FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
West Vancouver Memorial Library Hosts Community Technology Fair
May 1, 2019, West Vancouver, B.C. – West Vancouver Memorial Library invites people of all ages to get up close with new technology tools and meet experts in the field at the Community Technology Fair on Friday, May 24, 12 – 7 p.m. Hands-on experiences and interactive activities are designed for participants to be inspired to think about their future needs and wants, and for the Library to better understand what captures people’s imaginations.
“Technology is evolving rapidly and is exciting and compelling, but sometimes it can be hard to keep up with developments,“ says Library Board Chair, Jillian Stirk. “The Community Technology Fair at the Library is a venue for people to have conversations with our staff and each other about what we want the future of technology to be at our Library and in our community.”
“The Community Technology Fair is a great way for people to touch, test and tinker in a safe environment where everyone is learning together,” says Head of Technology Sarah Felkar. “Our patient and friendly Digital Experience staff are experts at supporting people at all levels, from complete novices to advanced techies, to play and learn.”
Digital experiences people can try out at the Fair include playing mini keyboards and Loog guitars in The Lab and recording an audio story in the “Speaker’s Corner” multimedia studio. For the complete list of events, visit wvml.ca/techfair.
Community Technology Fair
Friday, May 24, 12 – 7 p.m., West Vancouver Memorial Library, Lower Floor
1950 Marine Drive, West Vancouver
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
12:30 – 6 p.m. Tech Talks – Welsh Hall
Hear from leading experts about the latest and greatest buzz in the world of technology, such as fake news and the future of coding.
12 – 7 p.m. Play & Learn – The Lab/Lower Floor
- Virtual Reality Roller Coaster: Take a hair-raising ride with one our VR headsets — experience the shrieks and thrills without ever leaving the room.
- Augmented Reality Zoo: It’s a jungle in here! Use an app to add fun and fantastical creatures to The Lab that you can interact with through a tablet.
- Zen Coding: Slow down, take a deep calming breath and learn how to build code with…wooden blocks?
- Preserve a Memory: Try out our digitization devices, such as a photo scanner, VHS tape and super 8 film digitizers. Learn about new equipment that you can check out and use at home.
- Robot Jokes: “Why was the robot angry? Because someone kept pushing its buttons!” Meet our cute app-controlled robots, Dot and Dash, who can talk, move, light up – and even crack jokes!
- Let’s Get Musical: Unleash your inner rock star with our iPads, mini-keyboards and Loog guitars.
- Speaker’s Corner: Go “on the air” in our multimedia studio!
Funding for the Community Technology Fair is generously provided by the West Vancouver Memorial Library Foundation.
BACKGROUND
About Digital Learning at the Library
In March 2018, West Vancouver Memorial Library opened The Lab: West Vancouver’s Digital Learning Place. Designed foremost for active participation and social interaction, the custom-built space transforms learning into a collaborative and creative experience.
Tools in The Lab support digitizing personal and local history; creating digital media like videos, podcasts, music, print and digital books; developing computational thinking with robots and electronic circuitry; and exploring emerging technologies such as virtual reality and 3D printing. The Lab hosts a full schedule of digital learning opportunities for people of all ages, interests and abilities, offered in five unique learning streams: Use It, Share It, Develop It, Create It and Imagine It. For more information about The Lab, please visit wvml.ca/thelab.
About West Vancouver Memorial Library
Open and welcoming to all, West Vancouver Memorial Library connects people with information, the world of imagination and each other. The Library attracts nearly 43,100 people to our facility and 54,500 to our website each month. The Library’s vision expresses a broad, aspirational state: Where wonder sparks, possibilities emerge and minds thrive. Our Library inspires people to grow in a dynamic world.
Media contact
Celina O’Connor, Communications Coordinator
604.925.7407
coconnor@westvanlibrary.ca