS WE SPEAK. YOU NEED TO RUN IT THROUGH BLENDER OR MAKE IT PRINT OR ANOTHER TOOL TO SORT OF PATCH UP THE HOLES SO IT'S TRULY PRINTABLE. WE HAVE HAD SUCCESS WITH TEENAGERS USING THE PROGRAM THAT WAY. WE USED M3D WHICH IS A TINY LESS THAN 2 FEET SQUARE VERY LIGHT WEIGHT 3D PRINTER. IT TRAVELS SUPER WELL. SO AS WE WENT AROUND THE STATE AND TRAINING DIFFERENT LIBRARIES AND LOOKING AT DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS, LIKE I SAID, WE REALLY FELT LIKE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY NEEDS TO BE AWARE OF. SO WE BROUGHT LIBRARIES AND MANUFACTURING TOGETHER FOR ONE OF OUR OUTREACH EVENTS. NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS. IN 2017, WE INVITED ALL OF THESE PEOPLE FROM MANUFACTURING IN OUR COUNTY AND DID A BIG PRESENTATION FOR VR AND AR IN MANUFACTURING. AND REALLY HOPING THAT PEOPLE WOULD LATCH ON TO IT -- START UP MANUFACTURERS. THE COMPANIES WHO ARE UTILIZING THIS EQUIPMENT ARE FINDING THAT THEY ARE SAVING A LOT OF MONEY. THERE ARE SO MANY WAYS YOU CAN SAVE MONEY. I'M WORKING WITH A COMPANY CALLED MOSAIC. THEY DO TRAINING VIDEOS AND HAVE INSTRUCTION TUTORIAL FOR A CRANE OPERATOR. SO YOU ARE UP REALLY HIGH AND LEARNING HOW TO OPERATE ONE OF THOSE GIANT CRANES THEY USE IN BUILDING PROJECTS. I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT I HAVE NO APTITUDE FOR CRANE OPERATION. THAT PROGRAM COMPLETELY DID ME OUT. THEY ARE DOING SIMILAR THINGS WITH JOB INTERVIEWS. WE HAVE OFF THE COAST. IN ORDER TO REPAIR THE WIND TURBINES, YOU HAVE TO BE SOMEONE NOT AFRAID OF HEIGHTS, NOT AFRAID OF CONFINED SPACES, CAN WORK WITH EXTREMELY LOUD NOISE, DOESN'T GET SEA SICK. IT'S REALLY HOT. ALL OF THESE HORRIBLE CONDITIONS THAT YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO DO COMPLICATED REPAIRS WHILE ENDURING. THEY ACTUALLY STARTED HAVING PEOPLE RUN THROUGH A SIMULATOR BEFORE THEY EVEN INTERVIEW THEM SO THEY CAN WEED OUT THE PEOPLE THE CONDITIONS WILL MAKE NAUSEOUS OR UNABLE TO CONCENTRATE. AND THEN WE ALSO RECENTLY HELD A TECH BREAKFAST FOR OUR LEGISLATURES. ON JANUARY 3RD, STARTING THE NEXT WEEK, ALL THE STATE DELEGATES WE INVITED THEM. WE HAD A PRETTY GOOD RESPONSE. AND THEY CAME OUT AND WE SHOW CASED ALL OF THIS STUFF. AND LET THEM KNOW WE HAVE IT AVAILABLE FOR THEM AT THE LIBRARY. AND IF ANY OF THEIR CONSTITUENTS WANT ACCESS TO IT, THEY SHOULD TALK WITH US. WE HAVE A REALLY POSITIVE RECEPTION. GOING OUT TO A COUPLE SCHOOLS IN THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS THAT THE DELEGATES WANTED US TO VISIT. GREAT OUTREACH OPPORTUNITY BOTH TO GET THE LIBRARY EXPOSURE AND TO GET MORE PEOPLE THE EXPOSURE. AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO JEN. >> JEN BISHOP: GREAT. THANK YOU. SO I WANTED TO ADD ON TO AND SHARE SOME OF THE OUTREACH WE'VE DONE AND PUTTING THIS TECHNOLOGY IN THE HANDS OF EVERYONE. THE PICTURE ON THE LEFT IS FROM THE MARYLAND ASSOCIATION COUNTY'S ANNUAL SUMMER CONFERENCE. WE'VE ATTENDED THE LAST THREE YEARS AS PART OF THE MARYLAND PUBLIC LIBRARY'S BOOTH TO DEMONSTRATE WHAT LIBRARIES ARE DOING. AND IT'S BEEN