**Author:**<br />
Susanne Fricke, Animal Health Librarian, Washington State University - Pullman
**Abstract:**<br />
Today’s students are searching for experience-focused learning
opportunities, and new ways to visualize concepts. This demand increased as
many in-person laboratory courses pivoted to a virtual environment due to
COVID-19. Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are promoted for
both basic science and applied clinical learning, yet many students lack
access to the costly technology and technical skills needed to install and
use VR systems. In early 2020 our academic health science library was
awarded a Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) grant to
provide students with the technology needed to use open-source VR anatomy
software. As we prepared to implement this new program, our library closed
due to COVID-19. This talk will discuss how we tested, promoted, and
adapted this portable VR system for student use during a time of disrupted
learning and library closure. We hope that exposure to VR systems will
encourage more students to embrace and evaluate new innovations and
contribute to development of open-source learning applications throughout
their education and career.
