Making Virtual Reality a Reality: Designing Educational Initiatives in Libraries with Emerging Technologies

Alison Valk is the Instructional Coordinator and Multimedia Librarian for the Georgia Tech Library. She teaches approximately 100 workshops a year on professional multimedia software, including tools for AR/VR, video/audio editing, and graphic design. In 2016, she became the program manager for the Georgia Tech Library's instruction program and service owner of the library's Media Scholarship Commons. As instructional coordinator, she oversees the development of the library's educational curriculum. She leads numerous specialized educational programs that incorporate emerging technologies, as well as a federal Institute for Museum and Library Services grant-funded program that integrates arts-based projects and library resources into the curriculum.

Ximin Mi has been working on developing virtual reality library services since 2016. Since becoming the Data Visualization Librarian at the Georgia Tech Library in 2017, Mi has led the acquisition of VR devices and service development and co-taught the virtual reality undergraduate research section with colleague Alison Valk. She also focuses on developing library data services, teaches other classes and non-credit workshops, and provides research data consultation to campus students, faculty, and staff.

Ashley L. Schick is an artist and art educator. She taught drawing, printmaking, and digital photography in the upper school at the Lovett School, Atlanta, GA, where she also led cross-curricular projects, joining arts and technology with other disciplines. She was an active member of the Lovett Digital Citizenship Committee. Schick has taught workshops with SCAD, Georgia Tech, the Atlanta Printmakers Studio, the High Museum, the Atlanta Zine Fest, and other organizations. Her artwork has been exhibited nationally and internationally, has been installed in film sets, and is held in multiple private and university collections.