Application Of Virtual Reality To Digital Library

Digital Library (DL) is an extension and development of the traditional library in the era of information. As a sort of information centre, without limitations in space and time, easily accessible and super-sized, it has been developed rapidly and become a prevailing form of library with evident advantages for organization and management. Obviously, DL both expands and challenges traditional and expectation of traditional library. More importantly, it provides an essential basis for the emergence of a series of issues or problems worth exploring academically. Moreover, it continues to prove that application of new techniques plays a decisive role in the development of library enterprise.Having been developed for more than20years, the technique of virtual reality (VR) has become one of the most important and inventive21th century technologies, paralleling with internet and multi-media. VR is a type of synthetic integration technique, which integrates computer graphics, computer human interaction, sensor technique, artificial intelligence, robotique, etc. and features with multi-sensing, immersion, interactivity and imaginary, etc. DL digitalizes library collections and resources, including those of paper documents in the traditional libraries. Also, VR transform the two-dimensional information into three dimensions, expands approaches, contents and scope of service, which will result in radical change in DL. This research attempts to explore the application of VR to DL. It is expected that this study could improve or accelerate the development of DL in China, particularly in the cases of integration of "three networks and inter-network construction".Based on a survey of documents, case studies, pragmatic approach, comparative study, cross-disciplinary study and so on, this dissertation presents a comprehensive investigation of the technology of VR in the infrustracture of DL, including the application foundation composition and implementation of VR system, as well as the necessity and possibilities for application, virtual space in digital library, construction of three-dimensional information, visual search for information and source, virtual consulting and reference, remote control technology. In all, the dissertation consists of145,000words, which are presented in5chapters and briefly described as follows:Chapter1discusses the application foundations for VR in DL as well as how VR is composed and realized. Because VR was originally originated from foreign contries, interpretations and definitions of VR have always been widely debated and discussed among Chinese scholars. On the basis of critical generalization of foreign scholars’ viewpoints and achievements, this dissertation articulates and presents the interpretations and definitions of VR. To the composition of VR system, this dissertation argues that human is the main factor of VR system and decides the realization and application of VR.Chapter2discusses the necessity of VR in DL application from the perspective of the development of information society, the construction and development of DL as well as the complementary advantages and innovative service of VR. Meanwhile, the dissertation also discusses the feasibility of VR in DL application in the context of the integration of three networks, the construction of the internet of things, the technological complex of library, and the characteristics of VR. With the rapid development of information society, the construction and service of digital library are challenged by higher requirements, since the history of thousands of years for library development has already proved that application of new techniques plays a decisive role in the development of library enterprise. At present, the Chinese Communist Party and the national government pay great attention to the integration of three networks and the construction of the internet of things, which are studied repetitively in executive meetings of the State Council, providing the support of high speed network technical infrastructure and of excellent and inexpensive sensing equipment for VR in DL application.Chapter3presents a comprehensive discussion on VR’s application in virtual space of DL from the four types of VR system through virtual spatial design of digital library based on the theory and features of VRML. Furthermore, this chapter analyses the problems that exist in VR in DL application, and points out that software-only VR is so far the best choice for China DL, and VR system combining software-only VR with Internet is the development orientation of DL application.Chapter4makes a comparative analysis between two-dimensional and three-dimensional information resources through utilizing HTML, JavaScript and VRML to realize information resources construction. This dissertation discusses that three-dimensional information resources has the advantages of both traditional paper medium and two-dimensional digital resources, with low requirements of implementation technique, is convenient for message retrieval and service in digital library, but also has some difficulties need improving, still having a long way to go. Chapter5generalizes the cases of three-dimensional visual message retrieval and virtual reference from the perspective of message retrieval visualization and three-dimensional virtual reference, provides an important analysis on VR’s application in DL service, proposing suggestions to improve three-dimensional visual message retrieval and virtual reference in digital library.Finally, the paper summarizes VR’s application in, and makes a prospect of its further research and application.