The future of collection development in school libraries is enmeshed with development of our lived realities which increasingly intersect with digital environments now readily available through augmented and mixed reality technologies.
Gracanin, Ciambrone, Tasooji, Handosa, (2017) have recently expanded understanding of the virtual library as traditionally defined as a searchable collection of online books, journals and articles available on the Internet. They suggest instead of distinguishing between the real and virtual library considering creating a ‘mixed library’. Embedding MR technologies in existing libraries TLs are presented with new tools of conviviality that may that increase user interface and accessibility of information to those that are disadvantaged. The TL as information architect and curator of information experience engaged in practice of phenomenography in the future may have greater potential in designing learning experiences that have been inaccessible to those traditionally marginalised. The potential to create MR libraries that provide digital solutions to the physical limitations that library spaces present to those with mobility issues is particularly promising for those advocating disability rights in schools.
TLs can also consider moving forward into the future how to expand the traditional library and the corresponding built environment with virtual artifacts. AR/MR technologies are already being used to reconstruct historical buildings and monument and preserve historical data (Noh, Pan, 2009). Such virtual heritage can be used in education as a platform for learning, motivating and understanding of historical events and locations. There is the real possibility now of bringing whole environments of information that can be embodied and experienced into the lives of young people beyond the barriers of space and time.
I would like to suggest that the ability to record and preserve natural environments digitally through the architecture and design of MR technologies in particular to be an area of future research for those involved in the collection development. Within the Australian context such progressive collections may allow future generations access to experience ecosystems that may not exist for future generations given the current escalating climate crisis confronted as our forests burn and coral reefs bleach and fade from reality.
References
Gračanin D., Ciambrone A., Tasooji R., Handosa M. (2017) Mixed Library — Bridging Real and Virtual Libraries. In: Lackey S., Chen J. (eds) Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality. VAMR 2017. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 10280. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57987-0_18
Noh, Z., Sunar, M.S., Pan, Z.: A review on augmented reality for virtual heritage system. In: Chang, M., Kuo, R., Kinshuk, Chen, G.-D., Hirose, M. (eds.) Edutainment 2009. LNCS, vol. 5670, pp. 50–61. Springer, Heidelberg (2009). doi:10.1007/ 978-3-642-03364-3 7