Broward County Library's Online "Virtual AARLCC" Gallery Now Open for Visitors!

Take a tour of the gallery's 3D models of African art, masks and more

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Sep 16, 2020, 13:15 ET

BROWARD COUNTY, Fla., Sept. 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Broward County Library's Virtual AARLCC, a virtual exhibition of 20 important acquisitions from the Special Collections of the African American Research Library and Cultural Center (AARLCC), located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is now open for visitors!

Dr. Bryan Carter of the University of Arizona and Broward County Library Community Engagement Manager Dr. Roslyn Dean scan an artifact for Virtual AARLCC.

Virtual AARLCC is a specially curated exhibit, which "lives" online and features 3D models of African masks, carvings, figurines and other unique and significant artifacts. Visitors to Virtual AARLCC can take an online video tour, view and virtually interact with the items individually, and hear and watch curated information related to the objects, including country/region of origin, the ethnic group they belong to and a detailed physical description of the work. Viewing in Google Chrome browser is recommended.

Additionally, the collection is also available via Sketchfab.com/AARLCC, where visitors can download the 3D images free, and viewers with virtual reality devices can interact with the artifacts in virtual reality as well. The 20 artifacts are also now available in Merge Object Viewer app in the Apple or Google Play stores. The Collection is titled "Broward Library African Artifacts."

Broward County Library is the first library in Florida to offer virtual exhibition visits via three-dimensional (3D) modeling and augmented reality technology. This grant-funded initiative is led by Broward County Library Community Engagement Manager and includes collaborative efforts from the University of Arizona Center's for Digital Humanities and the library's digitization team. Virtual AARLCC is designed to expand access to the Special Collections using technology (3D modeling) that is the next best thing to live exhibits.

This project was funded under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Florida's LSTA program is administered by the Department of State's Division of Library and Information Services.

About Broward County Libraries Division
Broward County Libraries Division, named 2015 Library of the Year by the Florida Library Association, was founded in 1974 and is the largest library system in Florida by square footage and one of the busiest, with more than 7.5 million walk-in customers visiting its 38 locations annually. Broward County Libraries Division provides convenient access to a full range of innovative and cost-effective services that satisfy the changing needs of the people of Broward County for information, education and recreation. Visit our website, Broward.org/Library, or follow Libraries on Facebook and Twitter.