Folger Skakespeare Library

Founders Henry and Emily Folger established The Folger Shakespeare Library (FSL) in 1932 as a gift to the American people. FSL has one of the world's most extensive collections of printed works by William Shakespeare and the greatest number of First Folios. Education and outreach were the driving forces behind a comprehensive building renovation, including new accessible entries, core, and changing galleries that are free to the public.

The design premise is to take Shakespeare off his pedestal and bring his works to everyone. There is no "Shakespeare test," but rather questions, insights, and gentle provocations—adapt the sacred, embrace the profane, reframe Shakespeare worship, and relish in the playful, mundane, and irreverent. The design challenge was creating an exciting visitor experience that would bring Shakespeare to all via works on paper while adhering to the highest conservation requirements.

Exhibition content centers on Shakespeare, the man, his works, times, and legacy. The Library's 82 first folios are at the physical and intellectual epicenter of the gallery. Visitors use interactive media to dive deeply into intimate stories and find exciting facts illuminating the unique quality of each folio's 400-year history. Who owned the folio? What marks did they leave? The case is a tour-de-force of technical design, conservation, and protections, including Very Early Smoke Detection Activation, humidity/temperature control, Oddy-tested materials, dedicated supply and return air, and security. Ambient and programmed lighting are in sync with the media.

The gallery interior is "papered" in narrative graphics printed on 8.5" by 11" Tyvek sheets, each attached at the top to create a shingled effect. This audaciously textured environment holds stories about place and time while simultaneously backgrounding the collections. The displays draw visitors into historical documents' fascinating but often obscure realm.

"Printing with Light" is a physio-digital interactive that allows visitors to assemble phrases using facsimile blocks. It is a fun, accessible, and ageless experience that clarifies a printing process that requires an intricate assembly of words seen upside down and backward. The Library also provides demonstrations and opportunities to use an adjacent replica of a Renaissance press.