Design and implementation of an interactive virtual library based on its physical counterpart

Abstract The rapid technological advancements and the widespread adoption of the internet have diminished the role of the physical library as a main information resource. As the Metaverse is evolving, a revolutionary change is anticipated in how social relationships are perceived, within an educational context. It is therefore necessary for libraries to upgrade the services they provide to keep in line with the technological trends and be a part of this virtual revolution. It is believed that the design and development of a Virtual Reality (VR) library can be the community and knowledge hub the society needs. In this paper, the process of creating a partially digital replica of the Limassol Municipal University Library, a landmark for the city of Limassol, is examined by using photogrammetry and 3D modelling. A 3D platform was developed, where users have the perception that they are experiencing the actual library. To that end, a perceptual study was conducted, to understand the current usage of physical libraries, examine the users’ experience in VR, and identify the requirements and expectations in the development of a virtual library counterpart. Following the suggestions and observations from the perceptual study, five key scenarios were implemented that demonstrate the potential use of a virtual library. This work incorporates the fundamental VR attributes, such as immersiveness, realism, user interactivity and feedback as well as other features, such as animated NPCs, 3D audio, ray-casting and GUIs, that significantly augment the overall VR library user experience, presence as well as navigation autonomy. The main effort of this project was to produce a VR representation of an existing physical library, integrated with its key services, as a proof-of-concept, with emphasis on easy 24/7 access, functionality, and interactivity. The above attributes differentiate this work from existing studies. A detailed user evaluation study was conducted upon completion of the final VR library implementation, which firmly confirmed all its key attributes and future viability.