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2010-2011 Smathers Libraries Mini Grant
APPLICATION COVER SHEET
Application due: Friday, October 1, 2010, 5:00 PM


x Check here if this is your first grant application where you will be serving as a principal investigator (PI).

Principal Investigator (PI) Name: Chris McHale


Department: Library West Circulation Email: cimchale@ufl.edu Phone: (352) 273-2542

Additional project applicants, please give name, email, and brief role for each:

Margeaux Johnson, margeaux@ufl.edu
Dina Benson, dbenson@uflib.ufl.edu
Missy Clapp, melshoo@uflib.ufl.edu
Matthew Daley, matdale@uflib.ufl.edu
Stacey Ewing, staewin@uflib.ufl.edu

Title of grant application project: Virtual Libraries Tour

Project abstract (no more than 100 words):

The goal of this project is to create a digital map of the college campus that will inform and direct
users to the services offered by George A. Smathers Libraries, and to establish the organization as
the center of academic research and scholarship at the University of Florida (UF). To accomplish this
goal, the Virtual Libraries Tour (VLT) mini-grant team will work with the Emerging Technologies
Advisory Group (ETAG) in two phases of development. This VLT proposal requests funding to support
Phase 1 of this project, which will include hiring and training OPS staff for research and development
of the tour's content. They will collaborate with the ETAG to ensure that the resulting content is
compatible for use in Phase 2; the release of a mobile, web-based tour of UF campus that will provide
users with on-location access to information about library services as well as step-by-step directions
to each branch and collection in the library system.

Funds requested (Limit of $5,000): $4,915.20

Describe how the 10% mandatory cost share will be met (be specific):

Dina Benson will dedicate her time toward this project by training student assistants and supervising
content development. 1.0% of of Dina's yearly salary amounts to $499.69 cost share.

Margeaux Johnson, Missy Clapp, Slacey Ewing, and Matthew Daley will also work with student
assistants and participate in content development.

Please list the library resources to be used in this project and the name of the person authorizing the
intended use and date authorized. Each authorizing person must initial their approval and availability of
resources for this project. If you need more room, continue on a separate page.

Resources Required for Project as Authorizing Individual Approving Initials Date Authorized
applicable including cost share

Special and Area Studies Collections Rich Bennett /o-- ~ hI
DLC-Digitizatlon. Dina Benson Laurie Taylor 0 / 20
Marston Science Library; Margeaux Johnson Vernon Kisling//il. /I&//3//
Library West. Stacey Ewing. Missy Clapp Leilani Freund I / i3/

s ,Y j> V'rn5 th(










Submitted .




Approved by:


Dept. Chair Signature


1Q / / /.?/acz'W)
Date




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a. Description of project.


Maps are some of the most commonly requested brochures at any information desk on a college campus.
As librarians search for new wa, s to optimize and promote library services, they often forget that one of
the most important aspects of active outreach remains in customers' awareness of 'he locations at which
services are offered. The goal of this Droject is to create a digital map of the University of Florida campus
that will inform and direct users to the services offered by George A. Smathers Libraries, reinforcing our
organization as the center of academic research and scholarship at UF. To accomplish this goal, the
Virtual Libraries Tour mninigrant team will work with the Emerging Technologies Advisory Group in two
phases of development. This minigrant proposal requests funding to support the first phase of this project,
which will include hiring and training student assistants to research and develop the tour's content. These
students will collaborate with the minigrant team to ensure that the resulting content is compatible for use
in the second phase: the release of a mobile, web-based tour of UF campus that will provide users with
anytime location-related access to information about library services as well as step-by-step directions
to each branch and collection in our library system. We anticipate that this service will provide new
students, faculty, staff, and visitors with a fun and educational way to learn about the UF campus and the
opportunities available at the George A. Smathers Libraries.

b. Statement of importance.

As academic libraries suffer decreases in funding and staff, many of the traditional library tour services
are neglected in favor of time spent on classroom sessions that focus on use of the library's digital
resources like catalogs and databases. Of the 68 ARL institutions surveyed by researchers in 2000,
93% still offered guided tours of library buildings and services despite the enormous effort this requires
from faculty and staff. Many of the librarians that responded considered "spatial orientation to the library
building as critical to student success (Oling & Mach, 2002)." In the article "Usage of Academic Libraries,"
Simmonds and Andaleeb conclude that "the use of academic libraries is influenced most by users'
perceived familiarity with the library and its resources." In fact, "if library usage is to be increased, it is
important that libraries find new ways to familiarize users with the library (2001)."

