THORNTON, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb 3, 2026--
Adams County’s public library system, Anythink Libraries, is celebrating the one-year anniversary of Anythink World, the world’s first virtual library metaverse, an innovative digital branch that anyone can access regardless of where they live or whether they hold a library card. Launched in January 2025, the free platform has grown into a nationally engaged community, connecting people across Colorado and beyond through immersive, interactive programming.
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Designed as a fully realized virtual library rather than a one-off digital experience, Anythink World allows participants to explore imaginative worlds, attend programs and connect with others in real time. By removing traditional barriers such as geography, residency and physical access, the platform reflects how libraries are evolving to expand access and serve communities wherever curiosity exists. In 2025, Anythink World saw 5,427 visitors and 153 programs offered for 742 attendees. Ninety-five percent of those visitors were from the United States, with 5% from France, Spain, Mexico, Bangladesh and Costa Rica.
At a time when families and adults are seeking cost-free third spaces for creativity, learning and connection, Anythink World offers a new kind of public gathering place. It complements Anythink’s physical branches by providing an always-open environment where people can drop in for short visits or return regularly for deeper engagement. Some of the most popular programs of its inaugural year included digital broadcasts of the Colorado Ballet’s performance of The Nutcracker, chess school, cookie decorating, live magic shows and the interactive Spanish for the World.
“Anythink World was created to push the boundaries of what a library experience can be,” said Alex Thao, Anythink World’s Creator and Branch Manager. “These worlds are playful, imaginative and designed to spark curiosity, whether you’re exploring an ancient civilization, wandering a medieval village or jumping into a story-driven environment built for creativity and reflection. It’s exciting to see how people are using these spaces to explore, create and connect in ways that feel fresh, fun and meaningful.”
As part of its first-year celebration, Anythink World now features a rotating lineup of approximately 20 immersive virtual worlds, with a new world opening each week for a limited time. Each world is designed for short, flexible visits and includes optional activities that encourage exploration, reflection and play, inviting repeat visits while keeping experiences dynamic throughout the year.
Recent and upcoming virtual worlds
The virtual worlds are developed in partnership with Edu Metaverse and draw from its educational and experiential design catalog.
Beyond exploration, Anythink World also serves as a platform for original library-led programming. Over the past year, it has hosted initiatives such as Unwritten, a narrative poetry project that brought together a virtual writing cohort led by Adams County Poet Laureate Kerrie Joy. Participants collaborated, wrote and built creative portfolios entirely within the virtual environment.
Anythink World reflects Anythink Libraries’ systemwide focus on access, joining initiatives such as districtwide expanded hours, the renovated Perl Mack branch with new community spaces and nearly 5,000 books, the forthcoming Nature Library opening in August and the Anythink Reunion Express Library planned to expand access in growing and rural communities in Fall 2026.
“The success of Anythink World reflects our commitment to meeting people where they are and reimagining what a modern library can be,” said Mark Fink, Executive Director of Anythink Libraries. “These virtual worlds show how libraries can be both innovative and deeply human, opening doors for learning, creativity and connection well beyond our physical locations.”
Anythink World is available online 24 hours a day, seven days a week as part of Anythink Libraries’ digital offerings. New virtual worlds will continue to rotate weekly throughout 2026.
AboutAnythink Libraries
Anythink, an award-winning public library system, serves the residents of Adams County, Colorado via its seven branches, a bookmobile and an upcoming Nature Library and Express Library in Reunion. With a mission to “Open Doors for Curious Minds,” Anythink is a catalyst for innovation and provides comfortable spaces, accessible resources and hands-on programming for all ages. Guided by values of creativity, optimism, compassion and lifelong learning, the library system is committed to representing the diversity of Adams County and creating a sense of belonging for everyone. Anythink’s digital resources are available 24/7—including Anythink World, the library's custom virtual experience platform in the metaverse. The library’s customer experience also extends to specialty spaces and hands-on programs like The Studio, the Nature Library and mySummer. Whether you're exploring a new topic or mastering a skill, discover something new at Anythink. Learn more: anythinklibraries.org
AboutAnythink World
Anythink World is a free, browser-based immersive virtual experience platform created by Anythink Libraries. The platform allows people of all ages to explore interactive digital worlds, participate in programs and connect with others online, extending the library experience beyond physical locations. Designed to be easy to use, Anythink World offers 24/7 access to rotating virtual environments and creative activities for curious minds everywhere.
