Digital Media Lab Offers Virtual Tours of the UMass Amherst Libraries

Yuntian Hu, the Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) leading developer at the UMass Amherst Libraries Digital Media Lab (DML), is working on creating an immersive virtual experience that will allow students and staff to navigate a 3D representation of the W. E. B. Du Bois Library. Visualizing the library space in this form will highlight resources and services, including some of the lesser-known support services and collections.

“The pandemic has shown us the importance of connections between our friends, family, and the university community. Technology has kept us connected in the shadow of in-person restrictions, helping us to adapt to and embrace new methods of communication,” says Steve Acquah, coordinator of the Digital Media Lab.

The virtual experience is available for download for both PC and Mac computers.

The DML is also currently collaborating on an interactive state-of-the-art virtual tour of the new facility, working with Adrian Chase ’23, a UMass Student and founder of tech startup Interactiva Studios. Chase says, “We’re super excited to be able to work with the UMass Amherst Libraries to pilot our tech to the campus community.”

“We are fortunate to be able to collaborate with talented students like Adrian and his team who have taken the initiative to help during these challenging times,” says Acquah.