A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO PUT VR AND AR IN THE HANDS OF OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS. AND EVEN REGIONALLY IN YOUR STATE TO LET THEM KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING. GIVE THEM AN INTRODUCTION TO TECHNOLOGY. SO THAT'S A REALLY GREAT EXPERIENCE. SO OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS DON'T OWN THEIR OWN VR HEAD SETS AND REALLY BEEN A GREAT PARTNERSHIP FOR US TO TAKE THAT EQUIPMENT. WE USUALLY TAKE IT INTO THE MEDIA CENTER, SPEND THE DAY THERE AND CLASSES COME IN AND OUT. AND WE'VE DONE CLASSES WITH HIGH SCHOOL ART STUDENTS AND THEY'VE COME IN AND THEY'VE CREATED A COLLABORATIVE PIECE OF ARTWORK AS A CLASS SO EACH PERSON ADDS ON TO WHAT THE OTHER PERSON HAS DONE AND YOU HAVE A VISUAL VR GALLERY THEY CAN WALK THROUGH AND SEE. IT'S REALLY INTERESTING TO SEE THE STUDENTS EXPERIENCING AND CREATING A TECHNOLOGY THAT MOST OF THEM HAVE NEVER TRIED. MOST OF THEM HAVE NOT HAD EXPERIENCE LIKE THE VIVE AND OCULUS. LIZ, I'M GOING TO NEED THE BALL. >> JEN BISHOP: I'M SWITCHING IT. >> JEN BISHOP: SORRY. >> LIZ SUNDERMANN-ZINGER: I'M TRYING TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. THERE YOU GO, SORRY. >> JEN BISHOP: THAT'S OKAY. SO I WANT TO SHARE ABOUT AUGMENTED REALITY PROJECT THAT WE'VE UNDERTAKEN HERE. WE CREATED A TRAVELING HISTORY EXHIBIT CALLED THE UNION MILLS EARLY INDUSTRY COMES ALIVE. IT WAS PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CARROLL COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY, UNION MILLS HOME STEAD AND WE WERE LOOKING TO SEE HOW DO WE USE TECHNOLOGY OR NEW MEDIUMS TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY IN LOCAL HISTORY? AND FOR US, IT WAS REALLY A PILOT SO WE COULD LEARN THE BEST PRACTICES FOR INTEGRATING AR EXPERIENCES IN THE COMMUNITY AND LIBRARY ENVIRONMENT. BUT LEARNING HOW PEOPLE INTERACT WITH AR, WHAT IS THEIR LEVEL OF COMFORT? HOW DO WE DESIGN SELF LED EXPERIENCE WITH AR? FOR OUR PARTNER, THEY WERE LOOKING FOR A WAY TO HAVE GREATER OUTREACH AND STORY TOLD OUTSIDE THE PHYSICAL LOCATION AND ALSO ENGAGE WITH YOUNGER CONSTITUENTS. SO WE WERE FORTUNATE WE RECEIVED TO THE MUSEUM AND LIBRARY SERVICES. WE RECEIVED $28,000 GRANT TO CREATE A TRAVELING PHYSICAL EXHIBIT BUT AUGMENTING THAT WITH TWO AR ANIMATIONS. WE HAVE AR ANIMATION FOR THE GRISMILL. BROUGHT IT TO LIFE SO PEOPLE COULD SEE IT IN 360. AND THEY COULD TOGGLE AND SEE THE INNER WORKINGS OF THE MILL WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT EVEN ON SITE THEY HAD A DIFFICULT TIME DEMONSTRATING. THE OTHER AR ANIMATION WAS FOR THE TANRY BUILDING. MOST OF IT HAS BEEN DESTROYED. MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT WAS EVEN AN INDUSTRY ON THE SITE. WE WERE ABLE TO BRING IT BACK TO LIFE AND SHOW WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE IN 1877. WE LAUNCHED THIS IN FEBRUARY OF 2018. IT'S VISITED OVER 15 LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE STATE. WE'VE HAD OVER FOUR EVENTS. THE AR ANIMATIONS HAVE BEEN VIEWED OVER 6,000 TIMES. WHAT'S NICE ABOUT THIS IS YOU DON'T JUST HAVE