VR Device FAQ

Can’t find your answer? Email admin @ cmle.org

Who can reserve a VR kit?

CMLE serves 12 counties in central Minnesota: Aitkin, Benton, Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Pine, Sherburne, Stearns, Todd, and Wright. If you are in a library in that system – you are a member!

Why does my IT staff need to know about this?

Each headset will need to be connected to the wifi where you will be conducting the classes, which requires knowing the network names, passwords and having access to any proxy servers your library have have in your system. 

Additionally, the setup also requires moderate bandwidth to deliver the content to the headsets. While this should not put a strain on any systems, it is courteous to alert IT staff to a potential spike or strain in the network. 

Finally, we always recommend having support available when introducing new technologies. The headsets are designed to be very straightforward to use, but there can always be things outside of our control. 

How long do the headsets stay charged and how much storage space is on them?

They are estimated to last between 1-3 hours depending on the content being viewed. Use caution and assume they will last closer to the 1-hour mark.

The headsets hold 16 GB of data.

Is training provided to teachers on how to use the portal and headsets?

CMLE will host periodic training sessions for library staff and teachers. If you have a few people who can all use training, let us know and we will set up a session in your location.

We have some useful information and links on our main VR/AR page. These three documents will get you started and let you work with the devices:

Are there space requirements for using VR?

The ClassVR sets are intended to be used sitting down and with minimal movement. However, it is quite natural for a user to want to turn all the way around in their seat or to reach their hand forward to touch something.

We recommend that virtual reality experiences be scaled for the size of the room they’re occurring in, and clearing safety hazards before the technology is used. Additionally, a second person acting as a spotter for a headset wearer will further ensure safety.

Do we need headphones to use the programs?

There are headphone jacks on each headset, however most of the content is exclusively visual, so headphones are not necessary to use the kits. There are a few videos with sound that play loud enough to be heard without headphones; but for the most part these are still images. 

CMLE does not have headphones available.  

What happens if part of a kit is damaged?

We understand that accidents happen, but CMLE does not have the funds to replace items that are damaged, so if you are able, we would ask your organization to make a donation equal to the cost of the damages.

Additional Safety Considerations

  • We want everyone to have a fun, educational experience! So just relax, go slow, and know that tech challenges can happen to the best of us.
    • Most users will be just fine, and have no ill effects. But some people are prone to motion sickness, and VR can cause it.
  • The time spent in VR sessions should be limited. Keep it to 20 minutes or less for each person.
  • If students announce they are always get motion sickness, we would let them skip the headset. This should be an OPTIONAL activity.
  • The first couple of minutes can be disorienting. If they are not feeling sick, students can just keep going and things will settle down.
  • Anyone may become motion sick after wearing a headset for too long. Make sure to take turns!
  • If anyone feels motion sick, or just weird – they can pull the headsets off their heads and everything should return to normal almost immediately. Let them sit a couple of minutes to be sure all is well.
  • Make sure the user is seated. Walking isn’t necessary to the experience of any of our material.
  • If anyone has eye infections, pink eye, runny noses, or other head/face infections that can be transmitted – they need to skip using the headsets until next time.

Why do I only get these for a short time?

We have about 200 schools, and 10 kits. We want to give as many people as possible a chance to try out a kit. Your school might want to buy some sets after trying them, or to try some other VR tech that makes sense for your community members.

I’m not a member; what about me?

Sorry, this is CMLE members only. If other libraries or systems want to give them a try in our office, you can email Mary at mary @ cmle.org and we will try to get a kit back here for you to test. We want to demo these for other libraries, so you can decide whether these are valuable for your collection.

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