In the second phase of the proposed project, the content developed under this grant will be used to
create an interactive, location-aware map of UF campus. Library buildings, collections, and services-as
well as several non-library locations as reference for users--will be tagged with GPS markers to create
a 24hr virtual guide for students, faculty, and visitors. This service will increase awareness of library
locations and resources, as well as fulfill the mission of the UF Libraries by adding to existing information
literacy, instruction, and outreach opportunities.

The ETAG is also investigating the implementation of "augmented reality" applications, which is defined
as "technology that augments the real world with virtual information (Sierra & Wust, 2010) ." This software
will utilize the camera on a mobile device, such as an iPhone, so that digital content can be layered over
a real-time image on the display. With the use of this technology, ETAG plans to create an interactive
mobile environment that will connect users directly to content hosted in LIF Digital Collections (UFDC)
and the University Archives including information about library services, descriptions of library collections,
and facts about UF history and heritage A visual example of the augmented reality aspect is included
in the appendix of this proposal. In addition to promoting the physical presence of the library system,
this service will also bring attention to UF Libraries' digital services, collections, and initiatives. It will
demonstrate an institutional involvement in emerging technologies and provide an effective library tour
with the least amount of impact on staff.












This service will also impact users in other departments and organizations at UF. The Florida Cicerones
and Student Alumni Association offer campus tours for potential students, visitors, and college freshmen
on a regular basis throughout the year. Maintaining accurate information about the libraries on this tour is
an important way to market services to new users. The digital tour will provide a reference for tour guides
to ensure that the correct information is included at each stop. It will also serve as a supplementary
service that can be marketed by the Cicerones as an after hours self-guided tour of UF campus. While
fulfilling a larger need for the University in general, this service will promote a positive ;mage of the UF
Libraries to incoming freshmen, international students, and visitors.

c. Similar projects in academic libraries

Although virtual tours were in development at many of the academic institutions surveyed, 31%
reported the current use of digital tour guides in 2000. Among these, 86% relied on the reference
and instruction units for the creation and maintenance of these services (Oling & Mach, 2002). These
numbers are expected to rise over the next few years both as a way to maintain tour services with less
staff involvement and as a way to utilize the modern mobile technologies that are currently in wide use.

The mobile interface of the tour will be modeled after North Carolina State University's (NC SU WolfWalk,
which provides user's with an interactive map and over 50 global positioning system (GPS) locations
of interest on the NCSU campus. Each location is supplemented with images from NCSU Special
Collections Research Center digital archives and users may access these images while exploring the
map. More information about this program, including screenshots and downloadable version of the
software, may be found on the the NCSU Digital Library Initiatives project website:

< http://www.lib.ncsu.eduldliproiects.',olfwalk. >.

d. Resources needed to complete the project and impacts on other departments

To accomplish this goal, VLT minigrant team will hire and train two student assistants to collect and
prepare a variety of multimedia for the project. Although they will collaborate on an overall narrative for
the tour, each will focus on an aspect determined by their individual talents. One will serve as a visual
coordinator for the project and work with University Archives staff to locate images and videos of each
library and reference location on the tour. The other student assistant will consult with staff and utilize
library resources to develop the storyboard narrative for each site. The overall goal is to create an fun
and educational way to learn about the UF Libraries and its services, but it will also make use of UFDC's
Florida History collections to highlight the history and heritage of UF's campus. Once the resources
have been collected, the VLT team will supervise the creation of the digital tour's content by combining
marketing, journalistic writing, and digital storytelling into a single interactive narrative.


No additional materials are needed.













e.Plan of action for the project.


Virtual Libraries Tour team (VLT): Margeaux Johnson (MJ), Dina Benson (DB), Missy Clapp (MC), Matthew Daley
(MD), Stacey Ewing (SE), Visual Coordinator Student (VC), Content Coordinator Studeni (CC)
TIME ACTION BY WHOM

Nov Hire 2 student assistants for research and development PI
i. Visual Coordinator (VC)
ii. Content Coordinator (CC)
Decide which locations to use for the tour VLT
Introduce VC to UFDC/IR for visual research DB
Introduce SE to organization and historical content development MC

Dec Arrange meeting between CC and Carl Van Ness for historical content DB
research and development
Recommend appropriate digital format for content MD

Nov Jan Collect visual media for Libraries and Historic sites VC
Develop content for tour narrative at each site CC

Jan March Decide on visual media for project All
Develop tour narrative to match the visual content CC, VC

Feb Begin Emerging Technologies Mini Grant for Phase 2 VLT

Feb March Create digital content CC, VC

g. Provide a means of measuring the success of the project.

Following the implementation of Phase 2, statistics can be kept on the number of times the application is
accessed online.

h. What are the long-term financial implications if the project is successful?

