The Library of Congress has opened The Source: Where Curiosity Sparks Discovery, a 4,000-square-foot experiential research gallery designed for children ages 8 to 15. Developed as part of the Library’s broader A Library for You initiative, The Source introduces young visitors to a selection of the Library’s more than 184 million items and gives them hands-on access to primary sources in film, text, sound, and image. SKOLNICK Architecture PLLC led the interpretive planning and exhibition design, selecting Potion (now Hyperquake) to create the gallery’s suite of digital interactive installations forming the core of the experience.
The Source fulfills a longstanding goal of the Library: opening the Library’s research process to younger audiences who are not yet eligible for a Reader Card. As noted by Shari Werb, Director of the Library’s Center for Learning, Literacy, and Public Engagement, the Library is a place where people are reading to learn, not learning to read. The Source was purpose-built to help kids practice the noticing, questioning, and analytical skills that define research with primary sources.
Media development for The Source was initially led by Potion, the acclaimed digital storytelling studio Hyperquake acquired in 2024. Guided by Founder Philip R. Tiongson and produced by longtime Potion team members including Claire Bradley, the project reflects the studio’s legacy of inclusive, research-driven interactive design. Today, those same creators form the core of Hyperquake’s Experiences Team, carrying forward Potion’s heritage within Hyperquake’s expanded practice.
“Our team was honored to take on the responsibility of this project,” Bradley confirmed. “We worked closely with the Library to ensure every interaction felt intuitive and empowering for young researchers. Seeing this work come to fruition has been wonderful.”
For this team, the role centered on designing and developing the digital interactives that guide visitors through the Library’s research methodology. Working in close collaboration with SKOLNICK’s interpretive planning team and the Library’s content experts, Hyperquake’s Experiences Team created a sequence of physical-digital experiences allowing kids to explore real artifacts at their own pace, uncover context, and build confidence as emerging researchers.
To further illuminate the Experiences Team’s contributions, Hyperquake has shared this new case study video: https://vimeo.com/1223418847.
Turning Visitors Into Active Researchers
The experience begins in the Welcome Room, where a whimsical five-sided Card Catalog sparks curiosity. As kids open drawers, projection-mapped animations spill across the structure, revealing objects from across the Library’s collections. Nearby, the Librarian Desk introduces seven Library staff members who share how researchers use primary sources and point visitors toward the four Collections Zones.
In the Collections Room, Hyperquake’s digital interactives anchor each zone. More than 200 RFID-enabled objects can be scanned at Investigation Stations, where kids zoom into manuscripts, magnify historic images, scrub audio recordings, and explore film clips frame by frame. Replica Tools provide hands-on encounters with traditional media formats: a film projector, a record player, and a microfilm reader. Each tool delivers quick, intuitive interactions that encourage kids to explore, compare, and follow their curiosity.
At the Researcher Desk, curated archival boxes highlight how real researchers, including young people, used Library materials to pursue their own questions. The experience culminates at the Source Book, where visitors create digital collages and set research intentions that are added to an ever-changing projection wall.
“The Source is not an exhibit: it is a center for active research,” said Mary Franck, Creative Director, Experiences, at Hyperquake. “Our goal was to design interactions that feel magical, intuitive, and empowering. By augmenting tactile artifacts with digital layers of discovery, we help kids see themselves as researchers from the moment they walk in.”
The project reflects a strategic partnership between SKOLNICK and Hyperquake, uniting interpretive planning, exhibition design, and digital innovation. SKOLNICK led the design of the environment, graphics, and interpretive framework, while Hyperquake delivered the interactive installations, content systems, and user experience design that bring the research process to life. Complete project credits are available upon request.
The Source is now open to the public in the Library’s Jefferson Building. Weekday mornings are reserved for school groups during the academic year, with regular hours Tuesday through Saturday.
Information on SKOLNICK is available at https://www.skolnick.com.
About Hyperquake
Hyperquake is an independent creative strategy, branding, and experience design marketing agency founded in 1986. With locations in Cincinnati, Brooklyn, Salt Lake City, and Portland, Hyperquake builds ambitious brands and experiences for those eager to activate a vision. Hyperquake specializes in strategic innovation, branded experiences, and scaling organizations for growth, working with companies ranging from small startups to global enterprises. For more information, visit https://www.hyperquake.com.
