Starting this semester Paul V. Galvin Library’s circulation desk has a new tool available for community use: a collection of VR headsets on two-hour reserve and a list of free psychology-related virtual reality applications. These adjustable headsets are designed to work with most smart phones running either iOS or Android.

The list of free psychology-related VR apps was curated by the Department of Psychology’s Andrew De Leonardis, a clinical psychology doctoral student. Community members can download one or more free VR apps to try before coming to the library to borrow a headset. Examples of free apps include VR experiences designed to help people empathize with having different mental health conditions (e.g., autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety) or with living through a natural or man-made disaster (e.g., a hurricane, earthquake, or war zone). Most applications require less than 20 minutes to try.