The unique opportunity presented by the opening of the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC) and the connecting passageway to the Library of Congress—with a projected increase of 2 million to 3 million more visitors to the Library annually—made it necessary to rethink how Library visitors experience the nation’s library.
IPO has been the key player in the Library-wide effort to develop the exhibitions that comprise the new Library Experience, which opened in April 2008. (See Information Bulletin, May 2008 and June 2008.) In addition to all the other details involved in mounting the new presentations, the interactive stations developed for each exhibition posed a major challenge to IPO and other Library offices.
“Exhibits have become increasingly complex with the addition of interactive and Internet components,” said Gerry Gawalt, curator of “Creating the United States,” a new exhibition that features the nation’s founding documents. “I have often been amazed at how IPO staff can take the intellectual content from a curator and combine it with the technical expertise of others to produce a highly attractive and instructive exhibit component.”
IPO worked closely for more than three years with outside contractor Second Story to develop content that would allow visitors to explore the themes of each exhibition in more depth, using interactive technology. The interactive material is available onsite as well as online at myLOC.gov.
In the “Creating the United States” exhibition, visitors are able to trace major ideas in the Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights back through the sources that influenced the Founding Fathers. They can view scanned pages from the original documents and transcripts that make them easy to decipher. These interactives enhance the visitor’s understanding of the materials that played a critical role in forming the U.S.
Seven unique interactives located at nine stations in the “Exploring the Early Americas” exhibition allow visitors to learn directly from the artifacts, books, documents, paintings, and maps from the Library’s Jay I. Kislak Collection. Three interactives in “Thomas Jefferson’s Library” allow visitors to “browse” Jefferson’s collection of more than 6,000 books.
IPO is continuing to work with interactive designers and staff in Web Services, Educational Outreach, Integrated Technology Services, and the Office of the Librarian throughout the Library on the next phase of the new Library Experience, which will place myLOC stations—with additional interactive capabilities—in the Library’s exhibitions.
