The Library of Congress is looking for its next Innovator in Residence. Through March 5, the Library invites technologists, artists and other creative visionaries to propose imaginative proofs of concept designed to help the public connect with digital Library materials.
The 2024-2025 Library of Congress Innovator in Residence will work with the Library’s Digital Innovation Division (LC Labs) to bring their proposal to life and help the Library explore new ways to connect its collections and services with all Americans.
The Innovator in Residence program is part of the Library’s multifaceted effort to harness advanced technology and transformational experimentation in its daily mission.Jeffrey Yoo Warren serves as the Library’s current Innovator in Residence and is in theprocess of creating a series of immersive virtual reconstructions of historic and erased Chinatowns across the country. His project is now publicly-available as a community resource toolkit.
Previous Innovator in Residence efforts include Brian Foo’s Citizen DJ music mixing tool, the Newspaper Navigator historic periodicals search application from Benjamin Charles Germain Lee, Courtney McClellan’s classroom resource Speculative Annotation, and Jer Thorp’s suite of serendipitous discovery experiences and podcast series.
Those interested in applying to be the next Library of Congress Innovator in Residence are asked to submit a concept paper detailing their envisioned research and digital work. The work(s) could tell an engaging story and prompt deeper inquiry, demonstrate a new method of discovering Library items, or present free-to-use items and tools to enable creative remixing and reuse. Digital mediums that can be experienced through a web browser are preferred, such as web applications, visualizations and multimedia works. All concepts should enable communities to experience meaningful connections with the Library’s materials.
After reviewing concept papers, the Library will invite select applicants to submit full proposals for the Innovator in Residence program. The selected Innovator will be funded up to $90,000 per year for a maximum of two years. Once appointed in September 2024, the Innovator in Residence may work most of their residency remotely and will have access to both publicly available and on-site Library collections. The Innovator will also be provided with program and research support throughout their residency.
The Library of Congress established the Innovator in Residence program in 2017 to invite creative people with diverse perspectives and expertise to enable transformational experiences that connect the Library’s digital collections with the American people. The residency is hosted by LC Labs as part of their efforts to demonstrate new possibilities for the Library to relate to and enrich the work, life and imagination of the American people.
To learn more about how to submit a concept paper for the 2024-2025 Innovator in Residence program, visit the LC Labs Innovator in Residence information page.
About LC Labs
The Library’s Digital Innovation Division, LC Labs, supports the Library’s mission to engage, inspire, and inform Congress and the American people with a universal and enduring source of knowledge and creativity. LC Labs is home to the Library of Congress Innovator in Residence Program; leads experiments with AI and other new technologies; and supports communities in exploring the Library’s data and digital collections. Visit labs.loc.gov to see this work in action.
About the Library
The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States — and extensive materials from around the world — both on-site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov; access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov; and register creative works of authorship at copyright.gov.
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Media Contact: Elaina Finkelstein, efinkelstein@loc.gov | Kelley Nalley, knalley@loc.gov
Public Contact: Jaime Mears, jame@loc.gov
PR 24-009
1-12-2023
ISSN 0731-3527