There are no anticipated recurring costs other then web hosting for tour materials and updates to content
when changes in services occur.

i. What will happen after the project ends?

The content developed by this project will be used by ETAG in Phase 2, which will include publication on
a mobile, web interface. Other possible uses include:
Training materials for staff conducting guided tours
Printed self-guided tour materials
Promotional and developmental opportunities










Mini Grant Budget Form


1. Salaries and Wages (no fringe benefits required)
Name co Prrsc., .l=r, :. I.' elorTl G'r ant Fur.J s Sh~are TToiia
Chris McHale, P 56,172 x 1.0% $0.00 $562.00 $562.00
Dira Eenson 49,968 x 10% $0.00 $500.00 $500.00
r.laEre.l, _________._,_ _____.._____ j 0".: .__'i C,,J .,-_ J-,,. I'm 1,:, 1i.,
Mr.1jre3u. Jir.nns.:n 4 1_ I__ Ci 0 r 5- 00c)
Melissa Clapp 57,927 x 1.0% $0.00 iS 9 r"'. $579.00
Stacey Ewing 59,884 x 1.0% $0.00 $599.00 $599.00
Stlu ern i i _lrn .'.i jl Cc.-,r,3 i r .-r 1,i rir 12hr. 20 s 8 l 00 2 4 .8T i'i
Student As4 ii r, _.i-.r, t, :3ar. E l.dor 1 lu r 1:,r ., 2' .1 Ci 4 5. 01 i.. 00 1: 15 0L
SUBTOTAL $4916.00 $3,562.00 $7916.00

2. Equipment
I'enu u. itil, l e C Gr in Fu i.s S
.,I$0.00 $0.00 $0.00
SUBTOTAL $0.00 $0.00 $0.00

3. Supplies
Iern GQuainl n ;C: Grir,: Funds C's S'l .jr Tola
$0.00 $0.00 $0.00
$0.00 $0.00 $0.00
SUBTOTAL $000 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00

4. Travel
Fr.:. T,. 7, ... .. .-, ._' .3 ,s ,rar,r Fur,ls C .S har T l
SUBTOTAL $0 0 $0.001 $0.00

5. Other (services vended, etc.)
IIem Ou I'iil, !.ni Coi iGr3r.! Fund-S jal Siare T ,al
1I_ $0.001 $0.001 $0.00
SUBTOTAL $0.00 "$0.00 $0.00

Grant Funds Cost Share Total
Total Direct Costs (add subtotals of items 1-5) $4,916.00 $3,562.00 $7,916.00








UNIVERSITY of
UF FLORIDA

George A. Smathers Libraries 208 Sniathers Library
Department of Special and Area Studies Collections PO Box 117005
'w A, ullti ufl ed'j sp'e 'ar,.horme Gaine s.' Ile, FL 32611-7005
352-273-2764
352-846--2746 Fax


October 13, 2010

Bess de Farber,

Dear Bess,

Dina Benson has requested that I write a letter of support in regards to her application for a
mini-grant to create a virtual library tour for mobile phones. Specifically, I have been asked to
comment on the "augmented realirn" portion of the tour that will connect users to relevant content in
UF Digital Collections and the University Archives.
As Dina points out in her narrative, :here are several obvious applications for virtual touring
on campus. In addition to the almost daily tours conducted by the Ciceroncs. ihere are many
impromptu tours conducted for smaller groups that attract far less attention. In all of these tours,
the information provided is limited to the tour guide's personal knowledge. For the Cicerones, the
knowledge is limited to what is provided in their scripts.
The creation of online mapping tools as a way of pro\ idin additional campus information
began a number of years ago. The University's Google map provides limited information on
campus buildings and Facilities Planning has a primitive map locating types of trees on campus.
Until recently, though, the technology was limited by the lack of mobile devices that would make
field application possible. In the past year, I have been approached by several people, in addition
to Dina, who want to explore possible applications of archival information to mobile phones. The
interest is clearly ihcrc. Nor is the interest confined to historical background on buildings and
places. For example, few people know that there are seven water-filled sinkholes on campus, that
the football stadium was built in a sinkhole, or that there is a natural spring under the stadium's east
stands.
The Libraries' are a logical starting place for a campus virtual tour. We are geographically
dispersed, we have a need to disseminate information, and we possess one of the University's
most significant historical buildings. If successful, this grant could be the seed for a campus-wide
project. I would strongly urge the Digital Library Center to investigate possible partners to go
beyond the scope of this proposal once the project is completed.

