LAKEPORT, Calif. – Virtual Reality in the form of an HTC-Vive system comes to the Lakeport branch of the Lake County Library every Wednesday in September from 4 to 5 p.m.

The free ten-minute sessions are open to the public for ages 12 and above.

The library is located at 1425 N. High St.

The Virtual Reality Society says that virtual reality is the term used to describe a three-dimensional, computer-generated environment which can be explored and interacted with by a person.

That person becomes part of this virtual world and is able to manipulate objects or perform a series of actions within the environment.

Lakeport Library is one of 100 public libraries in California that have received free Virtual Reality kits from VAR Libraries, the California State Library, and Califa, a nonprofit consortium that represents 220 libraries in California.

The kits include HTC-Vive headsets, hand controls, and computers to run the software. The software package features a variety of educational software titles.

The HTC Vive is a virtual reality headset developed by HTC and Valve Corp. The headset uses "room scale" tracking technology, allowing the user to move in 3D space and use motion-tracked handheld controllers to interact with the environment.

Players can swim with a whale, land on an aircraft carrier, command a starship or explore an Egyptian tomb, just a few of the virtual reality activities now loaded into the system.

To enter the world of virtual reality, the player dons a headset that transmits sights and sounds. Hand controls manipulate objects in the VR so the player becomes part of the experience.

Library staff is on hand to set up the equipment and assist patrons during the Vive sessions. Virtual Reality is also available at Redbud Library 14785 Burns Valley Road in Clearlake every Wednesday at 4 p.m.

Researchers are using this pilot program to study how VR can be incorporated into school curricula.

VR can be a powerful tool to expand on traditional teaching methods with the potential to change how education is done in the future.

The Lake County Library is on the Internet at http://library.co.lake.ca.us and Facebook at www.facebook.com/LakeCountyLibrary.

Jan Cook is a library technician at the Lakeport Library.