Booksnake is a new software tool that makes it feel like digitized cultural heritage materials are physically present in the real world, using augmented reality (AR) technology in consumer smartphones and tablets. Unlike humanities projects that use virtual reality (VR) or AR to publish custom content, Booksnake is a general-purpose, content-agnostic tool for existing online collections. Booksnake works by using the International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) to download images and metadata, then using Apple’s RealityKit framework to create custom life-size virtual objects on demand. This makes it possible for users to interact with digitized materials in physical space, enabling closer, richer engagement without risk to rare, fragile materials.