Supporting Virtual Reality and 3D in Academic Libraries: Defining Preservation and Curation Challenges

Academic libraries are increasingly adopting virtual reality (VR) technologies for a variety of research and teaching purposes, yet there is a lack of clear guidance in the community on how to manage these technologies in effective and sustainable ways. In June 2018, the University of Oklahoma hosted the second of three forums on the topic of using 3D and VR for visualization and analysis in academic libraries, as part of the IMLS-funded project, Developing Library Strategy for 3D and Virtual Reality Collection Development and Reuse (LIB3DVR). This project uses nominal group technique to collect data from the invited experts (from diverse academic disciplines and institutional contexts) at the Forum to identify common preservation and curation challenges in the visualization and analysis of 3D data and the management of VR programs. This paper describes the findings of this project and outlines strategies and techniques for curating and preserving 3D/VR.