Ocean City Library Opens Digital Media Room

Ocean City Library Opens Digital Media Room
Library employee Taryn Schultz is pictured trying out the new virtual reality system at the Ocean City branch. Photo by Charlene Sharpe

OCEAN CITY– A new digital media room at the Ocean City library is offering patrons access to a variety of state of the art equipment.

Just this week the Worcester County Library’s Ocean City branch unveiled the new “StudiOC,” a digital media room available to library users. It includes a virtual reality system, podcast equipment and a gaming computer, among other things.

“We wanted to enhance our technology,” said Brittany Herz Glenn, branch manager at the library. “Virtual reality is big right now but it’s also an expensive thing not a lot of people have access to in their homes.”

Herz Glenn said library staff had been working on the concept of a digital media room since the spring.  They renovated a former storage room to house an array of high tech gadgets. As patrons were provided access to the room this week, they were greeted with brand new podcast equipment, a green screen, gaming computer, iPads and an Oculus Rift virtual reality system.

Librarian Seth Nedrow expects the virtual reality system to draw the interest of gaming enthusiasts in particular.

“This gives people a chance to try it out without spending a bunch of money,” Nedrow said. “I can’t think of any other place that’s doing this right now.”

The library has about 20 games and programs for the virtual reality system, including Quill, Google Earth and Henry. The library is limiting use of the Oculus system to those ages 13 and up, as recommended by the company.

While the virtual reality system might be the highlight of the room, Herz Glenn expects the podcast equipment to be useful for local students and business owners.

“Basically you sign in to use the room and people can come in and use the podcast equipment for free,” she said. “If they need to tweak it before it goes live they can use our equipment for that too.”

Herz Glenn expects the iPads now available in the digital media room to be well used by library patrons of all ages. While an Institute of Museum and Library Services grant through the Maryland State Library funded all of the new equipment, the Ocean City library’s friends group provided funding for the purchase of more than 50 new apps for the devices. She said they targeted audiences ranging in age from pre-school to adults.

“They’re pretty much all encompassing,” she said.

Herz Glenn says the digital studio is part of the library’s effort to increase technology access and encourage local interest in the library.

“It’s an exciting, unique angle to bring people in,” she said.

About The Author: Charlene Sharpe

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Charlene Sharpe has been with The Dispatch since 2014. A graduate of Stephen Decatur High School and the University of Richmond, she spent seven years with the Delmarva Media Group before joining the team at The Dispatch.