TO BE ON SITE. YOU CAN DO IT FROM OUR WEB SITE. WE ALSO HAD COASTERS SO KIND OF LIKE THE TATTOOS. WE HAD COASTERS PRINTED SO WE COULD HAND THOSE OUT. WE HAD CARDS PRINTED. SO PEOPLE COULD ACTUALLY TAKE THAT EXHIBIT EXPERIENCE HOME WITH THEM. AND USING THE FREE APP, THEY COULD VIEW THOSE ANIMATIONS. >> LIZ SUNDERMANN-ZINGER: SOME OF THE OTHER WAYS WE'VE SUPPORTED VR IN OUR LIBRARIES ARE REALLY, I THINK, HAVING AS MANY PEOPLE TRY IT WHO ARE STAKEHOLDERS. PEOPLE ARE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO GIVE YOU MONEY TO DO SOMETHING IF THEY'VE EXPERIENCED IT. IF YOU JUST TELL THEM ABOUT IT, IT'S JUST NOT THE SAME AS REALLY TRYING IT. WE BROUGHT IT TO THE MARYLAND LIBRARY ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE WE HAVE. OUR BROUGHT IT TO OUR LIBRARY DIRECTORS ALL GET TOGETHER FOUR TIME A YEAR. AND THEN ENCOURAGING THE -- WE MADE SURE A LOT OF PEOPLE GOT PHYSICALLY INVOLVED. I THINK FOR STAFF, YOU WANT A SLOW ROLL OUT. HAVE AN OPEN HOUSE AND TRY AND BUILD EXCITEMENT BEFORE YOU HOLD STAFF TRAINING SESSIONS. JUST LET IT BE FUN BEFORE IT BECOMES A PROJECT. BUILD A CORE GROUP OF VR/AR AMBASSADORS AND ENERGIZE THE REST OF STAFF. IT'S BEEN REALLY HELPFUL TO US TO CONNECT WITH THE LOCAL DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY. WE GO TO VR MEET UPS. WE TALK WITH DEVELOPERS. I WENT TO A FUW MICROSOFT MEET UPS FOR PEOPLE WHO WORK IN MICROSOFT PRODUCTS. BUT I KNEW THEY WERE GOING TO GIVE DEMOS. SO I WENT THERE. AND YOU JUST NEVER KNOW WHO YOU MIGHT TALK TO WHO MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP. WE STARTED A DEVELOPER AND RESIDENCE PROGRAM. WE HAD IT AT OUR RANDALLS TOWN LOCATION WHICH IS THE ONE IN THE PHOTOGRAPH HERE. HE CAME OUT AND WORKED ON HIS GAME AND TALKED WITH KIDS AND TOLD HIM ABOUT CAREER PATHS AND SCHOOLING AND HE ANSWERED ALL OF THEIR QUESTIONS. HE WAS AT ONE POINT SITTING ON THE FLOOR WITH ALL OF HIS SKETCH BOOKS AND SHOWING HIM HOW HE DREW THINGS OUT. AND GOT TO SEE WHAT IT'S LIKE TO SEE A DEVELOPER. AND SOME PARTS OF THE CAME COME TO LIFE BASED ON THEIR FEEDBACK. AND TWEAKING THE GAME. WHEN YOU ALSO MADE TRAINING VIDEOS, YOU ARE WELCOME TO USE THEM TOO. THE LINK IS GOING TO BE ON THE LAST SLIDE. THIS IS A STATE-WIDE PROJECT WE GOT FUNDING FOR FROM IMLS. AND ALL OF THE LIBRARY HAS A LINK TO IT ON OUR WEB SITE. IT'S A DIGITAL REPOSITORY FOR A PROJECT-BASED EDUCATION. FOR THE PUBLIC AND FOR STAFF ON THERE. WE HAVE MADE TRAINING VIDEOS USING BOTH WITH THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. YOU ALL ARE WELCOME TO USE THOSE HOWEVER YOU LIKE. THE ONLY OTHER THING I HAVE WHEN YOU ARE USING VR IN YOUR COMMUNITY, IF YOU POSSIBLY CAN, IT HAS HELPED US TREMENDOUSLY. WE ALWAYS HAD PEOPLE WHO ARE A LITTLE WORRIED ABOUT IT. THE PART THAT TOUCHES YOUR FACE IS SORT OF LIKE A SPONGE AND SOAKS UP PEOPLE'S SWEAT AND MAKE UP AND NOT VERY NICE. SO YOU CAN GET ON AMAZON FOR SUPER CHEAP 100 LITTLE PAPER MASKS AND PEOPLE CAN PUT THEM ON THEIR FACE. AND THEN YOU PUT THE HEAD SET ON OVER IT. OR IF YOU ARE REALLY INVESTING IN IT, WE'RE SENDING OURS OUT ALL OVER THE