Author(s)

Bin WU, Shu SONG, Jianxiang CAO, Wen RU

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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 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 formed by 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.

virtual home library, IPTV, virtual reality, digital library

B. WU, S. SONG, J. CAO and W. RU, "Virtual Home Library System—— Let every Chinese family having their own libraries," Intelligent Information Management, Vol. 1 No. 1, 2009, pp. 50-55. doi: 10.4236/iim.2009.11009.