A close-up view of the Honeycomb virtual world in Anythink World highlights an interactive, nature-inspired environment designed to spark curiosity about insects, ecosystems and the natural world. Featuring larger-than-life visuals and playful learning prompts, the world encourages exploration, reflection and discovery for visitors of all ages. The Honeycomb world opens Feb. 23 and runs through March 1, 2026, joining Anythink World’s weekly rotation of immersive digital spaces created by Anythink Libraries. Free and browser-based, Anythink World extends the library experience beyond physical branches, offering 24/7 access to learning, creativity and connection.
A visitor explores the immersive Winter Olympics portal inside Anythink World, the world’s first library metaverse created by Anythink Libraries. Inspired by global winter sports and designed for playful discovery, the interactive world invites participants to move through story-driven environments, spark curiosity and learn through exploration. The Olympic world is open Feb. 2–8, 2026, as part of Anythink World’s rotating lineup of approximately 20 virtual worlds that open weekly for a limited time. Free and accessible 24/7, Anythink World removes barriers of geography and residency, offering a new kind of public library experience for curious minds everywhere.
After crashing his SUV last week in Florida, Tiger Woods took out his phone and told a deputy, “I was just talking to the president,” according to body camera footage released Thursday showing Woods' arrest on a DUI charge.
The phone conversation was not captured on video, but Woods could be heard saying, “Thank you so much,” as he hung up and the deputy approached. It wasn't clear if Woods was referring to President Donald Trump, whose former daughter-in-law, Vanessa Trump, is dating Woods.
Shortly after the golfer's March 27 arrest, Trump was asked about Woods and told reporters: “I feel so badly. He’s got some difficulty. Very close friend of mine. He’s an amazing person. Amazing man. But, some difficulty.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether Trump spoke to Woods after the crash.
The footage also shows how Woods appeared to be astonished as he was handcuffed after failing a sobriety test and a video from the back of the patrol car shows the handcuffed golfer hiccupping, yawning and repeatedly appearing to nod off during the 15-minute ride.
Woods told authorities he was looking at his phone and changing the radio station when his speeding Land Rover clipped the back of a truck and rolled onto its side on a residential road on Jupiter Island. No one was injured.
“I looked down at my phone, and all of a sudden — boom,” Woods told an officer as he knelt on a lawn, prior to his arrest.
Body camera footage shows Martin County Sheriff’s Deputy Tatiana Levenar then conducting a roadside sobriety test and telling Woods: “I do believe your normal faculties are impaired, and you’re under an unknown substance, so at this time you’re under arrest for DUI."
“I’m being arrested?” Woods responded.
“Yes, sir,” Levenar said.
After handcuffing Woods, authorities searched his pockets and found two white pills.
“That’s a Norco,” Woods said after an officer pulled out the pills, referring to a painkiller that contains acetaminophen and the opioid hydrocodone. Authorities would later confirm that Woods was in possession of hydrocodone.
In the body camera footage, Woods told Levenar that he had not drunk any alcohol and that he had taken “a few” medications earlier in the day, though Woods’ words are muted in the released video as he describes some of the drugs.
At the sheriff’s office complex, after Woods was escorted into the “DUI room” where drivers are tested for being under the influence, Woods said, “I’m not drunk. I’m on a prescription medication,” according to a supplemental sheriff’s office report released Thursday.
Woods, 50, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to suspicion of driving under the influence. He posted a statement Tuesday night saying that he was stepping away indefinitely “to seek treatment and focus on my health.”
Woods agreed to a Breathalyzer test that showed no signs of alcohol, but he refused a urine test, authorities said. Under a change to Florida law last year, refusing an officer’s request to take a breath, blood or urine test became a misdemeanor, even for a first offense.
During the field sobriety test, deputies noticed Woods limping and that he had a compression sock over his right knee. Woods explained he had undergone seven back surgeries and over 20 surgeries on his right leg, and that his ankle seizes up while walking.
Woods, who was hiccupping during questioning, continuously moved his head during one of the sobriety tests and deputies had to tell him several times to keep his head straight, according to an arrest report.
“Based on my observations of Woods, how he performed the exercises and based on my training, knowledge, and experience, I believed that Woods normal faculties were impaired, and he was unable to safely operate the motor vehicle,” Levenar wrote.
Woods is the most influential figure in golf and has become as recognizable as any athlete in the world. The first person of Black heritage to win the Masters in 1997, he has captivated golf fans with records likely never to be broken.