STATE. WE ACTUALLY BOUGHT -- YOU TAKE THE FOAM PARTS ON AND PUT THESE ON INSTEAD. THEY ARE PLASTICY FAKE LEATHER AND WIPE THEM OFF EASILY WITH ANTIBACTERIAL WIPES. IT MAKES US HAPPIER AND THE CUSTOMERS ARE HAPPIER TOO. I'VE HANDED PEOPLE HEAD SETS AND HAVE THEM LOOK AT IT. IT JUST LENDS IN WE CARE ABOUT YOU AND WHAT YOU ARE DOING. IT'S ALSO REALLY IMPORTANT TO FOLLOW TREND S. VR FOCUS IS A NEWS OUTLET FOR EVERYTHING VR. ROAD TO VR IS A GREAT POD CAST. YOU CAN FOLLOW THE THINGS THE COMPANIES PUT OUT. THE LOGOS ARE OCULUS, UNITY. THERE'S SOME GREAT COMMUNITY GROUPS. FACEBOOK GROUP CALLED MAKERS SPACES. AND THEY HAVE SOME PRETTY LIVELY DISCUSSIONS ON THERE. SOMETIMES FROM ALA, AR AND VR ISSUES THERE. AND I ALSO JUST PUT IT IN MY GOOGLE NEWS FEED AND I GET UPDATES WHEN ANYTHING HAPPENS IN THE WORLD OF AR OR VR. SO THAT ABOUT WRAPS IT UP. WE DEFINITELY WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE INSTITUTE OF MUSEUM AND LIBRARY SERVICES FROM WHOM WE'VE GOTTEN MULTIPLE GRANTS TO FUND THE THINGS WE DO. THE MARYLAND STATE LIBRARY. AND THE COMPANIES WE WORK WITH. BALTIVIRTUAL, FUTUREMAKERS AND EARTHBORN INTERACTIVE. THIS MAGEWORKS VIDEO, THERE'S A LINK. YOU CAN LOOK AT IT LATER. THAT SHOWS KID'S REACTIONS AND THEN A LINK TO THE MAKE IT PLACE. THAT LINK WILL TAKE YOU TO THE WHOLE MAKE IT PLACE. IF YOU SEARCH FOR VR OR AR, YOU'LL FIND THOSE VIDEOS. IT WILL ASK YOU FOR A LOG IN BUT YOU DO NOT HAVE TO CREATE A LOG IN. IT'S COMPLETELY FREE AND OPEN TO USE. YOU ONLY NEED TO LOG IN IF YOU WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN SOCIAL MEDIA ASPECTS OF THE PLATFORM. >> FANTASTIC. WOW. A LOT OF INFORMATION. YOU GUYS WERE REALLY GREAT ABOUT RESPONDING TO QUESTIONS. IF PEOPLE HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS, WE'VE GOT A FEW MINUTES HERE. REALLY TRULY YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN DOING EXCEPTIONAL WORK. I KNOW MARYLAND HAS OFTEN BEEN AT THE FRONT END OF THINGS IN TERMS OF TECHNOLOGY. I KNOW THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER STATES THAT HAVE DONE GREAT WORK IN THIS AREA THAT ARE REFERENCED ON THAT INITIAL ARTICLE THAT I SHARED. FEEL FREE TO EXPLORE OTHER OF THE RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE. THE QUESTIONS THAT I THINK YOU ANSWERED IN CHAT, THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE AR APPLICATIONS THAT THOSE WERE DONE WITH AN APP DOWNLOADED TO REGULAR MOBILE PHONE FOR THOSE THAT DIDN'T SEE THAT RESPONSE. AND I JUST LOOKED UP THE FACE MASKS ARE OFTEN REFERRED TO AS HYGIENE MASKS APPARENTLY FOR VR. SO CHECK THAT OUT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL SAW COME THROUGH THAT WE MISSED? I KNOW THAT -- LET'S SEE HERE. >> I CAN GIVE ANOTHER SAFETY POINTER. ONE THING THAT WE ALWAYS DO THAT I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT IF YOU ARE USING THE LARGER SCALE VR IS WHEN WE SET IT UP, YOU HAVE TO WALK AROUND WITH A CONTROLLER AND DEFINE YOUR SPACE. WHILE WE DO THAT, WE PUT GAFFERS TAPE ON THE FLOOR TO OUTLINE THE AREA WHERE THE PERSON IN THE HEAD SET IS GOING TO BE TO TRY TO KEEP