With the advancement of technology over the last couple of decades, libraries and other information organisations, such as museums and galleries, now have the opportunity to utilise tools such as Augmented Reality to engage users and encourage interaction with their collections. But what is Augmented Reality (AR), and what advantages and disadvantages does it offer to libraries and other information organisations?
Defining AR, Reynolds et al. (2020) writes, it is “a digital means of mixing real and virtual environments by adding digital layers to the physical world” (p 503). In short, we are seeing an ‘augmented’ or ‘alternate’ version of reality. Most of us would be familiar with the phenomenon of Pokemon Go, the AR game that captured the world’s attention just a few years ago. This app is a prime example of how a simple AR program can be utilised. By superimposing the Pokemon characters onto the everyday world, the user is able to experience the game in a more immersive and gratifying way, thus creating a deeper sense of community with other players and achievement within the game (Rauschnabel et al., 2017). While most libraries and information organisations may not be able to achieve the same level of recognisability as Pokemon Go, there are definite advantages of creating and implementing AR programs within their organisations.
From a strictly library perspective, Augmented Reality can be used to create what is known as an augmented book, in which books are enhanced by holding digital devices over the book in order to create a more immersive reading experience. In their article, Danaei et al. (2020) look at how AR and augmented books can improve children’s literacy comprehension and understanding, as they are more able to visualise the story independent of where they are in their developmental stages. The features of the augmented book such as read aloud and animation, allow children to have an immersive and enjoyable experience that potentially increases their comprehension and understanding (Danaei et al., 2020). While this is a prime example of one of the advantages AR can play in the library, one challenge that presents itself is the ability for all libraries to implement AR programs and the continuing staffing commitments to maintain and update the programs regularly.
However, with more of the world’s population now owning a smart device, and with more libraries and information organisations searching for ways to engage and interact with their users, AR is an advantageous use of technology that will allow for users to connect with the collections and exhibits no matter their location in the world.
Danaei, D., Jamali, H., Mansourian, Y. & Rastegarpour, H. (2020). Comparing reading comprehension between children reading augmented reality and print storybooks. Computers & Education, 153. https://doi.org/10.1016/jcompedu.2020.103900
Rauschnabel, P., Rossman, A. & Dieck, M. (2017). An adaptation framework for mobile augmented reality games: The case of Pokemon Go. Computers in Human Behaviour, 76, 276-286. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.07.030
Reynolds, K., Schofield, T. & Trujillo, D. (2020). Children’s magical realism for new spatial interactions: Augmented reality and the David Almond archives. Children’s Literature in Education, 51(4), 502-518. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10583-019-09389-2