The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world, with millions of books, recordings, photographs, newspapers, maps and manuscripts in its collections. One of the missions of Library of Congress’ Labs (Labs) at the Library of Congress (Library) is to enable transformational experiences that connect the Library’s digital collections with the American people.
Labs established an Innovator in Residence Program (IIR) in 2017 to invite creative people with diverse perspectives and expertise to enable these transformational experiences, developing work inspired by the Library’s collections that demonstrate possibilities of how the Library relates to and enriches the work, life and imagination of the American people. The residency serves the Library’s Digital Strategy by encouraging creative re-imaginings of how to bring the Library to users, inspire lifelong relationships, and support creativity in emerging styles of research.
Residents are required to do research with Library collections, create a unique digital work that may be hosted on the LC Labs website, host a public program, and serve as an ambassador for the Library during their tenure. The Labs team seeks proposals for research and work that promote insight and inspiration, discovery of Library items, connecting to new or diverse audiences and/or creative remixing and reuse.