Sincerely,


Carl Van Ness
University Historian and Archivist






The Foundation for The Gator Nation
An Equal Opportunity Institution








Mchale,Christopher J

From: Cicerone Karsten Farrell [kfarrell@ufalumni.ufl.edu]
Sent: Monday, October 04, 2010 6:05 PM
To: cjmchale@ufl.edu
Cc: kaylynbrickey@gmail.com; Johnson,Rachel A; Cicerone Andrew Stricklin; Hayden, Sandra R
Subject: Cicerone Support for LIF Libraries Historic Tour Minigrant


Mr. McHale and team,

My name is Karsten Farrell and am the Vice President of Programming for the Florida
Cicerones/SAA, the official student ambassadors to the University of Florida. My primary
function in the organization is to facilitate our external programming with our contacts
across campus and the community, including but not limited to the Office of Admissions,
University Athletic Associate and President's Office. I write you today on behalf of our
executive board and 146 members to show support for your project and the Minigrant you are
seeking.

Having been the Cicerones former Tour Chairperson, I see this endeavor having significant
potential to help our organization provide quality experiences for the over 37,000 visitors
we work with each year. We also firmly believe that a institution on the level of the
University of Florida should always be on the cutting edge of new ways to provide for and
educate potential students, which the Historic Tour certainly will do.

We as an organization greatly look forward to seeing the application fully functional and are
more than willing to lend any help or support needed along the way.

All our best and of course, Go Gators!

Karsten Farrell

Programming Vice President
Florida Cicerones/SAA

(727) 415-8042

Documents made or received by anyone acting for or on behalf of the UF Foundation are
confidential and exempt from F.S. 119.07(1) pursuant to F.S. 1004.28(5) and in accordance
with the UF Foundation policy on confidentiality of Foundation documents.








Mchale,Christopher J

From: Hood,Barbara J
Sent: Tuesday, October 12, 2010 1:26 PM
To: Mchale,Christopher J
Subject: Letter of Support for mini-grant proposal


Dear Chris,

I am writing in support of your mini-grant proposal to create a mobile tour of the UF Libraries' collections and
services. The libraries must continue to stay at the forefront of new technologies to attract and sustain users
and donors. This user interaction method of "touring" the libraries will be a quick and easy way for students,
faculty, staff and visitors to learn more about the libraries.

It will bring attention to the libraries' collections and interesting facts in real time that can spark an interest that
may never be realized by users finding locations on a traditional printed or even web-based map. Many
students and faculty are not aware of all of the campus libraries and this will serve as an education; tool so
that they will learn about the breadth of the UF library system. This will also be a useful tool when promoting
the libraries and collections to new users and potential donors.

You have my support in any way you need in creating and editing content to make this a reality.

Regards,
Barbara

Barbara Hood
Public Information Officer
University of Florida George A. Smathers Libraries
PO Box 117000
Gainesville FL 32611-7000
352.273.2505 I Fax 352.392.7251







a~00













References

Oling, L., & Mach, M. (2002). Tour trends in academic ARL Libraries. College & Research
Libranes, 63(1), 13-23.

Sierra, T. and Wust, M. (2010). Geotagging. Geolocation, and Augmented Reality: Opportunities
for Libraries to Create In Situ Learning Experiences [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from
NCSU WolfWalk web site: http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/dli/proiects/wolfwalk/

Simmonds, P. L., & Andaleeb, S. S. (2001). Usage of academic libraries: The role of service
quality, resources, and user characteristics. Library Trends, 49(4), 626-634.









Virtual Libraries Tour Minigrant
Questions from GMC

1. Please get Will Chaney's approval to commit Matthew Daley's effort.

This has been acquired and forwarded to Bess.

2. Will the project team be reusing the location software used in Wolfwalk?
There's not much discussion of the actual application.

In Phase 2 of the VLT project the team will collaborate with the Emerging Technologies
Advisory Group to upload the content created in Phase 1 into an interactive, mobile
application. ETAG has a contact from NCSU's Digital Library Initiatives team that will
be providing the software code developed for the WolfWalk program. Although this
software is location aware, it does not include the augmented reality feature that will be
utilized by the University of Florida's Virtual Libraries Tour. The WolfWalk source code
will provide a useful reference for staff in the development of an augmented reality tour
using a tool called Layar:
.
"Layar works by using a combination of the mobile phone's camera, compass and
GPS data to identify the user's location and field of view, retrieve data based on those
geographical coordinates, and overlay that data over the camera view."


3. What expertise will be used to "create an interactive, location-aware map of UF
campus" so that it will be useable in phase 2?

