Virtual Home Library: Let Every Chinese Family Having Their Own Libraries at Home

Virtual Home Library (VHL) is an integrated IT system that utilizes virtual reality technology and an IPTV set-top box (STB) to virtually construct a ´library´ and the relevant reading environment on televisions in people´s home. Unlike the online e-book reading applications, Virtual Home Library system can be applied on televisions - the world´s most convenient and most efficient communication tool. Providing extended digital library services, it will be a perfect group reading utility for family readers. The system has been investigated by a joint research team of the National Library of China and the Communication University of China, collaborating with a Chinese IPTV equipment manufacturer. This paper presents some preliminary investigations of the VHL system performed by the research team.