UB Libraries offers students the opportunity to work on a cutting-edge Virtual Reality (VR) project aimed at documenting the geologic features, history and environment of the Great Lakes and connecting waterways through 360° photographs.
This project has reached full capacity for the current term. Please check back next semester for updates.
The Great Lakes are a dominant part of the physical and cultural heritage of North America. Shared with Canada and spanning more than 750 miles (1,200 kilometers) from west to east, these inland freshwater seas provide water for consumption, transportation, power, recreation and a host of other uses. The Great Lakes Region is the primary water source for more than 40 million people.
Two of the five Great Lakes are especially important to the Western New York region – Lake Ontario and Lake Erie.
UB Libraries is partnering to offer students the opportunity to work on a cutting-edge Virtual Reality (VR) project aimed at documenting the geologic features, history, and environment of the Great Lakes and connecting waterways through 360° photographs. We are actively looking for students to join our team as content creators. If you are interested in history, geology, geography, environmental studies, virtual reality, photography, and the arts, please contact us.
Groups of students will collaborate to identify historic landmarks, landscapes, environmental phenomena, and more within and along the Great Lakes to be documented using the Libraries’ 360° cameras. They may also choose from a list of significant places and features identified by project mentors. Students will then edit the footage using the Libraries’ professional editing software and incorporate relevant library resources (e.g. maps, government information, statistics, articles, etc.). Students will be expected to provide metatags for the files prior to being entered in the Western New York Library Resource Council’s ESIE Repository. Students can also earn a micro-credentialed badge in the process.
Students should come with an idea of what project site and/or topic they would like to pursue. Potential project sites include:
Potential project sites include:
Length of commitment | About a semester; 3-5 months |
Start time | Anytime |
In-person, remote, or hybrid? | In-person |
Level of collaboration | Individual or small group |
Benefits | Research experience |
Who is eligible | All undergraduate students |
Carolyn Klotzbach-Russell
Social Sciences Librarian
University Libraries
Once you begin the digital badge series, you will have access to all the necessary activities and instructions. Your mentor has indicated they would like you to also complete the specific preparation activities below. Please reference this when you get to Step 2 of the Preparation Phase.
Library