His injuries have kept him from accomplishing more, including from a 2021 Los Angeles car crash that damaged his right leg so badly he said doctors considered amputation. He has not played an official event since the 2024 British Open. He was recovering from a seventh back surgery in October and was trying to return at the Masters, where he is a five-time champion.
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Associated Press writer Mike Schneider in Orlando, Florida, contributed to this report.
In this image from police body camera video released by the Martin County, Fla., Sheriff's Office, golfer Tiger Woods sits in an unmarked police vehicle as he speaks with law enforcement personnel following a car crash in Jupiter Island, Fla., Friday, March 27, 2026. (Martin County Sheriff's Office via AP)
In this image from police body camera video released by the Martin County, Fla., Sheriff's Office, golfer Tiger Woods speaks on his cellphone following a car crash in Jupiter Island, Fla., Friday, March 27, 2026. (Martin County Sheriff's Office via AP)
In this image from police body camera video released by the Martin County, Fla., Sheriff's Office, golfer Tiger Woods speaks on his cellphone as he steps out of an unmarked police vehicle following a car crash in Jupiter Island, Fla., Friday, March 27, 2026. (Martin County Sheriff's Office via AP)
In this image from police body camera video released by the Martin County, Fla., Sheriff's Office, golfer Tiger Woods hangs up his cellphone and tells a sheriff deputy “I was just talking to the president" following a car crash in Jupiter Island, Fla., Friday, March 27, 2026. (Martin County Sheriff's Office via AP)
In this image from video provided by the Martin County, Fla., Sheriff's Office, golfer Tiger Woods is strapped into a police vehicle following a car crash in Jupiter Island, Fla., Friday, March 27, 2026. (Martin County Sheriff's Office via AP)
In this image from police body camera video released by the Martin County, Fla., Sheriff's Office, golfer Tiger Woods performs a field sobriety test for sheriff's deputies following a car crash in Jupiter Island, Fla., Friday, March 27, 2026. (Martin County Sheriff's Office via AP)
In this image from police body camera video released by the Martin County, Fla., Sheriff's Office, golfer Tiger Woods is taken into custody by sheriff's deputies following a car crash in Jupiter Island, Fla., Friday, March 27, 2026. (Martin County Sheriff's Office via AP)
In this image from video provided by the Martin County, Fla., Sheriff's Office, golfer Tiger Woods is strapped into a police vehicle following a car crash in Jupiter Island, Fla., Friday, March 27, 2026. (Martin County Sheriff's Office via AP)
In this image taken from police body camera video released by the Martin County, Fla., Sheriff's Office, golfer Tiger Woods performs a field sobriety test for sheriff's deputies following a car crash in Jupiter Island, Fla., Friday, March 27, 2026. (Martin County Sheriff's Office via AP)
Golfer Tiger Woods stands by his overturned vehicle in Jupiter Island, Fla., on Friday, March 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Jason Oteri)
In this image taken from police body camera video released by the Martin County, Fla., Sheriff's Office, golfer Tiger Woods speaks with sheriff's deputies following a car crash in Jupiter Island, Fla., Friday, March 27, 2026. (Martin County Sheriff's Office via AP)
In this image taken from police body camera video released by the Martin County, Fla., Sheriff's Office, sheriff's deputies holds two pills from a search of golfer Tiger Woods' pants following a car crash in Jupiter Island, Fla., Friday, March 27, 2026. (Martin County Sheriff's Department via AP)
In this image taken from police body camera video released by the Martin County, Fla., Sheriff's Office, golfer Tiger Woods is taken into custody by sheriff's deputies following a car crash in Jupiter Island, Fla., Friday, March 27, 2026. (Martin County Sheriff's Office via AP)
In this image taken from police body camera video released by the Martin County, Fla., Sheriff's Office, golfer Tiger Woods performs a field sobriety test for sheriff's deputies following a car crash in Jupiter Island, Fla., Friday, March 27, 2026. (Martin County Sheriff's Office via AP)
The Martin County Sheriff's Office welcome sign is displayed outside Friday, March 27, 2026 (AP Photo/Jim Rassol)
This handout photo provided by the Martin County Sheriff's Office shows Tiger Woods, in Stuart, Fla., Friday, March 27, 2026. (Martin County Sheriff's Office via AP)
Tiger Woods leaves the Martin County Sheriff's Office jail facility following his involvement in a car crash where he was arrested on a DUI charge on Friday, March 27, 2026 (AP Photo/Jim Rassol)
FILE- Golfer Tiger Woods stands by his overturned vehicle in Jupiter Island, Fla., March 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Jason Oteri, File)
