In this video paper we report on our experiences of deploying a VR point at a public library for the purpose of educating library patrons on VR technology. The primary application offered at the VR point is called Virtual Library, a VR application developed specifically for the Oulu City Library. The Virtual Library application provides an immersive virtual interface into selected library services, as well as allows library patrons to browse literature recommendations inside genre-specific fantasy realms. Based on the observations of the first week weeks of deployment, the VR point and the Virtual Library are successful approaches for technology education in a public library.

In this demo paper we describe the development process and technical implementation of an interactive Virtual Reality (VR) application dubbed Virtual Library. The application utilizes consumer VR hardware and Unreal Engine to provide an immersive virtual interface to a physical library and its selected services, as well as browsing of literature content in aesthetic fantasy realms. The prototype is publicly available at the Oulu City Library.

We present an immersive VR interface for a public library where a mirror-world like virtual copy of the physical library is blended with imaginary virtual fantasy layers into a hybrid space for library content. The design of the system was guided by multi-stakeholder Participatory Design process involving library staff, library customers and researchers. The findings of the qualitative user evaluation of the prototype suggest that this kind of a VR interface is an exciting extension to a physical library, indicating the unlimited possibilities offered by the VR's ability to send the user into imaginary places. CCS Concepts •Human-centered computing → Virtual reality; Participatory design; •Information systems → Digital libraries and archives;

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