The Source, a new 4,000-square-foot gallery in Washington, DC., introduces children to the Library of Congress’ vast collection through projection mapping, RFID and hands-on digital experiences.
Library Of Congress: Digital Interactives Turn Children Into Researchers
The Library of Congress has opened The Source: Where Curiosity Sparks Discovery, an experiential research gallery designed for children ages 8 to 15.
Located in the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building in Washington, the 4,000-square-foot (372-square-meter) gallery gives young visitors access to primary sources through film, text, sound and images. The Library holds more than 184 million items.
Skolnick Architecture led the interpretive planning and exhibition design, selecting digital storytelling studio Potion to develop the gallery’s interactive installations. Hyperquake acquired Potion in 2024, and its former team now forms the core of Hyperquake’s Experiences Team.
From card catalogs to RFID
The experience begins with a five-sided Card Catalog. Opening its drawers triggers projection-mapped animations that reveal objects from the Library’s collections. A nearby Librarian Desk introduces seven staff members who explain how researchers work with primary sources.
In the Collections Room, visitors can scan more than 200 RFID-enabled objects at Investigation Stations. The digital interfaces let them zoom into manuscripts, enlarge historical images, navigate audio recordings and examine film clips frame by frame.
Replica tools, including a film projector, record player and microfilm reader, provide physical encounters with earlier media formats.
At the Source Book, visitors create digital collages and add their own research intentions to a changing projection wall.
“Our goal was to design interactions that feel magical, intuitive and empowering,” said Mary Franck, creative director of experiences at Hyperquake. “By augmenting tactile artifacts with digital layers of discovery, we help kids see themselves as researchers from the moment they walk in.”
The Source was developed as part of the Library’s broader A Library for You initiative. It is open Tuesday through Saturday, with weekday mornings reserved for school groups during the academic year.