The Nexus of Innovation: Technological, Organizational, and Environmental Influences on VR Adoption in Libraries

ABSTRACT Background Virtual reality (VR) technology offers immersive, interactive, and engaging educational experiences. It can significantly improve how well students understand and retain their learning for complex subjects. Purpose This study explores the nexus of technological, organizational, and environmental factors influencing the readiness to adopt and the adoption of VR in academic libraries. Methods Drawing on the Technological‐Organizational‐Environmental model as the theoretical foundation, data were collected from 232 Chinese Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) using the stratified random sampling method and analysed using Partial Least Squares–Structural Equation Modelling. Results Factors from all three categories, including perceived benefits, monetary resources, information and communication technology infrastructure, HEIs support, and market dynamics, had significant positive effects on VR technology readiness towards its adoption, whereas perceived complexity had a negative effect. Moreover, VR technology readiness was a significant mediator in the relationships between the factors and VR technology adoption. Control variables, including HEIs ranking and number of students, and the Importance‐Performance Map yielded mixed results. Conclusions This study is novel as it extends the investigation of VR adoption, which has been predominantly explored in commercial and industrial contexts, to the underexplored setting of academic libraries, particularly within the Chinese context. Additionally, by integrating VR technology readiness as a mediating variable, this study offers unique insights into technology adoption in academic libraries, thereby addressing critical research gaps. The findings can aid HEIs administrators, policy makers, and educators in planning, assessing, and implementing VR‐based technologies, enabling them to gain a more comprehensive understanding of users' satisfaction and promote the sustained use of advanced VR systems.