The Layar tool is free and requires a team of developers with an average expertise in
web development. The VLT group is still in the process of collecting information and
resources for Phase 2 of this project. We are exploring partnerships with students from
the Computer Science and Engineering departments and the Digital Worlds Institute.
It may be necessary to hire an additional OPS programmer to meet project deadlines.
There are additional support materials and resources for developers hosted on the
Layar wiki:
.

4. What are other measures of success for phase 1 of the project? What's the
actual product for phase I? Number of GPS points, positional accuracy of those
points, number of images collected, any proposed audio descriptions, etc.?

At the end of Phase 1 the VLT team will have content for use in various outreach and
promotional activities at the UF Libraries. There are plans to improve upon the current
version of our "Libraries in Brief" handout, including the development of a self-guided
paper tour of the UF Library System and campus history and to update and revive the
Libraries web tour:









.
40 individual sites will be included in the tour including all 9 branches of the UF
Library System and 31 significant landmarks from the list of historic buildings on the
UF campus. A variety of multimedia will be incorporated including audio narratives
and visuals pertaining to each location. Furthermore, the success of Phase 1 can be
measured by keeping statistics on the number of printed tour guides requested at
campus service desks and by tracking usage of the web based tour application.

5. Can other outside letters of support be obtained? (2 out of 3 letters are
internal)

The Virtual Libraries Tour team is currently seeking additional external letters of support
from the UF IT Department, the University of Florida Preservation of Historic Buildings
and Sites Committee, and New Students and Family Programs at the Dean of Student
Services Office.

6. Literature cited is 8 to 9 years old. Is there newer literature supporting the
project?

The literature was selected to demonstrate a precedence for academic libraries to be
involved in campus tours. The Oling and Mach study not only surveyed ARL institutions,
but describes the different strategies employed by these institutions to educate users
about the spatial orientation of the library branches on campus. These tour strategies
will influence the development of products in Phase 1 and set goals for the outcome.
Newer literature was not found that accomplished this same purpose, but we could
expand the literature review outside of the fields of academic librarianship to include
museum studies, etc.

7. I would like more information on the materials to be produced in Phase I,
number.

The content created for this tour will center around the University of Florida Library
System and include visual landmarks from the list of sites that make up UF's Historic
Campus (31). The narrative accompanying the content will be designed to offer a
guided, walking tour of the 9 UF Library Branches. Each stop on the Virtual Libraries
Tour will include a current list of services, collection strengths, and other interesting
facts about the location. Significant campus landmarks will be included to supplement
the user's experience and improve the way we introduce new students to a spatial
orientation of campus with special emphasis on the Libraries. Historic sites on the
tour will focus on the University's history and heritage and showcase both material
and digital collections from the George A. Smathers Libraries. A variety of multimedia
formats (visual, audio, and text) will be utilized to create a content rich virtual world for
new students and visitors to the University of Florida.

In Phase 1 the VLT group will collect and create content that can be uploaded to a









location-aware, augmented reality application that will run on most Android and iPhone
mobile devices at a later date (Phase 2). This content will also be used in a variety
of digital and print resources, such as a web based virtual tour and self-guided tour
pamphlets, so that it may reach a larger audience of users that may not have access to
a compatible mobile device. There are current examples of this type of service at the UF
Libraries including the "UF Libraries in Brief" handout and even an outdated web based
tour that is still being hosted at the following web address:


The content created in Phase 1 will be used to improve upon these current projects
while Phase 2 will expand these services by making them available on a mobile
platform.

8. YouTube videos were created to market the UF Libraries, will those videos be
incorporated in Phase II?

Links to existing outreach materials will be included in the tour content after they have
been evaluated for accuracy. This will include Youtube videos, promotional materials,
and official UF Libraries' profiles on existing Web 2.0 resources (Facebook, Twitter,
etc.).

9. Are there existing examples of augmented reality tours in general?

There are no current examples of augmented reality applications being used in a library
setting. The San Jose Public Library has an Institute of Museum and Library Services
grant to work towards a historical tour for San Jose. They are only in the research
phase. The City of Philadelphia is also in the process of developing an augmented
reality prototype that will be connected to the Phillyhistory.org photo archive. They were
awarded a grant in March 2010 by the National Endowment for the Humanities Office of
Digital Humanities. Other examples may be found on the Layar website at the following
address:
.


10. These references discuss this type of project http://www.slideshare.net/
islanderlee/auqmented-reality-libraries, http://ilearntechnoloav.com/?p=3035 and
provide some current references, will your project be similar?

Phase 2 of this project will make use of these references, particularly information
about the augmented reality development tool, Layar, which be used to upload content
created in Phase 1 into a mobile platform.