Library of Congress Visitor Experience

The Visitor Experience at the Library of Congress is the result of an unprecedented institutional initiative in which technology interconnects every interpretive offering on view in the library with a suite of tools for enhanced observation, personalization, and collection of objects for later retrieval online. Every exhibition is infused with state-of-the-art exhibitry, immersive audiovisual installations, and rich interactives that blend curatorial expertise with innovative technology. The interactive installations capitalize on the significant treasures and exceptional architecture of the Jefferson Building to enlighten, inspire, and encourage visitors to continue their explorations at home after their visit. From interactive document viewers to collections browsers and life-size interactive projections, the visual language of the designs communicates the stature of the institution and its responsiveness to the public it serves.

Integrating high-resolution images of artifacts with transcription and magnification tools, as well as audio insights from the library’s curators, each interactive installation allows visitors to explore artifacts in a highly detailed manner. Intuitive interfaces make interpretive information and images easy to access; the consistency of interface elements across the galleries ensures that visitors can quickly interact with content as they move from area to area, and ultimately online, to their personalized myloc.gov Web page.