IT and Libraries: Visualization Wall the Centerpiece of Brown Digital Scholarship Lab

The Brown University Library this month opened its new Patrick Ma Digital Scholarship Lab, a facility that offers students access to software used by a variety of disciplines in a state-of-the-art viewing and listening environment. The centerpiece of the lab is a video visualization wall made from twelve 55-inch LED screens, which can be used together to show a single seven foot by 16 foot image or video at 24 megapixel resolution, or linked to individual touch-screen monitors for groups or classes working on collaborative projects. The wall is also set up for videoconferencing, which will facilitate events such as group meetings and long-distance lectures.

The role of the academic library has always involved providing students and faculty with the resources and tools they need to interact with various forms of recorded knowledge, said University Librarian Harriette Hemmasi. But “the format and scope have changed considerably. We have many new, evolving technologies, and libraries are very keen to be part of this environment, because we believe this is where our future is—to work with new technologies and new methodologies in scholarship, research, teaching, and learning.”

The visualization video wall offers a combination of size and resolution that wouldn’t be possible with a projector, allowing students to view highly detailed images in a classroom setting. And since individuals can also control portions of the wall, it opens up unique new possibilities for both lectures and group projects.