A new, highly visual platform for exploring the riches of the Smithsonian is set for public launch in June 2016. But users are being encouraged to explore the Smithsonian Learning Lab now, and librarians, given their curatorial skills, are especially welcome, says Darren Milligan, digital project manager at the Smithsonian. More than 1.4 million resources are currently available in the Learning Lab, a first-ever assembly of multimedia content representing the Smithsonian’s 19 museums, nine research centers, and the National Zoo. Beyond the resources themselves—which are free and open to all for personal and educational use—the Learning Lab enables educators and learners alike to participate, through creating and sharing learning experiences using the content and even enhancing the collections with their own content and annotations.

Getting started

Image driven, the Learning Lab is a platform optimized for discovery. And there’s a lot to peruse, with 13 million objects digitized, thus far. (There are a lot of beetles, notes Milligan.) To get oriented on what’s possible, users might try out sample collections created by among more than 300 Smithsonian educators. Teachers may take an educator-created Virginia history collection, for instance, and swap in some examples from Pennsylvania. This sampling of collections demonstrates the range of resources and what users can do with them:

• Writing Inspiration: Using Art to Spark Narrative Story Elements
• Catcher in the Rye 
• Analyzing Photographs Over Time, with the Scurlock Studio's Portraits of Washington, DC 
• Mummy Science - Natural and Cultural Preserved Remains
• Thanksgiving—A Reflection of a Nation
• Animal Adaptations: Beaks

Educators can upload their own content and adjust annotations to fit the needs of students, as well as incorporate other lessons. Tools for sharing and classroom management are included, too. It’s important to note that not everything in the collection is in the public domain; users should mind the metadata. This presents "an opportunity to engage in digital citizenship,” says Milligan, particularly with students. Launched in public beta in October 2015, the Learning Lab will see its full release in June at the ISTE 2016 conference. In the meantime, the Smithsonian is incorporating greater functionality, including a citation tool. When asked for a tip on a particular favorite trove in the Smithsonian, Milligan demurred. “It’s not important what we think is important or useful,” he says. That will be up to users.

Users can create "hot spots" within the Smithsonian Learning Lab.