OTHER PEOPLE OUT OF THAT AREA. WE LEARNED THAT AFTER WE DID IT ONCE. >> I SAW THAT. YEAH, I SAW THAT IN ONE OF THOSE LAST PICTURES. DID YOU CREATE A VR POLICY AT YOUR LIBRARY INCLUDING WARNINGS FOR PEOPLE WITH MEDICAL ISSUES, FEAR OF HEIGHTS, MOTION SICKNESS AND AGE LIMITS OR LIABILITY? DO YOU HAVE ANY LIABILITY PROCESS? >> WE DO NOT. I'LL LET JEN SPEAK TO IF CARROLL COUNTY DOES. BALTIMORE COUNTY WE DON'T. WE DO WARN PEOPLE. IF IT'S A MOTION SICKNESS ISSUE, MOST PEOPLE SELECT OUT. THEY ARE LIKE I THINK THAT'S GOING TO MAKE ME NAUSEOUS, NO THANKS. I DO TELL PEOPLE BEFORE THEY TAKE THE HEAD SET OFF TO CLOSE THEIR EYES. I THINK THE TRANSITION FROM VR TO THE REAL WORLD IS OFTEN MUCH MORE JARRING THAN ACTUAL VR ITSELF. SO I HAVE PEOPLE CLOSE THEIR EYES WHILE THE HEAD SET IS BEING TAKEN OFF AND OPEN THEM AGAIN AND THAT SEEMS TO REALLY HELP A LOT OF PEOPLE. WE'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS ABOUT AGE. ALL OF THE AGE RELATED STUDIES THAT I HAVE READ REALLY HAVE TO DO WITH YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE A SCREEN THAT CLOSE TO YOUR FACE ANYWHERE FROM 20 MINUTES TO AN HOUR DEPENDING ON THE STUDY. AND OUR EXPERIENCES ARE NOT THAT LONG. MOST PEOPLE ARE ONLY IN THERE FOR FIVE MINUTES OR SO. SO WE'RE NOT TOO WORRIED ABOUT THAT. >> EXCELLENT. >> I'LL JUST JUMP IN QUICKLY AND SAY SAME THING. GETTING STARTED, WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A POLICY BUT ALL OF OUR EXPERIENCES RIGHT NOW ARE STAFF FACILITATED. WE DON'T HAVE PEOPLE COMING IN AND USING IT WITHOUT THAT STAFF FACILITATION. SO THEY CAN WALK THEM THROUGH SAFETY PROCEDURES, WALK THEM THROUGH BE THERE IF YOU DON'T FEEL WELL, JUST TAKE IT OFF. WE ARE LOOKING TO ADD A VR/AR LAB TO A NEW LOCATION. WE ARE BUILDING OUT A MAKER SPACE. WE DO PLAN TO HAVE A VR AND AR LAB INCORPORATED WHERE PEOPLE CAN COME IN FOR LONGER EXPERIENCES. AND THERE I DO THINK THEY LOOK AT PROCEDURES FOR SAFETY. HOW LONG ARE YOU IN THERE? RIGHT NOW, NO ONE IS IN THERE LONGER THAN 30 MINUTES. WHAT ELS IF WE HAVE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE SOMEBODY CAN COME IN AND BE THERE FOR TWO HOURS? AGE LIMIT, SAME THING. WE'VE HAD KIDS AS YOUNG AS 3 BRIEFLY TRY VR WITH THEIR PARENTS' CONSENT. WE ARE THERE TO MONITOR IT. WE DON'T USUALLY GIVE THEM CONTROLLERS. SO YOU ARE TAILORING THAT EXPERIENCE. SO THOSE ARE REALLY GOOD QUESTIONS WHEN YOU START TO LOOK AT INDEPENDENT USE IN A LIBRARY. >> FANTASTIC. WELL, YOU'VE SHARED YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION SO IF PEOPLE COME UP WITH OTHER QUESTIONS, THEY CAN CERTAINLY REACH OUT TO JEN AND LIZ. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BRINGING THIS GREAT WORK TO OUR WEBINAR. I WILL BE CONTACTING YOU ALL LATER TODAY ONCE THE RECORDING IS AVAILABLE. AND WE'RE ALSO SENDING YOU A SHORT SURVEY WE'D LOVE TO HEAR YOUR FEEDBACK ON. WE'LL SHARE THAT WITH JEN AND LIZ AS WELL. IT ALSO HELPS US WITH OUR ON-GOING PROGRAMMING. THANK YOU, ALL, FOR BEING HERE. THANKS TO OUR CAPTION ERAS WELL. AND YOU GUYS HAVE AN EXCELLENT DAY. EVERYONE HAVE A GREAT REST OF YOUR WEEK. BYE BYE.