Recording Studio and VR Space at Fairfield City Open Libraries
Towards the
end of December, Kelly, Monique and I visited Whitlam Library in Cabramatta (Fairfield City
Open Libraries) and toured its brand new recording studio and virtual reality
(VR) space.
STUDIO 2166
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| What people see when they reach the first floor of Whitlam Library. |
Studio 2166 is a fully equipped film and sound recording studio. The sound-proof facility has a green screen stage and
recording booth, film and audio production equipment, and software to produce
high-quality video and sound recordings.
The studio space has glass walls on
three sides, designed for an open feel and so that others using the library can
see in, observe what goes on inside, and potentially find out how they can use
it as well. This is a clever design strategy, as the facilities and equipment create
buzz and promote themselves simply by being used.
Members of the library can book
Studio 2166 in four-hour blocks for a total of 44 hours studio time a year.
This limits over-usage and keeps the space accessible to more people. They must
attend an induction session before being able to use the studio. The library
also ensures one staff member is present in the area, where they can do their
own work while also handling enquiries and helping people with the equipment
and software. This has required staff to undertake new training and to develop
expertise to provide quality support and education to members.
Fairfield City Open Libraries was also
discussing the idea of showcasing the content created in Studio 2166 on its
website and social media. The intention is to create a mutually beneficial style of
marketing that encourages the audience to develop a sense of ownership over the
product or service being promoted.
Usage has ranged from new local
businesses making ads to a group of young people who were previously banned
from the library, returned under the condition of good behaviour and used the
sound suite to produce music (specifically, a rap album…)
The staff at Whitlam Library believe that
offering this space, tech and expertise – usually of a prohibitive expense for
most – as part of library membership reflects the local community’s evolving
interests and needs. By making Studio 2166 available for anyone to use, the
library service is supporting creative talent and helping the community develop
skills to create content.
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| The green screen stage. |
 |
| Sound booth and recording desk. |
lab.LX
 |
| Virtual Reality in action. |
lab.LX was an old storage room that
has been refurbished specially with a virtual reality (VR) space. Fairfield
City Council says the space also has “360° cameras, 3D scanners, robots
and bots, electronics kits, virtual and augmented reality tools and coding,
gaming hardware and software resources as well as online learning tools such as
Lynda.com and awelearning.com”.
The council
says having these “state of the art technology resources” provides “an experimental
media space for inventors, entrepreneurs and the curious who want to play with
and understand technology or create digital content and products”.
I took a look at the VR gaming
set-up with a member of staff. At the time of the visit, a library staff member
was present in the room accepting walk-ins – anyone could take a seat and give
VR a try.
There are a huge number
of paid and free-to-play applications that showcase the nature and experience
of VR. This includes simple arcade-style and exploration games, as well as
creative and educational VR apps.
A small number of examples of VR
experiences users can have include:
- Blocks and Tiltbrush: build with blocks and paint in 3D
- The Body VR: Journey Inside a Cell (exactly what it sounds like)
- Going inside surrealist artworks in Dreams of Dali
- Building and exploring the natural world in Nature Treks
- Visiting The VR Museum of Fine Art
- Visiting famous tourist sites, archeological and cultural sites, and lost places in Realities.
Staff said there had been no
particular limit to the age groups coming in to try the VR. Seniors
particularly enjoyed applications like Google
Earth VR and Realities that
allowed them to visit real-world places.
lab.LX offers the community fair and
equitable opportunities to use and learn about emerging technology.
These spaces are an example of library
services evolving into a centres for creative activity. It was made possible by
a funding grant from the Library Council of NSW.
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