The Ignacio Community Library in Ignacio, Colorado — a town of approximately 845 residents — has developed an ongoing virtual reality travel program that uses Meta VR headsets and the Wander application to take community members on immersive tours of countries around the world.
Each month, the library structures the event around a featured destination, combining a cultural presentation, local cuisine tasting, and a hands-on VR session. Participants use the Wander app — which draws on Google Street View imagery and incorporates speech recognition, Wikipedia integration, and historical photo browsing — to explore the highlighted location. India has proven the most popular destination to date, with the March 2026 event featuring Scotland.
The library acquired its VR headsets through TechSoup, a nonprofit technology distribution program, at approximately $240 per unit — a significant discount from the approximately $1,200 retail price. The initiative sits alongside a broader suite of community programs led by librarian Liz von Tauffkirchen, including monthly repair cafes, a makerspace with 3D printers, and free legal clinics.
"It's really important for a library to serve as a hub for the community and a place to bring people together," said von Tauffkirchen.
