The Fraser Valley Regional Library (FVRL) expanded its Playground last fall to include virtual reality (VR) systems. Since its launch, hundreds of customers have put on a HTC VIVE headset and let the real world wash away.
And now, FVRL is set to use its VR systems to take literacy immersion to a completely new level.
Partnering with BradField Narrative Designs, which is based in Nanaimo, the Library will be offering youth library programs in the fall that feature the ongoing Inanimate Alice saga.
An interactive digital novel told in episodes, Inanimate Alice was designed to engage our young people, who are more digitally-inclined than previous generations.
“FVRL has positioned itself to become a library leader by offering engaging STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) related learning through its Playground,” says Scott Hargrove, FVRL CEO.
“Partnering with BradField Narrative Designs allows us to bridge literacy with technology in a way few have ever experienced.”
With full inclusion of the Perpetual Nomads virtual reality experience, Inanimate Alice marries text with sound, dynamic imagery and gaming elements to create an ongoing experiential story that invites readers to take part in the world of Alice Field, a girl with a globe-trotting family.
The stories are laced with themes that resonate with many of today’s youth, including striving to stay positive in the face of global upheaval and geographic displacement.
“The project represents a new genre in literature,” says Ian Harper, Series Producer. “Inanimate Alice offers an innovative approach to twenty-first century learning and literacies. We are excited to work with FVRL and bring this transmedia storytelling experience to local youth.”
Encompassing the sprawling, world-travelling, adventures of a girl dreaming of one day becoming a game designer, Inanimate Alice has become an inspiration for teachers and students the world over.
For more information on Inanimate Alice, or other programs offered through the Fraser Valley Regional Library, please visit their website at FVRL.bc.ca.
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